Inside the Penticton Art Gallery, a group of Buddhist monks are slowly, painstakingly, creating a mandala, shaking coloured sand into place, practically grain by grain.
香蕉视频直播淲hat we are constructing here is the is the mandala of Akshobhya Buddha. It literally translates as 香蕉视频直播楿nshakeable Victor香蕉视频直播� and represents conflict resolution,香蕉视频直播� said Geshe Thupten Loden, one of the Tibetan monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery in India, who brought their Mystical Arts of Tibet tour to Penticton this week.
Gallery curator Paul Crawford said they arranged the Monks香蕉视频直播� visit as a way to wrap up the current shows in the gallery, which deal with residential schools and other aspects of the Indigenous experience in Canada.
香蕉视频直播淚n doing this show, I thought a good way to end the show would be to get the monks to do a mandala that would be about healing,香蕉视频直播� said Crawford. 香蕉视频直播淚 just thought it would be a way to cleanse the space and do something healing after a really difficult show.香蕉视频直播�
Crawford also worked with local Elders to involve the Penticton Indian Band in the monks香蕉视频直播� visit. Richard Armstrong, a knowledge keeper for the band, drummed the monks into the gallery and offered an opening prayer. The elders will also be holding a private exchange with the monks during their stay in Penticton.
That香蕉视频直播檚 something Crawford said he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 able to accomplish during a previous visit by the monks, about 10 years ago.
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香蕉视频直播淏ack then there was a real desire we weren香蕉视频直播檛 able to fulfill to engage our Indigenous community with the monks,香蕉视频直播� said Crawford, noting there are commonalities between the cultures. 香蕉视频直播淭here is a real similarity and parallels between Indigenous beliefs here and Tibetan Buddhist teachings in terms of the way they look at their environment. And then thinking beyond that, there is the concept of the cultural diaspora.香蕉视频直播�
Geshe Loden said the Drepung Loseling monks began the tours in the 1980s with three goals.
香蕉视频直播淭he first is that with the unique tradition of Tibet, that is loving compassion, we try to promote peace and harmony throughout the globe,香蕉视频直播� said Geshe Loden.
That tradition, he explained, is difficult to maintain in Tibet under the Chinese occupation, so a second goal of the tours is to raise awareness about how their culture is faring under those conditions. The third goal is to raise funds to support their monastery in southern India, where the Tibetan monks live in exile, helping pay for the education of the monks, health care, food and other necessities.
The main gallery at PAG was filled with spectators for the opening ceremonies as the monks blessed and prepared the area for the mandala they will spend from now to Sunday creating. It is open to the public to watch from 1 to 6 p.m. daily and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Geshe Loden said he isn香蕉视频直播檛 surprised about the reception and interest.
香蕉视频直播淣ot very surprised, but feel very good that all the people, whatsoever the race, the colour, the nationality, whatsoever it is, everyone loves peace and harmony. That is the good thing,香蕉视频直播� he said.
The monks will be involved in a number of activities during their stay in Penticton, including presenting their Sacred Music, Sacred Dance performance on Saturday at Cleland Theatre, with an afternoon and evening performance.
More information about the Mystical Arts of Tibet tour is available on the .
