LISTEN: Buddhist monks spend a week in Pomona creating peace-and-compassion mandala sand painting
Daily Bulletin
No one physically touched another, but the minds and spirits of the monks quickly and non-dramatically linked with others present.
Daily Bulletin
A whisper of a breeze blew gently into the room at the Land of Enlightened Wisdom Buddhist Center in Pomona, fluttering over closed eyes of those breathing quietly and waiting for a sacred ceremony to begin.
The silence lifted as seven Tibetan monks from the Gaden Jangste Monastery in India began to chant a mantra (prayer). The low rumbling resonance of their voices penetrated the quiet as the monks prepared themselves and purified a simple space so peace prevails.No one physically touched another, but the minds and spirits of the monks quickly and non-dramatically linked with others present.
The monks, led by renowned physician and revered teacher (geshe) Dorji Wangchuk, slipped into deep meditation as their chants harkened Avalokiteshavara -- the [bodhisattva of compassion] -- and sought his blessings on the peace-and-compassion mandala sand painting they would create at the Pomona center located at 1317 N. Park Ave.
Although they spoke no words, the melodic harmony of their chanting voices lyrically blended together. Sunlight streaming through the windows caught crimson and gold colors in the monks' robes and cast light and shadow on the intricately carved ancient Tibetan trumpets, drums, cymbals, and percussion played. More