It’s not everyday that a troupe of monks leave their monastery to travel the world with a mission of preserving traditional Tibetan culture.
On Saturday, July 8, the Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery will be visiting Buffalo to do just that. During their stay, the monks will be delivering a performance known as the Tara Puja ceremony. At 3pm, guests are invited to witness the Tara Puja ceremony, which involves music, chanting and offerings, to praise and invite the blessings of Tara (a feminine manifestation of the Buddha believed to be committed to helping those in need of help and spiritual enlightenment).
Established in 1416, The Drepung Loseling monastery was forced to close and destroyed, along with thousands of other such monasteries, in 1959 when China invaded Tibet, but was rebuilt in South India by 250 monks who managed to escape their Maoist oppressors. Today their numbers exceed 3,000. The monks are committed to preserving Tibetan culture, which survives today only in exiled refugee communities in India and Nepal.
At 7pm on that same day, a series of three music and dance pieces will commence. An introductory talk will precede the performance. A Q&A session will follow.
The following day, July 9 (starting at 10am), the visiting monks will participate in UNITY Buffalo Church’s Sunday service. The monks will offer guided meditation and dialogue at that time. The ceremony and service will be followed by a Farewell Potluck. This occasion is free and open to the community.
Endorsed by the Dalai Lama, the Mystical Arts of Tibet tour offers a rare and engaging chance to experience and learn about one of the world’s most ancient sacred traditions from its authentic practitioners, whose performances have received overwhelmingly positive reactions from audiences throughout the Americas and Europe. While accomplished artists, the monks are only part-time performers, hoping to contribute to awareness of the plight of traditional Tibetan culture. They return to their monastery and their devotional practices when each tour ends.
The Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery to visit Buffalo
Tibetan Monks to Perform in Buffalo
Unity of Buffalo Church
Saturday, July 8, 2017
UNITY of Buffalo Church on Delaware Avenue | 1243 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY
Tickets to Saturday’s events are 20 dollars and can be purchased on the web at www.unitybuffalo.org/node/214 until 5pm Thursday, July 6, 2017
More information: