The Gaden Lhopa Monastery in southern India is seeking to improve living conditions and expand the property where more than 200 monks live.
By Ryan O’Quinn/Special to The Malibu Times
From a Tibetan refugee camp in southern India to Surfrider Beach in Malibu, six traveling Buddhist monks have seen and done a great deal in the last nine months. For the next two weeks the monks will be staying in Malibu at the halfway point of their 18-month tour before continuing their journey around the United States.
The purpose of the tour is to introduce the teachings of Buddhism as well as perform healing rituals and blessings all the while raising money for the Gaden Lhopa Monastery in southern India.
“This is probably the only time they will have a chance to come west in this lifetime,” said Lobsang Wangchuk, tour coordinator for the visiting monks. “The purpose of the tour is to help about 200 monks in this particular house.”
There have been four other similar tours in the past, but this is the first time the monks have all been from the same home. Wangchuk pointed out that the current living conditions are in need of renovation and expansion as the number of monks in Gaden increases. The property is suitable for about 70 monks and more than 200 currently live there.
Their home in India is in the midst of two larger monasteries housing about 5,000 monks. It began as a few Indian Army tents in a jungle and has become a renowned center for the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion.
As they travel around the country on their tour, the monks rely solely on the generosity of others as they stay in private homes and travel with local volunteers. They will often be invited into homes for lunch or dinner, and locals also provide necessities such as laundry services and showers.
“The tour is run on the kindness of human beings,” Wangchuk said.
“We borrow Xerox machines and this is our office right here,” he said, referring to his cell phone.
One of the highlights of the tour is for people to get to see the monks and interact with them personally. Wangchuk pointed out the difference in this tour is that people are not looking at the monks from a distance on a stage.
“People are very excited about getting close to the monks,” he said. “You get to be around them and see what they’re like.”
For a $50 donation the monks are available for private healings, and sessions can take place in a business or private home. Public empowerment ceremonies are also offered and oftentimes a question and answer ceremony follows. The coordinator said the rituals are available to anyone regardless of religion.
The eldest of the monks is 72-year-old Lharmpa Geshe Ngawang Lungtok, who is visiting the United States for the first time. The lama spoke in his native Tibetan language, however, via a translator he said, “I have just arrived in Malibu, but so far it seems like a beautiful location.”
Lungtok said he had forgotten some of what he had seen in the last nine months, but what stood out were the varieties of peoples and climates in this country.
“Wherever we go, from A to Z, the important thing is to find a warm heart,” he said.
In addition to the healing ceremonies, the monks also make sand mandalas. According to Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the colorful sculptures serve as a tool for spiritual development as well as promote harmony in the world.
The monks may return to the area in October to make a 7-foot sand painting. When completed, the painting will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. and will be on display at a major museum in Los Angeles.
When asked about what he thought of Malibu, one monk said, “I miss my home and it was hard to [leave], but this is really wonderful.”
For information on local events or to schedule a meeting, contact Lobsang Wangchuk at 562.413.5924.