Eight Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery—students of H.H. Dalai Lama— will be in Key West from Sunday, January 3 through Sunday, January 10 for a seven-day festival of culture, teachings, and artistic expression to take place in various public locations around the island.

The festival is part of the monk’s mission to spread the message of peace, loving kindness, wisdom, and compassion while sharing their traditional Tibetan arts and culture. They also aim to raise support for their monastery in south India, where their traditions and culture are preserved. Key West is one of nearly thirty locations the monks will visit on their 2015/2016 North American Good Will Tour.

“The Keys to Peace group in the upper Keys have been hosting these monks for about eight years and thought that Key West would be a good addition to the Sacred Art Tour,” says event coordinator Lucy Paige.

Paige is a member of Key West Tara Mandala, an organization that gathers at the Key West Botanical Gardens twice each week to practice Tibetan meditation. The group, or “sangha”, are co-hosting the week-long event with Reverend Hooper and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, whose 401 Duval Street location and features became impetus for the many scheduled events, visits, and blessings. Together they welcome the public to join the ordained monks in various events as they speak, sing, pray, and teach.

Events include: a moving Tibetan cultural film at the Tropic Cinema, a traditional Tibetan Momo dinner, a sunset meditation and chant, a sunset sail on the Hindu, dharma talks at St. Paul’s and Key West Botanical Gardens, traditional sacred Tibetan practices, and concert offerings of sacred tonal and instrumental music. Some events require ticket purchase or preregistration, while others are open to all, with donations for the monks greatly appreciated.

The monks are also available for private house, boat, and business blessings, cultural pageant and lecture visits in schools, music performances, tea ceremonies, and other traditional rituals on request—also by donation, or “dana,” to help support the monks in their efforts and travels.

“Dana is a Pali word, which means generosity,” explains Ellen Booth Church, Key West Tara Mandala teacher and renowned early childhood education specialist. “Monks and teachers of Tibetan Buddhism donate their time, energy, and love in service of the Dharma, and receive only what participants offer as Dana or donation.

An event highlight will be the creation of a Compassion Sand Mandala, which will begin with an opening ceremony at 1:00pm on Sunday, January 3 in the gardens of St. Paul’s Church at 415 Eaton Street. Millions of colored grains of sand will be carefully laid out in specific patterns and diagrams which represent sacred textual Buddhist imagery as the Drepung Gomang monks demonstrate this ancient Tibetan art form in a beautiful week-long process of creation and dissolution. Participants can get their own hands in on this sacred art form by registering with The Studios of Key West for a two-hour workshop with the monks on Tuesday, January 5 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.

Another festival highlight features two musical offerings: a crystal bowl healing concert with Debra Kupchok, Eric Levy, and the Drepung Gomang Tibetan Monks on Monday, January 4 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm; and a concert of sacred sounds— Songs of Peace, Songs of Compassion— with the Tibetan Monks, St. Paul’s Blessed Community Choir, and Skipper Kripitz and Friends on Saturday, January 9 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Both take place at St. Paul’s with a suggested donation of $20.

The eight monks will spend their weekday mornings and early afternoons from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at St. Paul’s practicing their traditional morning blessings and meditations, hosting their Tibetan Marketplace, creating their Sand Mandala of Compassion, hosting twenty minute dharma talks and performing their closing blessings and tea ceremony for the Mandala. They welcome the public to all and any of these specific events.

“Ultimately, the many events of this week are about Compassion. In fact Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers has officially proclaimed this time

as “The Weeks of Compassion,” says Church. “With all the troubles in the world, it is powerful to gather together with an intention for creating more compassion and acceptance in the world. In Buddhism we start every meeting or meditation with the vast intention that all beings be free from suffering. Just being in the presence of the monks provides each of us with the opportunity to offer and celebrate compassion and peace. What better way to start the New Year!”

To make a donation, visit keywesttaramandala.org/2016sacredarttour.html. For more information, visit Keywesttaramandala.org or call Lucy Paige at 305-923-4218.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Sunday, January 3:

• 9:30 am -10:45 am @ St. Paul’s Church

Welcome Service for the Monks –Message: Creating Compassion

• 1:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Opening Ceremonies- Blessing of the Sand Mandala of Compassion

Begin of Creation of Sand Mandala-Dharma Talk

Monday, January 4:

• 10:00 am-12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Monk’s Morning Blessings & Meditation, On-going Creation of the Sand Mandala of Compassion, & Tibetan Marketplace

• 12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

20 minute Dharma Talks-Topics include Karma, Impermanence, etc.

• 3:45 pm-6:00 pm @ Margaret Street Pier (behind Turtle Kraals)

Sunset Sail on the HINDU w/the Tibetan Monks $85 @ sailsschoonerhindu.com

• 7:00 pm-8:30 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Concert-Crystal Bowl Healing Concert w/Debra Kupchok , Eric Levy & the Drepung Gomang Tibetan Monks. Suggested Donation $20

Tuesday, January 5:

• 10:00 am-12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Monk’s Morning Blessings & Meditation, On-going Creation of the Sand Mandala of Compassion, & Tibetan Marketplace

• 12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

20 minute Dharma Talks-Topics include Karma, Impermanence, etc.

• 1:00pm-3:00 pm @ The Studios of Key West

Create a Sand Mandala $75 @ TSKW.ORG or call 305.296.0458

Wednesday, January 6:

• 10:00 am-12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Monk’s Morning Blessings & Meditation, On-going Creation of the Sand Mandala of Compassion, & Tibetan Marketplace

• 12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

20 minute Dharma Talks-Topics include Karma, Impermanence, etc.

• 5:00 pm -6:00 pm @ Key West Botanical Garden

Tibetan Artisan Marketplace-Gardens Walk

• 6:00 pm -6:30 pm @ Key West Botanical Garden

CHOD-Tibetan Practice

• 6:30 pm -7:00 pm @ Key West Botanical Garden

Dharma Talk Q&A

Thursday, January 7:

• 10:00 am-12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Monk’s Morning Blessings & Meditation, On-going Creation of the Sand Mandala of Compassion, & Tibetan Marketplace

12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

20 minute Dharma Talks-Topics include Karma, Impermanence, etc.

• 3:00 pm @ Bayview Park-Truman Ave, Vietnam War Memorial Blessing.
• 6:30 pm-9:00 pm @ The Tropic Cinema

Tibetan Tea Reception & Movie-Journey from Zanskar

Introduction and Q & A with the Monks

$20/ Tickets limited, www.TropicCinema.com or call 877.761.3456

Friday, January 8:

• 10:00 am-12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Monk’s Morning Blessings & Meditation, On-going Creation of the Sand Mandala of Compassion, & Tibetan Marketplace

• 12:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

20 minute Dharma Talks-Topics include Karma, Impermanence, etc.

• 7:00 – 9:00 pm @ St Paul’s Church Parish Hall

Authentic Tibetan MOMO Dinner & Artisan Marketplace-Dharma Talk-Sacred Music. Suggested donation: $30. Limited seating, reservations: contact Debra at [email protected] or call 305.872.4752

• 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm @ St Paul’s Church Parish Hall

Tibetan Cuisine Cooking Class Only/Limit 8 Suggested Donation $15

Saturday, January 9:

• 9:30 am – 12:00 pm @ Key West Botanical Garden

Tibetan Artisan Marketplace, Dharma Talk & Cultural Pageant

• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Tibetan Artisan Marketplace & Other Events (TBA)

• 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm @ St. Paul’s Church

Concert-Sacred Sounds: Songs of Peace, Songs of Compassion,

Tibetan Monks w/ St. Paul’s Chorus, Blessed Community Choir & Skipper Kripitz & Friends. Suggested donation: $20

Sunday, January 10:

• 9:30 am – 10:45 am @ St. Paul’s Church

Farewell Service for the Monks

• 1:00 am – 2:30 pm @ St. Paul’s Church & Simonton Street Beach

Closing Ceremonies-Dissolution Sand Mandala of Compassion & Procession Simonton Street to Simonton Street Beach-Final Blessings –Monks Depart