INDIA, Amaravati in Andhara Pradesh

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has kindly consented to bestow the Kalachakra initiation in January 2006 at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh.  The small town in southeastern India is holy for the Buddhists as it was the place where Lord Buddha gave the first Kalachakra root tantra on the request of King Dawa Sangpo (Suchandra).

The 12-day gathering will begin on 5 January 2006 with the Kalachakra Ritual Preparations.  For three days from January 8-10, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give teachings on Nagarjuna's Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way. The actual Kalachakra Empowerment will be given on 13 and 15 January.  This Kalachakra is sponsored by the Busshokai Foundation and is organised by the Norbulingka Institute.

For more details and a daily schedule, please click here.
To go to the official Kalachakra website, click here.

A General Presentation of the Dharma.
The Buddha’s Dharma, can be divided into two vehicles, the Hinayana and the Mahayana. The Hinayana itself can be divided into the vehicle of the shravakas and the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas. The shravakas and the pratyekabuddhas can be differentiated according to the relative inferiority and the superiority of their faculties and the results they obtain, but the doctrinal features of the paths they follow are basically the same. People with a propensity to follow these two Hinayana vehicles take them up for the sake of merely their own emancipation, because they turn their backs on bearing the burden of the aims of others. Since the main cause of bondage in samsara is grasping at a self, the main cause of obtaining the freedom of liberation is the wisdom that realizes the meaning of selflessness. Thus, shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, like bodhisattvas, realize selflessness. They meditate on this accompanied by the other paths of moral conduct, meditative concentration and so forth, and thus extinguish all their passions- greed, hatred, ignorance and so forth.

Even though Hinayanists do not engage in their path intending to obtain buddhahood, their path is in fact a means for ultimately leading such people to the stage of buddhahood. Thus, do not misapprehend the Hinayana paths as being solely an obstacle to enlightenment, because the Saddharmapundarika sutra and other texts teach that they are methods for achieving buddhahood. The Buddha appears in the world so that sentient beings may obtain the gnosis that he himself obtained. Thus, the Buddha’s demonstrations of the path are strictly means to lead sentient beings to buddhahood. Even though the Hinayana paths do not lead directly to buddhahood, it is taught that followers of the Hinayana do in fact eventually enter the Mahayana and obtained buddhahood.

Although followers of the Hinayana like followers of the Mahayana, realize that phenomena are devoid of ownbeing, it is not the case that there is no difference at all between them.  The followers of the Mahayana do not merely illuminate the selflessness of phenomena; they also teach the bodhisattva stages, the perfections, the prayer to achieve perfect enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, great compassion, and so forth. They also teach the dedication of merits to enlightenment, the two accumulations of merit and gnosis, and the inconceivable reality that is purified of all stains.

Thus, the Mahayana and Hinayana are not distinguished due to differences in their philosophical viewpoints, but they are differentiated according to their respective practice and non-practice of the entire range of skillful means. This is the assertion of Arya Nagarjuna and his disciple Aryadeva: A mother is the common cause of all her sons, and their fathers are the causes for distinguishing their race. Just so the mother, the perfection of wisdom, is the common cause of the sons, all four kinds of aryas: shravaka aryas, pratyekabuddha aryas, bodhisattava aryas, and buddha aryas. The cause for differentiating them into the particular Hinayana and Mahayana lineages is whether or not they have the methods of generating bodhichitta and so forth.

The general Mahayana, like the Hinayana, can be subdivided into two vehicles: the Paramitayana and the Mantrayana. The common aim of the Mahayana is to train oneself in the six perfections by practicing them out of a desire to obtain unexcelled enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. It is clear that one proceeds in the Mantrayana by this same path, because it is taught in the tantras. However, Mahayana practitioners who follow the paramityana merely take up that much of the general body of the path, whereas followers of the Mantrayana cultivate the perfections by means of special tantric techniques that are not taught in the paramitayana.

The terms “Cause vehicle,” “Parmitayana,” and so forth are synonyms and “Mantrayana,” “Vajrayana,” “Effect vehicle,” and “Method vehicle” are synonyms as well. There is a difference between the cause vehicle and the effect vehicle: the cause vehicle is the Mahayana vehicle in which there is no meditation on oneself having a like aspect with any of the effects--the four complete purities--during the period of the path of training. The Mahayana vehicle in which there is meditation on oneself as having a like aspect in the period of the path of training is called “The Effect Vehicle” or “The Mantrayana” This is what master Tsong Khapa said in the Ngag Rim Chen-mo: “With regard to vehicle, since it is the vehicle that conveys--the effect that is desired here and the cause that desires this, it is called ‘vehicle’. The effect is the four complete purities of abode, body, property, and activities--a buddha’s palace, body, wealth, and deeds. One meditates from the present on oneself as having a divine mansion, a divine entourage, divine ritual implements, and the divine deeds of purifying the cosmos and its inhabitants, just like a buddha; thus, it is the Effect Vehicle because it progresses through meditating in accordance with the vehicle of the effect.”

Thus, the Mahayana, as a whole, is divided into the Paramitayana and the Mantrayana because these two have substantially different means for achieving a Buddha’s Form Body that accomplishes the aims of others. In general, the Hinayana and the Mahayana are not distinguished according to any difference in their wisdom of emptiness, but must be distinguished due to difference in their methods, as mentioned above. In particular, although the Mahayana is divided into the Paramitayana and the Mantrayana, this is not due to  any difference in their wisdom that realizes the profound emptiness; the two Mahayana systems must be distinguished from the point of view of differences in their methods. The main aspect of method in the Mahayana is the portion dealing with achievement of the Form Body, and the method that achieves the Form Body in the Mantrayana is just the deity yoga of meditating on oneself as having an aspect similar to that of a Form Body. This method is superior to the method employed in the Paramitayana.

With regard to the disciples of the Mantrayana, there are four types: inferior, middling, superior, and most excellent. The four classes of tantra were taught with these four types of disciples in mind. Since the disciples enter the Mantrayana through the four classes of tantra, the four classes are likened to “four doors.” Should you wonder what the four are, they are Ritual Tantra, Conduct Tantra, Yoga Tantra and Unexcelled Yoga Tantra. The Kalachakra, which will be described below, belongs to the unexcelled Yoga Tantra class.

An Account of the Kalachakra, or Wheel of Time.
The entire meaning of the subject matter of the Kalachakra tantra is included within the three Kalachakras, or Wheel of Time. The Outer Wheel of Time, the Inner Wheel of Time, and the Other Wheel of Time. The Outer Wheel of Time is the external world of the environment, and it is also called “The procession of the external solar and lunar days.” The Inner Wheel of Time is the human body, that is an inner Jambudvipa, or earth-surface. Likewise, the inner channels, element and movements of the winds are set forth as the Inner Wheels of Time. The Other Wheel of Time is the initiations and paths of Shri Kalachakra, together with their results. It is “Other” than the preceding two Wheels of Time. The guru ripens the disciple’s pyschophysical continuum with the initiations, and the disciple meditates on the path that consists of the generation process and the completion process. In this way the yogi actualizes the result--the buddha body that is the divine image of emptiness. This is the Other Wheel of Time.

The Buddha’s teaching of the Kalachakra is described in the Paramadibuddha; the Kalachakra, Basic Tantra.  “As the teacher demonstrated the Dharma on Vulture Peak according to the Perfection of Wisdom system, he also taught the mantra system at Shri Dhanyakataka. What teacher taught what tantra, when and where was he dwelling? What was the place, who was the worldly entourage, and what was the purpose?

“He taught the unexcelled Mahayana, the system of the Perfection of Wisdom, to the bodhisattvas on Mount Vulture Peak. Then at the same time the Tathagata dwelt together with bodhisattvas and others in a great stupa, in the mandala of the sphere of phenomena. He dwelt in the house of universal vajra, in space immaterial and very lucid, unpartitioned and radiant. He taught the tantra in the beautiful sphere of phenomena, for the merit and gnosis of human beings.”

The Basic Tantra also says: “Then Vajrapani’s emanation, King Suchandra from famous Shambhala, miraculously entered into the splendid sphere of phenomena. First he circumambulated to the right, then he worshipped the teacher’s lotus feet with flowers made of jewels. Placing his hands together, Suchandra sat before the perfect Buddha. Suchandra requested the Buddha for the tantra, redacted it, and taught it too.”

The Kalachakra was taught by our teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni. He showed the way of actualizing highest perfect enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree at Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India, at the early dawn on the full moon of April/May. For one year he taught the general Paramitayana. In particular, at the Mount Vulture Peak he turned the Dharma Wheel of the Perfection of Wisdom, the Chief, the Ultimate Dharma Wheel of the Paramita system of the Mahayana.  On the full moon of March/April, the twelfth month counted from the time he obtained buddhahood, the Buddha was teaching the Paramitayana at Mount Vulture Peak. At the same time he manifested another from inside the great stupa of Shri Dhanyakataka, which is near Shri Parvata in south India where he taught the Mantrayana.

The great stupa was more than six leagues from top to bottom, and inside is where the Buddha emitted two mandalas: below--the mandala of Dharmadhatu Vagishvara, above--the great mandala of the splendid asterisms. The Buddha was in the center on the Vajra lion throne in the great Mandala of the Sphere of Vajra, the abode of great bliss. He was absorbed in the Kalachakra samadhi, and stood in the form of the Lord of the Mandala.

The excellent entourage within the mandala consisted of a host of buddhas, bodhisattvas, furies, gods, nagas, and goddesses. Outside the mandala the requestor was the emanated body of Vajrapani, King Suchandra of Shambhala. He had miraculously come to Shri Dhanyakataka from Shambhala, and he requested the Kalachakra for the entourage of listeners: the ninety six emanated satraps of the ninety six great lands within Shambhala, together with a limitless host of fortunate bodhisattvas, gods, demons, and others.

The Buddha gave the assembly the excellent Dharma--the worldly and transcendental initiation-and prophesied that they would obtain buddhahood.  Then he taught them the Paramidibuddha, the twelve thousand verse Kalachakra Basic Tantra. King Suchandra wrote it down in a volume and miraculously returned to Shambhala.

In Shambhala Suchandra composed a sixty thousand line commentary of the Basic Tantra. He also erected a Kalachakra mandala made of precious substances. After he had appointed his son Sureshvara as King and teacher of the tantra, he passed away. Many great Kings appeared in the dynasty of Shambhala: Kalka Yashas, Kalki Pundarika, and others. They caused the profound Dharma of the Kalachakra to shine like the sun and the moon.

The Kalachakra continued to be transmitted through the succession of Kalkis (“Chieftains”) of Shambhala, and eventually it was reintroduced into India. There are two main stories of how this came about: the story told by the Ra tradition and the story of the Dro tradition.

According to the Ra tradition, the Kalachakra and related commentaries famed as the Bodhisattva Corpus appeared in India during the simultaneous reigns of three kings. Taking Bodh Gaya as the center, the three kings were Dephopala, the Master of Elephants, in the East; Jauganga, the Master of Men, in the South; and Kanauj, the Master of Horses, in the West. At that time the great pandit Cilu, who mastered all aspects of the Buddhadharma, was born in Orissa. One of the five countries of eastern India. Cilu studied all the Buddhist texts at the Ratnagiri Vihara, Vikramashila, and Nalanda. In particular, he studied at the Ratnagiri Vihara that was undamaged by the Turks.

Cilu realized that, in general, in order to achieve buddhahood in a single lifetime he would need the Mantrayana, and in particular, that he would need the clarifications of these doctrines contained in the Bodhisattva commentaries. Knowing that these teachings were extant in Shambhala, and depending on the instruction of his deity, he joined up with the traders who sought jewels in the ocean. Having agreed with the traders, who were setting out across the sea, to meet up after six months, they went separate ways.

Cilu proceeds in stages and finally, upon climbing a mountain, he met a man. The man asked him, “Where  are you going?” Cilu replied, “ I am going to Shambhala in search of the Bodhisattva corpus.”  The man said, “ It is extremely difficult to go there, but if you can understand it, you could listen to it even here.” Cilu realized that the man was an emanation of Manjushri. He prostrated, offered a mandala, and requested instruction. The man conferred all the initiations, tantra commentaries, and oral instructions on Cilu. He grasped Cilu, placed a flower on his head, and blessed him, saying, “Realize the entire Bodhisattva Corpus.” Thus, like water poured from one vessel into another, Cilu realized the entire Bodhisattva Corpus. He went back the way he had come and, meeting with the traders, he returned to eastern India.

According to the Dro tradition, the Kalachakra was reintroduced into India by the master Kalachakrapada. A couple who practiced the Yoga of Yamantaka performed the ritual for the birth of a son as it is taught in the Yamantaka Tantra, and had a son. When he grew up, he learned that in the north the bodhisattvas themselves taught the Dharma, so he went to listen to them. With his psychic power the Kalki of Shambhala know of the youth’s pure motivation and enthusiasm for the profound Dharma. He knew that if the youth attempted to come to Shambhala it would endanger his life because of the waterless wasteland that takes four months to cross. Thus, the Kalki used an emanation body to meet the youth at the edge of the desert.

The Kalki asked the youth, “Where are you going, and why?” when the youth told him his intentions the Kalki said, “That road is difficult. But if you can understand these things, couldn’t you listen to them even here?” The youth realized that this was an emanation of the Kalki and asked him for instruction. Right there the Kalki initiated the youth, and for four months, he taught him all the highest tantras, especially the three Bodhisattva Corpus commentaries. Like a vase filled to the brim, the youth realized and memorized all the tantras. When he returned to India he become renowned as an emanation of Manjushri, and his name was “Kalachakrapada.”

The Ra and Dro traditions say that the Kalachakra was introduced into India by Cilu and Kalachakrapada. The Kalachakra continued to be studied and practiced in India, and it was eventually introduced into Tibet. Again, the Ra and Dro traditions are the two main lineages through which this occurred.

The Dro tradition started from the visit of the Kashmiri Pandit Somanatha to Tibet. Somanatha first arrived in Tibet at Kharag and stayed among the Ryo clan. For a fee of one hundred measures of gold Somanatha translated half of the great Kalchakra commentary, the Vimalaprabha, into Tibetan, but in the meantime he became displeased and stopped his work. He took the gold and his draft translation and went to Phan Yul drub. There Chung Wa of the Zhang clan took Somanatha as his guru, and Shayrabdrak of the Dro clan acted as translator. Somanatha and Shayrabdrak translated the entire Vimalaprabha.

The Dro tradition continued on to Lama ChÖ Ku Özer. This lama mastered all the teachings of the Dro clan, including the Kalachakra. His disciple was Lama Ga-lo, who mastered both the Dro tradition and the Ra tradition and passed them on in single combined lineage.

The Ra tradition started with Chorab of the Ra clan, the nephew of the famous translator Ra Dorjee-Drak who was born in Nyen Ma Mang Yu. Ra Cho-rab memorized and understood all the doctrines of the Ra clan. The he wished to learn the Kalachakra, so he went to the center of Nepal where he continuously served the Pandit Samantashri for five years, ten months, and five days. Samantashri explained all the Kalachakra texts and gave Cho-rab the initiations and oral instructions. Then Cho-rab invited Samantashri to Tibet where they carefully translated the Kalachakra tantra and its commentary, together with the auxiliary texts.

The Ra tradition continued through Ra Cho-rab’s son and grandson, and it eventually came to Lama Ga-lo, as mentioned before. Lama Ga-lo passed on both the Dro and the Ra traditions, and his lineage continued through such masters as Buton Rinchen-drub and Tsong Khapa. The study and practice of the Kalachakra based on the Ra and Dro traditions exists even today.

Practice of the Kalachakra tantra, like all Buddhist tantric systems, is based on first receiving the proper initiations. For the initiations to be properly given and received it is necessary that both the guru and the disciple have certain qualifications. The qualifications of the Mantrayana guru are described by Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen as follow: “He should have control over his body, speech, and mind. He should be very intelligent, patient, and undeceitful. He should know the mantras and tantras, understand reality, and be competent in composing and explaining texts”. We are very fortunate that such gurus can be found even now.

The disciple should have experience of the three principal aspects of the Mahayana path: renunciation of samsara, bodhichitta, and understanding of emptiness. If the disciple has not actually experienced these, he or she should at least have intellectual familiarity with them and admiration for them.

The most important of the three aspects is bodhichitta, the primary motivation for taking the initiations. Lord Maitreya defined bodhichitta in his Abhisamyalankara: “Bodhichitta is the desire for true, perfect enlightenment for the sake of others”. When applied for the specific circumstance of taking the Kalachakra initiations, the disciple should generate bodhichitta in the following manner: “For the sake of all sentient beings I must achieve the state of Shri Kalachakra. Then I will be able to establish all other sentient beings in the state of Shri Kalachakra as well”. With this motivation one should take initiation.

The general aim of tantric initiations is that through the initiations the guru ripens the disciple’s psycho-physical continuum. Here ‘ripening’ means empowering the disciple to practice the yoga of the generation process and the completion process. In particular, the Kalachakra initiations empower the disciple to practice the yoga of the Kalachakra tantra, and ultimately, to achieve the state of Shri Kalachakra.

There are eleven Kalachakra initiation: seven initiations of “entering like a child”, three “exalted” initiations, and one “most exalted” initiation. Disciples who are temporarily intent on just the worldly siddhis (magical or mystical accomplishments) are given only the seven lower initiations. Those who are mainly interested in the transcendental siddhi of Buddhahood are given all eleven initiations. The first of the seven initiations of entering like a child is the water initiation. This is analogous to a mother washing her child immediately after its birth. The second initiation is the crown initiation that is analogous to the binding of a child’s hairlocks. The third, ribbon initiation is analogous to piercing a child’s ears and arraying it with ornaments. The fourth initiation, the vajra and bell initiation, is analogous to child laughing and talking. The fifth initiation is the disciple initiation, it is analogous to the child’s enjoyment of the five desirable sense-objects. Sixth is the name initiation, analogous to the naming of the child. The seventh, and the final, initiation of entering like a child is the mantra authorization initiation. This initiation empowers the disciple to eliminate obstacles and to achieve the magic powers of pacification, gaining prosperity, subjugation, and destruction.

The three exalted initiations are as follows: the vase initiation is the gnosis of bliss and emptiness that arises from the disciple touching the consort’s breasts. The secret initiation is the gnosis of bliss and emptiness that arises from the disciple savouring the bodhichitta. The wisdom-gnosis initiation is the experience of connate joy that arises from the disciple and consort themselves engaging in union.

The most exalted initiation is also called “ the fourth initiation” or “ the word initiation”. The previous great wisdom-gnosis initiation empowers the disciple to achieve the eleventh bodhisattva stages. Then the guru symbolically indicates the Gnosis Body that is the integration of supreme unchanging great bliss and emptiness possessing the best of all aspects. Saying, “This is it,” the guru bestows the fourth initiation on the disciple. This initiation empowers the disciple to obtain perfect Buddhahood in the form of Shri Kalachakra.   (extracted from Choyang Vol 1-No.1)

Dusk by the Krishna River in Amaravati

Main Road in the Village of Amaravati

Amaravati, which was the location of the grandest stupa in Southern India, has long associations with Buddhism. Indeed, the history of the Amaravati stupa parallels the flourishing of Buddhism in India, from the reign of the Buddhist Mauryan emperors of the 3rd Century BCE to the 14th century CE. The creation and decline of the stupa is linked to the rise and fall of the dynasties of the region, as well as to the growth and decline of Buddhism in Andhradesha, now called Andhra Pradesh, the area bordering the Krishna River.

The founding of the stupa in the 2nd century BCE follows the reign of King Ashoka, when Buddhism had already established a strong presence in Andhradesha. The antiquity of the deposits at Amaravati indicate that society at that time was literate, complex and highly organized. The early stupa seems to have been a simple structure with limestone crossbars and simple carvings, surrounding an unadorned domed stupa. Over the centuries, it was periodically restored and newer elements of various styles were added. The most important renovation was done in the time of the Shatavahana kings, who had established their capital at nearby Dharanikota. Their reign, from the 2nd to the 3rd century CE, marked the high period of the monument. Extensive building was funded by the many merchants who conducted flourishing business with South Asia and other parts of India; their names could be found carved in the stupa. Most of the elaborate sculptures, which have found their way into museums in India and the British Museum, date from this later period. The content of these works of art suggests that the stupa belonged to the Mahayana period.

Archaeological findings indicate that very little was added to the stupa after the 3rd century CE. It seems that the structure was maintained, although interest in Buddhism declined from that time onwards. When the Chinese monk Hsuan Tsang visited the area in the 7th century, the stupa was already decrepit and Hinduism had revived in the region. Nevertheless, he observed about twenty Buddhist monasteries in the area with about one thousand monks in residence, mostly belonging to the Mahasamghika School.

References to the stupa by a Singhalese monk in 1344 indicate that Amaravati remained an important site. His account of his activities in India, now preserved in Kandy, Sri Lanka, describes how he carried out repairs to the structure. This implies that Buddhists from other countries continued to visit the site comparatively late in the life of Buddhism in India. However, this seems to be the last written reference to the Amaravati Stupa, which subsequently fell into oblivion and disrepair.

The next reference, in 1796, describes only ancient mounds. A local landlord who had shifted his residence from Chintapalli to Amaravati laid the foundation of a modern township around the nearby Amareshvara temple, dedicated to Siva, which, dating back to the 10th century, had become an important Hindu place of worship. Many people settled in the area at his invitation and the building activity that ensued caused many of them to help themselves to the abundant supplies of bricks and limestone slabs yielded up by the various mounds that marked the stupa complex. Some elaborate sculptures surfaced and came to the attention of Colonel Colin Mackenzie in 1797. Several European officials then took an interest in collecting sculptures from the site and some attempts were made to excavate the stupa in 1845. More excavations were carried out 1877, 1881 and 1908-09. As a result many of those carvings that had survived were removed and have been preserved in the local Archaeological Museum, the Government Museum in Madras and the British Museum in London, where there is special Amaravati Gallery.

Carving from the Stupa at Amaravati
Now in the British Museum

Several scholars have identified Amaravati with Dhanyakataka--Pal-den Dre-pung in Tibetan-- which Tantric scriptures describe as the place of origin of many of the Tantric teachings, in particular the Kalachakra. Several Tibetan pilgrims visited the area in times past, prominent among them Gendun Chophel, the renowned Tibetan scholar, who records that in the late 1930s was very little historical evidence remained.

The Mahayana sutras appeared between 1st century BCE and 4th CE in Andhradesha. The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras (Prajnaparamita Sutras) and the Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, with its account of the Bodhisattva Vimalakirti leading the life of a layman, appeared in the first two centuries of this period. Around 100 CE, the Sukhavati-vyuha Sutra, with its description of Amitabha’s Pure Land and the possibility of going there, appeared. In approximately 200 CE, the White Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapundarika Sutra) appeared, which emphasized the ability of every sentient being ultimately to become a Buddha, and the way that all the vehicles of the Buddhist path fit together as skilful means. It also has much emphasis on the devotional aspect.

Nagarjunakonda near to Amaravati is associated with the great Indian Buddhist master Nagarjuna, who propounded the Middle Way or Madhyamaka between 150 and 250 CE, based on the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, which he had recovered from nagas. This was crucial to the emergence of Mahayana Buddhism. Nagarjuna also wrote his celebrated "Friendly Letter" (Suhrillekha) to one of the local Shatavahana Kings, Gautamiputra. The Mind Only or Chittamatra School developed from the teachings of the Descent into Lanka Sutra (Lankavatara Sutra), which also appeared in Andhradesha around 300 CE.

Literary evidence further reveals that the earliest tantra, the Guhyasamaja Tantra, also emerged in Andhradesha, around the 3rd century CE. The first commentaries to it are attributed to Nagarjuna. Finally, the earliest appearance of Tantra in Andhradesha corresponds to the reference in the Kalachakra texts that Buddha first taught the four classes of Tantra from the four faces of Kalachakra at the Dhanyakataka stupa.

The third sacred Buddhist site referred to in the scriptures as located in this region is Potala, the mountain regarded as the residence of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva embodying Compassion. However, there is as yet no consensus about its exact location.

Tenzin Dolma (Kristel Owehand) is a Canadian artist who has worked as a teacher at Gomang Monastery for the past eight years.  Currently, she is accompanying the Sacred Art Tour as it travels throughout the USA and Canada.  Following is her account of the tour's activities since it began its journey in Chicago on June 8.

The past months seem to have flown, a veritable blur of places and faces! It has been quite an experience, travelling in a vanful of monks around the US! It is a huge responsibility for our small group to be carrying the weight of the monastery and its monks, but we have also the fortune of such a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help the monastery.

There have been many highlights to this tour, the wonderful people in Lafayette who started us off, and were patient with our inexperience, then the bustle of Chicago, and getting to know Jennifer and Susan. Bloomington was like coming home, staying at the TCC with the other Tibetans already there and Ama Mary to look after us. Athens, Ohio was next--one of our favourite places so far, with the workshops at Passion Works standing out in our memory as an amazing experience for the monks and for the local artists. But then, we had a lot of fun in Ohio, returning again farther north to Dayton, under the auspices of Jeff Cobb, and we'll never forget the Dayton kids who came to see the mandala in the city library! Connecticut became our home away from home this tour, with our first experience of Tibetfest--a great way to start! The Jones family has pretty much adopted us all this tour, as we were back a  few months later at the Taft school, and now again, as I write, we are in their home as the monks create a medicine Buddha mandala in Waterbury Hospital.

We have developed quite an affinity for New England in general, as we spent time in Vermont with Marisa Westheimer, and also with her parents in New Hampshire who helped organise events for us in Keene Highschool. We loved Keene, and have a wonderful set of groupies there who have come to see us no less than three times when we were in nearby areas. The events in Keene Highschool were set up by the Students for Free Tibet, and we were thoroughly impressed by their dedication and efforts. Nashua, NH was also fun, as the mandala was in Rivier College's art studios, and it was a great thing that one day, the art classes came in to sketch the monks as they worked on the mandala! As the monks are all artists themselves, they really liked that! New Jersey was just a brief stop, but Diann and her son Michael were wonderful hosts! New York too, was just a quick stop over a weekend, a brief glimpse of the "big city".

We spent about two weeks in Philadelphia, a busy but fun two weeks. One of the highlights there was that as a result of the monks' visit, the students of LaSalle where we were making the mandala, decided to begin a Students for Free Tibet group. The monks were thrilled of course. Thanks to all the wonderful students and staff of LaSalle!
Kansas City was about as far west as we got this tour, and our time there was also really good. The Rime Center hosted our stay, and they worked very hard to make everything go well, to make us comfortable and happy, even arranging a trip to an art museum for the monks.

Of all the mandalas that we made this year, the most memorable was probably the one in Louisville, as it was not dismantled but was sprayed with fixative so that it could be kept as a permanent gift for the Muhammed Ali Peace Center.

Our foray down to Florida was well timed just as things were starting to get chilly, we headed south! The mandala made in Tallahassee was quite probably the only mandala made with dinosaurs roaring in the background, as part of the exhibits in the Mary Brogan Museum.

Then down to Miami, with three mandalas to do! Mai Nguyen, another old friend and supporter of the monastery kept us busy with programs at a Buddhist temple, and then two schools in the Miami area.

In the course of the tour, we have been in libraries, galleries, churches and schools, hospitals and studios.  We have met countless new friends and adopted lots of new family! Overall, it has been an experience to renew one's faith in humanity, and the monks reaction to the people of America has been that everyone is so kind, generous and friendly. The young people we have met in the schools have been well informed and curious about new cultures. Virtually every place we go, we have met nothing but kind and warmhearted people. We have only a few weeks left in the American leg of the tour, and we will leave with only good memories of new friendships and beautiful places. So thanks to all the coordinators, the volunteers, the people who housed us, cooked for us, drove us around and who just came to hang out with us and be our friends! The help that you have given our small group will reflect and be magnified upon all the monks back home in the monastery. Our best wishes and prayers go out to all of you, especially for the holiday season. We pray that all will be happy, healthy and peaceful in your lives in the coming year.

Go to the Sacred Art Tour Scrapbook Pages to view an account and pictures of their tour.

JANG GUNCHOE. A grand debate congregation called Jang Gunchoe, occurred at Gadan University. Monks from every Gelugpa monastic college participated in this congregation. The debates are mostly held outside the open courtyard where two monks from a monastic college will go to another, where they will be challenge by a group of monks from another monastic college. These are really exciting events attended by all the senior monks of various monastic college. More than 450 monks of our monastery have gone to Gaden University to participate in this event.

ANNUAL MONASTIC EXAMINATION. In the end of the month of October, the annual monastic examination was held. Monks students have to appear in the examination to get promoted to the next monastic class. They have to take a written test (Tibetan literature/grammar, general science/philosophy) besides a debating skill test. There was also a memorization test that was taken in the beginning of October.

HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION. During December, the half yearly examination of Gomang school take place. Monks from age 6-18 attend the class at Gomang school where they are taught English, mathematic, general science, and Tibetan history beside the traditional monastic studies. The on-going examination will be concluded on 6th December 05. After the results are read out after a week or two, the school students will be allow a special one-day holiday where they will be served special food and allow to play games.

UPCOMING GELUG MONLAM PRAYER CONGREGATION. The annual Gelug Monlam prayer congregation will be held at Amravati on 5th January 2006 before the Kalachakra Initiation. Many monks are preparing themselves for this annual prayer gathering and also to attend the Kalachakra which is going to be bestowed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, once the Gelug Monlam prayer is concluded.

In this issue Drepung Gomang wishes to acknowledge and thank all everyone who has contributed to the success of the Sacred Art Tour.  During its journey throughout the USA, many kind persons have donated their time, their energy, and their money to the tour group.  The public has been generous in purchasing merchandise and in giving donations to the Food Foundation and the Health Fund.  We thank all individuals, art museums, health organizations, educational institutions, and dharma centers who have donated to the monastery on the occasion of the Sacred Art Tour coming to their area.

Our greatest thanks goes to the National Tour Coordinator, Jennifer Harris, who has devoted herself to guaranteeing that the Sacred Art Tour is a success.  We will list here the locations where the monks have been in the USA and will name their coordinators.  We wish to thank many other persons whom we do not have the room to name here.  You know who you are and our thanks go out to you as well.  The listing (left to right) is in order of the itinerary:
 

As of the date of the publishing of this newsletter, the Sacred Art Tour Group has not yet traveled into Canada.  The Canadian Coordinator, Laurel Antti, has been very busy organizing the Canada leg of the tour and we wish to thank her and her co-coordinators in advance for all of the work they have been doing--and will be doing-- for the Sacred Art Tour.  We shall acknowledge them in more detail in our next Gomang News.

In addition, we are noting the contributions made by other donors since July 2005. Donors are listed in alphabetical order under the Fund they contributed to. Contributions ranged from $5 to $12,000.
 

Food Foundation	Health Fund	Sponsorship Fund
Igor Dranovsky & Yekaterina Muller	John Dangora	Dunny Barney
Milton Greek	Lora Freeman	Kathleen Bernadette
Neslihan Jevremovic	Chris Hoffman	Janet Cohn
Tenzin Sherab	Steve Martin	Lois Greenberg
Lhagyal Thar	Trier High School, Winnetka, IL	Michael Hall
		David Jamie Heydt
		Jennifer & David Heydt
		Jason Holland
		Scott & Tracy Marx
		Mary Pattison
		Kathryn Trudeau

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