Sacred Arts Tour of Drepung Gomang Monastery

Event Details

Unity Church of Charleston is excited to be hosting the Monks of Drepung Gomang Monastery for several activities at its lovely campus located at 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, SC, 29405, from March 22th through March 29th.

The Monks of Drepung Gomang are presently on tour in the United States to share the compassion and wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism, to demonstrate the artistic accomplishments of the people of Tibet, and to generate funds to insure the survival of Tibetan culture. Drepung Gomang Monastery will use donations to house, feed, educate, and provide medical care to over 2000 monks living at the monastery. Many of the Monks on this tour had to hike many miles through the Himalayan Mountains to be able to join this tour.

Donations, which benefit the over 2000 Tibetan monks living in exile at Drepung Gomang Monastery in India, are gladly accepted. All donations are tax-deductible.

All events are open to the public.

A Dialog on Silence and Meditation between Reverend Ed Kosak and Tibetan Monks will be held during the March 22nd Sunday Morning Worship Service 11:15 at Unity Church of Charleston, 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, SC. The dialog will explore the role of Silence and Meditation in many cultures and faith traditions.

Other Monks will join the youth to create a Tibetan “Butter” sculpture, a colorful, luminous, and complex art form that is unique to Tibetan Buddhist culture. It has many parallels with the sand mandala. The Monks will be using a non-toxic modeling clay with the children as Yak butter is difficult to locate in the Low Country.

A Tibetan Cultural Pageant will be held on Sunday, March 22nd starting at 1:00 pm on the Unity campus, 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, SC, 29405. Join the Congregation of Unity and The Monks of Drepung Gomang for this thrilling and sacred event. Highlights of the opening ceremony may include The Dance of the Giant Panda and the Yak Dance. Tour leader, Geshe Yonten and the tour monks will chant powerful prayers for peace, prosperity and healing in traditional overtones. This chanting will be accompanied by delicate hand gestures, cymbals, drums, horns, and flutes. This Tibetan Cultural Pageant would be great to share with children. Suggested donation $15

Mani Stone workshop on March 24th at 6:00 pm Unity campus, 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, SC, 29405 Spend an unforgettable evening with Tibetan monks as we create prayer stones called Mani Stones. This unique workshop will afford participants a window into the ancient practice of painting stones with sacred mantras. Most materials provided. Please bring smooth surface stones, like river rocks, at least 4” or 5” across. Each student needs one stone. All ages welcome. Offering: $35 per individual. Call 843.566.0600 for reservations.


Authentic Tibetan Dinner March 25th and again on March 28th Unity Church of Charleston will be the setting for a class on Tibetan cooking led by the monks. At 5:30 pm, The Monks of Drepung Gomang will teach us how to make a traditional Tibetan dish and at 6:30 pm a traditional Tibetan dinner will be served by the Monks and volunteers. After dinner, enjoy a slide show and discussion about their monastery and culture. Registration required The Community is invited for a suggested donation of $35 and $10 for children ten and under. Call 843.566.0600 for reservations.

Creation of a Peace Sand Mandala by the Monks at Unity Church of Charleston - 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, SC 29405. Opening Ceremony will be at 10:00 am on March 26th with viewing each day from ten am until 6:00 pm each evening. The creation of a sand mandala begins with an opening ceremony. The artists measure out and draw the architectural lines using a ruler, compass, and ink pen. Colored sand is poured onto the mandala platform with a narrow metal funnel. The mandalas are created whenever a need for healing of the environment and living beings is felt. The monks consider our present age to be one of great need in this respect, and therefore are creating these mandalas where requested throughout their world tours.

Closing / Dissolution Ceremony of the Sand Mandala at Unity Church of Charleston - 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, SC 29405, Sunday, March 29th at 1:00pm.

During the closing ceremony, the mandala will be deconstructed by Geshe Yonten. Attendees may carry away with them a small packet of sand, the remaining sand will be taken to Ashley River Boat Access off Leeds Avenue and dispersed into the Ashley River. Mandalas are destroyed at the end of the ritual as a symbol of the impermanence of all things, and dispersing them in water sends the blessings to all whom the water touches.

All events are open to the public. Advanced registration requested for dinners and the art workshops.