The 2008 Tour, Sacred Art of of the Land of the Snowlion, has been working hard perfecting its programs to be presented in the USA during 2008. The authentic Tibetan programs that it offers are a blend of ancient cultural, religious, and artistic expressions. The eight-member tour group, led by Geshe Gedun Phuntsok, will offer retreats and teachings to those who wish to learn about Buddhism and/or practice meditation. Those who are interested in the Sacred Arts of Tibet will enjoy watching the construction of the sacred sand mandala and may participate in a variety of hands-on workshops, such as butter sculture, sand painting, and maskmaking. In addition, the tour group will present a slide show depicting scenes from Tibet and photos of the rebuilding of Gomang Monastery in south India. The ever popular Cultural Pageant features new dances such as the Snow Lion dance and the Black Hat dance.

The USA tour is coordinated by Sue Simone of Friends of Drepung Gomang Monastery. It will begin on February 1, 2008 in Connecticut. Throughout the year, the group will travel through the Northeast, Middle Atlantic States, Florida, the Midwest, and Northern California-Seattle areas. It will end on November 15 in Bloomington, Indiana.

The 2007 Sacred Art Tour, led by Geshe Lobzang Samten, begin in November 2006 in Louisville. For 7 months, the group traveled throughout the USA and Canada presenting its programs in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic States, Florida, and the Midwest.In June, the monks went to Canada. The Canadian Friends of Drepung Gomang Monastery, led by Laurel Annti, was their host. In September, they returned to the US to give more programs in New England and Philadelphia. In October, they went to Bloomington, Indiana to help the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center prepare for the visit of the Dalai Lama of Tibet to the center. His Holiness was in Bloomington from October 23 to 28. The Sacred Art Tour worked hard with others in making the final preparations for the visit. The group returned to India on November 7, 2007. The Monastery wishes to thank all who helped make this tour a wonderful success. The monks presented touched many lives as they displayed the Sacred Arts of Tibet, gave teachings, offer hands-on workshops to the public, presented a slide show of Tibet and their monastery, and performed their popular cultural Pageant.

Monks Chanting at Brantford, Canada

Dae Yen Sa Temple in New Hartford, CT

In particular, Gomang Monastery thanks Carol Stewart, Sue Simone, Curt Jones, and Mai Nguyen for creating their USA itinerary and insuring that the monks had programs wherever they traveled. Local coordinators gave invaluable assistance. We are grateful to the following for their all their hard work and kind support:

David Raymer, Lafayette; Kaity Powers, Tallahasse; Janaki Pierson, Sun Dog Yoga; Loretta, Rohab Dharma Center; Donna Davidson and Jampa, Dreamcatcher; Patti Caparelli, Wainwright House; Dianne Rich, Princeton, Geshe Choepal, Howell, NJ; Jennifer White, Keene, NH; Stacey Johnson and Marni Blanken, Cincinnati; Larry Gerstein, Indianapolis; Leonore Alzniz,Dae Yen Sa Temple; Greg Shulz, Philadelphia, Cornelia Tsakiridou, LaSalle University; and Steve Morley, Glencairn Museum;

(If we have omitted mentioning your name, please forgive us and let us know. We will make the necessary correction immediately.)

In Canada, the monks traveled to Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, St. Catherine's Niagra Falls, London, St. Jacob's, Burlington, & Hamilton. Their itinerary was created by Laurel Antti with the assistance of Patty McDowell in Kenora. Drepung Gomang Monastery thanks all of the local coordinators in these locations who assisted the 2007 Sacred Art Tour Group in presenting their programs.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama visited the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana from October 23 to 28, 2007. His Holiness gave teachings from Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment and a public talk, "Compassion the Source of Peace." Abbots from monasteries in Mongolia and south India came for the teachings and to meet the director of the TMBCC, Arjia Rinpoche. Rinpoche has established a position at the center called "Honorary Abbot." For the next four years--on a rotating yearly basis--abbots from Tashi Choiling and Ganden in Mongolia and Sera Jey and Drepung Gomang in south India will serve in this position.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Samten of Gomang Monastery is the first Abbot to be entrhoned. On Saturday, November 3, 2007, he was named "Honorary Abbot of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center" at a ceremony at the TMBCC. Khen Rinpoche gave the White Tara Initiation on Sunday, November 4.

Enthronement Ceremony

Giving a Kata to Geshe Lotin

Presenting Katas

Brother Benedict, O.P., Khen Rinpoche, Arjia Rinpoche

To show support for the 14 Tibetans who begaj an "Indefinite Hunger Strike" in New Delhi on July 8, 800 monks from Gomang traveled to Delhi to join in the protest. The demands made by the strikers for the strike were

• To produce concrete evidence that Gendun Choekyi Nyima, XIth Panchen Lama, is alive
• To produce convincing evidence that the judicial proceedings of Tulku Tenzin Delek and other current Tibetan political prisoners have taken place in a fair manner.
• To produce concrete evidence that the human rights of Tibetans are respected in Tibet.
• To produce evidence that the railway lines in Tibet benefits Tibetans economically.
• International Olympic Committee (IOC) to produce conclusive evidence that the human rights situation inside Tibet is acceptable

The strike ended on day 33 at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

“The present indefinite hunger strike that you have undertaken with such unwavering courage and determination for the Tibetan cause which is entwined with Buddha Dharma is highly commendable and admirable,” His Holiness wrote. Nonetheless, His Holiness has described the act as being a form of violence and has said, “Simply sacrificing the lives of more Tibetan people is not likely to bring about the positive result that we seek”. Hence, instead of sacrificing “precious human lives in this way”, His Holiness wrote, “it would be of greater benefit and service to our cause by striving to continuously carry out this spirit of unyielding courage and determination from generation to generation.”

His Holiness noted that the immense hardships that the hunger strikers have endured so far, “have fulfilled a key objective.” He continued by saying: “I earnestly appeal to you all to discontinue your hunger strike immediately. I trust that you will give this request of mine serious consideration."

We are pleased to acknowledge the generosity of those who donate to Drepung Gomang Monastery. As mentioned above, we are particularly grateful for all of those persons who donated time, effort, and money to support the 2006-07 Sacred Art Tour. You are constantly in the prayers of the monks of the monastery who will never forget your generosity.

	Recent Donors
Food Foundation	Health Fund/Old Monks' House	Sponsorship
Milton Greek	Mary Elizabeth Kalb	Dunny Barney
James Klatch		Janet Cohn
Neslihan Jevremovic		Janine Gensheimer
Tenzin Sherab		Jason Holland
		Mary Lencses
		Mary Pattison
		Arnaud Premal
		Adjwoa Waterford
		T. Vanderhayden

All donors will continue to be remembered in the prayers of the monks.