Four Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery in India began a three-day visit to the Spiritual Center of the Desert on Tuesday, May 5. This visit is part of their Sacred Harmony World Peace Tour, which started with a chanting tea ceremony attended by 30 people.
The ceremony is a Tibetan Buddhist ritual that includes chanting, meditation and tea offerings, all intended to bestow blessings, healing and harmony upon the participants. Before the event, audience members had the opportunity to submit written requests for blessings in the lobby. The hour-long ceremony featured the chanting of traditional Tibetan prayers, which were melodic and low-pitched.
The event marked the first time these monks have visited Palm Desert.
Gaden Shartse Monastery was founded in 1409 in Tibet by the Buddhist scholar Je Tsongkhapa. After China invaded Tibet in 1950, many Buddhist monasteries and institutions were destroyed, forcing thousands of Tibetans, including Buddhist monks, to flee into exile. The monastery was reestablished in India in 1970. Since then, it has grown into a major center for Buddhist education and the preservation of Tibetan culture, housing over 1,000 monks, students and staff from Tibet, India, Taiwan, Europe, the U.S. and more.
Below is a schedule of events for the visit at the Spiritual Center of the Desert. All events are technically free admission, with a suggested donation of $20 (though nobody will be turned away for lack of funds). This tour supports the expansion of Phukhang Khangtsen, where 450 monks currently live in limited space, with plans to build 60 additional rooms to improve living conditions.
Private blessings available upon request. For more information, visit pdspiritualcenter.org.
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How to meet, obtain blessings from Tibetan monks visiting Palm Desert
Reporting by Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
