Monastic Life

Unity North Atlanta Church

presents
Tibetan Monks 2007

Spiritual Wisdom in Monastic Life
Wednesday, November 28, 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Tibetan Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery in exile in India [information] , and Catholic Trappist monks from the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers [information] , will share their unique and similar sacred traditions on Wednesday, November 28, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, at Unity North Atlanta Church. The purpose of this “meeting of the monks” is to continue the interfaith dialogue and understanding begun by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Trappist writer Thomas Merton nearly 40 years ago.

After a brief presentation of the history and background of the Catholic Trappist and the Tibetan Buddhist monastic traditions, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, [information] from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta and Emory, will present a brief history and background of Tibetan Buddhist monastic tradition. Dr. Richard Valanatasis [information] from Candler School of Theology, will give a similar presentation for the Christian monastic tradition. Afterwards, the monks will answer pre-submitted questions. Please submit your questions to monks@unitynorth.org.

The "Spiritual Wisdom in Monastic Life" program will be a rare opportunity to see & hear the cloistered Trappist monks. They are a community wholly oriented to a contemplative life of prayer. They lead a monastic way of life in solitude and silence, in assiduous prayer & joyful penitence. It is their gift to us that they choose to leave their monastery to share their traditions.

The Tibetan monks are from Drepung Loseling Monastery, re-established in South India after the Chinese invasion of Tibet. They also have left their monastic life and are part The Mystical Arts of Tibet World Tours, which is committed to helping preserve the endangered Tibetan culture. They travel North America constructing sand mandalas and performing their sacred ceremonies. It is rare that they participate in a program that is not in their repertoire.

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