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Tibetan and Trappist Monks Meet at the
Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers
On Wednesday, August 29, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, the spiritual director of the Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta [www.drepung.org] , and six Tibetan monks were guests of the Trappist monks at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Georgia [http://www.trappist.net]
This was an opportunity for the Trappist monks and Tibetan monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery in exile in India to become acquainted prior to their joint public program, Spiritual Wisdom in Monastic Life. Unity North Atlanta Church is hosting the event November 28, 4:30 - 6:00 pm. Each will share their unique and similar sacred traditions.
The Tibetan monks will be in residence at Unity North from November 25 through December 9 to construct a mandala, perform and participate in interfaith programs [Click here for calendar].
The monastery visit included a tour, Vespers (evening prayers), dinner, a talk by Geshe Lobsang to all the monks and then Compline (night prayers).
The Drepung Loseling monks prayed before dinner in their multiphonic chant. They also chanted prior to Geshe Lobsang’s talk to the Trappist community. He began the talk with a history of the relationship between the Tibetan monks and the Trappists. It all began in 1968 when His Holiness the Dalai Lama met the Trappist monk and writer, Thomas Merton. Various Drepung Loseling monks had visited Holy Spirit Monastery in the 1980s and 1990s. It is most appropriate for this re-acquaintance to occur just prior to His Holiness’ Atlanta visit October 20-22 [www.dalailama.emory.edu]. Geshe Lobsang addressed the similarities of the two traditions — how they meditate, their focus on compassion and love for all beings, and their devotion to prayer.
After the talk, Abbot Francis Michael Stiteler, OCSO, extended an open invitation for the Tibetan monks to return whenever they are in Atlanta and would like to be in a peaceful, quiet environment. This was an invitation from the heart because of the kinship established during the visit. |
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