University of Scranton Hosts Enlightening Programs by Tibetan Monks

On Monday, Dec. 8, a group of visiting Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastic College in southern India will conduct two events at The University of Scranton. The events are free and open to the University community and the public.

Beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day, the monks will create a sand mandala of peace in the Atrium of the Loyola Science Center. Literally defined as “that which extracts the essence,” the mandala represents the architectural layout of the entire palace of a specific deity, as well as the monks’ vision of the entire universe. Sand is applied very precisely by the gentle tapping of a sand-filled metal cone that has had its tip removed.

At 6 p.m. in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center, the monks will recite the Tara Puja ritual and prayers with melodic music for inner peace and compassion, followed by a question-and-answer session, the dissolution (sweeping) of the mandala, and the blessing and distribution of sand.

The Gaden Shartse Monastic College was founded in 1969 by a small group of elder monks and 15 young boys who had managed to escape the destruction in Tibet in the wake of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Located on land given by the Indian government, the college – which is home to more than 1,600 students, teachers, scholars and spiritual practitioners – is considered to be the leader in the field of Buddhist and Tibetan studies.

The purpose of the tour is to share with all people the monks’ culture, as well as practices and paths to inner peace and compassion. The University’s Asian Studies Program is sponsoring the program, along with Lackawanna County, the City of Scranton, and Yoga Journeys.

For more information, call the University’s Asian Studies Program at 570-941-7643 or email asianstudies@scranton.edu.