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The Ngari Khangtsen European Tour 2016Sacred Arts of the Himalayan Region 3Aim of the Himalayan Sacred Arts for Peace Tour 3

Cultural performances1 ‘Three Tales of Ngari’, a show for children 52 ‘The Breath of Ngari, a captivating performance 53 A workshop introducing the art of colored sand mandalas 74 A workshop introducing the creation of butter sculptures 7

Buddhist activities and rituals1 Sand Mandalas 92 Tormas 93 Various rituals and prayers (Shabten) 104 Divinations (Mo) 105 Sutras recitations, house blessings 11

Ngari Khangtsen New Temple ProjectProviding our monks with a proper education 12Controlling costs 12How to support this project 13

The organizers of the European TourAbout Ngari Khangtsen at Sera Jey Monastery 14The monks participating in the tour 14Friends of Ngari Khangtsen 15Help us to organize our European Tour 15

Annex documentThe Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s letter 16

The Ngari Khangtsen European Tour 2016

Sacred Arts of the Himalaya RegionWhile art is typically used to express an individual’s emotions and feelings, Himalayan sacred art, through painting, sculpting, chanting, dance, etc is used to dissolve ignorance, ego and self-che-rishing by manifesting wisdom and compassion through meticulous ritual The Ngari Khangtsen monks from the Sera Monastery in South India will be touring Europe from April to July 2016, sharing their unique culture and their Buddhist activities They will perform sacred dan-ces known as Cham during both of their cultural performances (Breath of Ngari and Three Tales of Ngari) The monks will create sand mandalas, chant traditional prayers, or perform various rituals in order to eliminate obstacles and accumulate merits to achieve peace and prosperity

The Aim of the Himalayan Sacred Arts for Peace TourDuring this tour the monks will be offering their skills to private parties as well as to institutions interes-ted in Buddhist activities or engaged in the preservation of Himalayan art and culture

‘‘The ultimate aim of these Buddhist practices of the Great Vehicle is to benefit sentient beings. By introducing these sacred arts in a non-sectarian way, we hope to reach a greater audience in order to manifest the wisdom and compassion of the Himalayan culture with the world Thus, our main purpose is to share and promote the wisdom and spirituality of the Himalayan people Other aims of this tour are to raise funds for our ‘New Temple Project’ at Sera Jey Monastery - South India - which is currently underway, and as always, to raise funds for the daily necessities of our monks in South India Our khangtsen is responsible for providing housing, clean water, medical and educational material for our monks and for this, we are reliant on the generosity of sponsors ’’

For further details, kindly refer to the New Temple section, page 12

Most of the monks of Ngari Khangtsen in front of the building of the new temple.

During the Tour, the monks of Ngari Khangtsen will perform cultural performances and Buddhist ac-tivities Traditionnally in the Himalayan regions, people were offering donations as a way to support monas-teries and accumulate merits which contribute to their own prosperity and spiritual development As this is not part of the western culture, the organizers of the European Tour are suggesting a minimum amount of donations which takes into account the traveling costs from India to Europe and then to the different countries This suggested donation is a reference and shouldn’t be an obstacle for peo-ple to request the monks’s prayers and blessings

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1. ‘Three Tales of Ngari’A wonderful and magical performance for children 8 years and older - but not only.

Within a magical atmosphere, 6 monks - 3 musicians and 3 performers - from Sera Jey Monastery Ngari Khangtsen with the assistance of a narrator bring to life legends of this Himalayan region We will hear about imprints of the yeti in snow and a magician who leaves his footprints in rock, we will also meet ani-mals who speak the language of men as well as other extraordinary beings ‘‘Since time immemorial, I widely fly over the roof of the world... I shape clouds, stroke valleys and sculpt the high mountains of the Land of Snow.In summer, I make the crops and the vast fields covered with wild flowers ripple. Green waters of immaculate lakes shiver as I pass. In winter, my icy breath hardens the snow and penetra-tes everyting, even in the depth of a yak’s wool.For centuries, I have blown over no-mad camps, villages and palaces. I heard and carry with me amazing sto-ries told by men nearby the flames of a fire under a starry sky. In the same way that I spread altruistic prayers written on ‘wind horses’, the coloured flags hung at snowy summits for the benefit of all beings, today I will whisper for you the magnificent legends of the Ngari region.’’

Download our technical card from www himalayan-sacred-arts-for-peace orgThe show lasts about 50 minutes For more information: Michel Henry contact@amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr

Financial termsOne night lodging and food for 8 people 1200 € for each performance or 90 % of the admission fees with the opportunity to sell handicraft

A colouring book will available for sale on our web site:www amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr

TranslationDuring the European tour, the monks and particularly the narrator will express themselves in English The organizers will be required to provide a translator, capable of translating into the host country’s language Manuscripts of both performances should be translated prior to the arrival of the Tour The local narrator, being a part of the show, will need to be trained prior the actual performance For more information: Michel Henry contact@amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr

Culturalperformances

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3. A workshop introducing the art of colored sand mandalasThis workshop is suitable for children star-ting at the ages of 8 and older as well as adults In two hour sessions the monks present the ancient technique of Man-dala creation By rubbing against cones filled with colored sand the monks draw complex designs The participants can practice the creation of simple designs, like a flower for example.The workshop can be offered while the monks are doing the five elements man-dala (Leg Natso) in a single day or while doing the much more elaborate deity mandalas which can take up to four or five days.For more details on mandalas see page 9.

Time needed: two hours Minimal cost sharing suggested: 10€/person

4. A workshop introducing the creation of butter sculpturesTraditionally, the monks create sculptures from butter with their fingers which then serve as orna-ments for ritual cakes (tormas) The butter can be colored or left plain The monks will explain the tech-nique in two hour sessions and the participants can then create simple designs by themselves This workshop is suitable for chil-dren ages 8 and older as well as for adults For more details on tormas see page 9.

Time needed: two hours Minimal cost sharing suggested: 10€/person

2. ‘The Breath of Ngari’’A unique performance in six scenes to discover the mind of this Himalayan region.

The Ngari region includes the western part of Tibet as well as the Himalayans slopes which nowadays are part of India - e g Ladakh, and Zanskar, etc - or Nepal - e g Sherpa Monks from these Himalayan regions who want to study at the Sera Jey Monastic Uni-versity rebuild in South India, are grouped in the same house – the Ngari Khangtsen With their energy, sense of humor and kind-ness, six of these monks will share their cultu-re with you In the performance, the monks will evoke Tibet - before 1959 - and will inclu-de the exile from Tibet and the rebuilding of their monastery in India, as well as their daily life full of prayers, studies, and debates

‘‘One usually believes that all monasteries are very quiet and peaceful places, sites where practitioners are either always in a deep meditative states, or pray all day long. In the Buddhist culture of the Himalayas, though, monasteries are actually very high level universities where many students are deeply studying philosophy.’’

Download our technical card from www himalayan-sacred-arts-for-peace orgThe show lasts one and a half hour More information: contact@amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr Watch the trailer: https://youtu be/1ajKhRDXMe0

Financial termsOne night lodging and food for 8 people 1200 € for each performance or 90 % of the admission fees with the opportunity to sell handicraft License numbers: 15-15057 and 15-15058

In your garden or in a theatreThe monks can accommodate many situations. Local organi-zers should estimate the number of potentially interested peo-ple and then look for the appropriate venue

In order to show photos and short video clips, the monks will bring a video projector, a small ampli-fier and two microphones (one for the narrator, one for the translator) The show can thus be per-formed for a small audience (a few dozen peo-ple, e g for an anniversary, in which case it would be sufficient to provide a performance space of minimum 6 x 6 meters and three electrical soc-kets), as well as at an auditorium with a profes-sional sound and light system, having space to host a few hundred people In the later case we will provide technical specifications for the sound and light management of the performance

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1. Sand MandalasSand Mandalas symbolically represent the palaces of a specific Buddha, his entou-rage and his enlightened activities Man-dalas are created by using colorful sand, with every aspect of the mandala having a symbolic meaning, nothing is arbitrary For example, the Mandala of Avalokiteshvara comes from the tantric teachings of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and can be descri-bed as being the residence of the Buddha of Compassion The Mandala is used as a base to meditate on, invoke deities, make offerings and make requests to the Buddhas in order to spread their blessings and inspiration Finally, the in-

vited guests will return to their own abodes after which the mandala will be dissolved/destroyed and released into water (a river or lake) A portion of the sand is kept and distributed to the participants of the ceremony as a blessing The Mandala is a method for bringing compassion and harmony into our world, through genuine practice, generated from a mind of great compassion and unified with a mind of wisdom that realizes emptiness monks can meditate on the respective Buddhas and their respected qualities Just to glimpse a Mandala is said to create a positive impression on the mind of visitors, inviting powerful healing forces and generate great blessings The Ngari Khangtsen monks are able to create the following mandalas:

Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) Medicine Buddha (Sangye Menlha)Tara (Dolma) Elements (Leg Natso)

Time needed: The opening ceremony, the creation and the dissolution of each mandala takes about five days, except for the mandala of the five elements (Leg Natso), which can be completed within a day Other sand mandalas can possibly be done upon request Minimum suggested donation: 10€/entrance during public event 500 € for a private event - 200 € for the Leg Natso Mandala.

2. TormasNgari Khangtsen monks will create ritual cakes (torma) made from roasted barley flour (tsam-pa) and offered during tantric rituals Tormas are created in many different shapes and sizes The deity and puja being performed dictates the style of torma used Tormas are offered for many reasons; sometimes simply as an act of generosity, to appease angry protectors, or even to bargain with other worldly beings

Time needed: one hour Minimum suggested donation: 6€/entrance du-ring public event, 250€ for a private event

Buddhist activities

and rituals

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3. Various Rituals and Prayers (Shabten)Cutting off the Truly Existent ‘I’ (Chöd)The Tibetan Chöd translates as cutting, severing and/or dismemberment The terms are to be understood mainly in a symbolic and/or psychological sense -as a radical liberation from one’s ego and all that it usually fears The Chöd practice was inspired by the teachings of the Indian adept Phadampa Sangye (c 1045-1117), and its adherents regard the Prajnaparamita Sutra as the school’s most important sacred text The healing Chöd is an ancient Bud-dhist ritual known for its power to heal mental and physical sickness, remove karmic obstacles to spiritual growth, and address human suffering

Time needed: this can be a short 15 min puja performed also during ‘‘The Breath of Ngari’’ Minimum suggested donation: 6€/entrance during public event, 250€ for a private event

Prayers (Pujas)According to your needs, Ngari Khangtsen monks can perform the fol-lowing pujas:

Medicine Buddha (Sangye Menlha) for

health and healing Cittamani Tara (Dolchok) for fulfilling wishes Hayagriva (Tam drin sang) for overcoming inner egotism and outer obstructions Seven Limb (Chutrul de ramne) for gaining merit Purification (Jab Thru) for removing obsta-cles or negative karma Prayers for the dead, in order to receive a higher rebirth for those who died Other prayers may be considered upon requested Minimum suggested donation: dependent upon the puja and the size of the audience

4. Divinations (Mo)Tibetan Buddhism is endowed with predictive methods (Mo) based on the power and wisdom of the teachings of the Buddha Even today, before making important decisions or during transitional periods in life, Tibetans use these methods of divination There are two popular methods of perfor-ming mo, one uses the throwing of dice and the other involves counting beads on a rosary The power of these mos is dependent on the meditational deity with which the divinations are connec-ted (Manjushri, Tara, Vajrapani, Paldhen Lhamo, the Five Dakinis). Questions of almost any nature may be asked, though they are usually associated to yes or no answers The lama will then offer a prognosis in which pujas, prayer, or practices may be recom-mended in order to create a favorable outcome or resolve the problem at hand

Time: about 15 min Minimum suggested donation: 40€

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Monks are performing Chö in a private flat.

Pujas performed in a private house.

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5. Sutra recitations, house blessingsSutra recitationsIn Tibet, people traditionally invite monks to their house to eliminate obstacles and to accumulate virtuous karma and plant the seeds of positive results For this aim the Ngari khangtsen monks can recite different Buddhist scriptures, for example:The Prajnaparamitasutra in 8000 verses: three monks recite for one day or one monk recites for three days

Time needed: one to three days Minimal donation suggested: 350€ (plus food and lodging)

The Prajnaparamitasutra in 12 volumes: the recitation of this fundamental sutra elimi-nates obstacles and brings vast blessings It is said that merely having a set of volu-mes of this text on one’s altar is a source of great benefit.

Time needed: six monks for four days Minimal donation suggested: 500€ (plus food and lodging)

The Golden Light Sutra: merely hearing this sutra brings numerous benefits (e.g. avoiding rebirths in the lower realms, receiving help from higher beings, etc.) and purifies many negative karmas.

Time needed: one monk for four hours Minimal donation suggested: 100€

The Diamond Cutter Sutra: is one of the principal texts of the great vehicle and one of the most beneficial practices, as it explains how to cut the root of cyclic existence, the ignorance grasping at a true existence of persons and phenomena (although in reality they are ‘empty’ of such a mode of existence)

Time needed: one monk for approximately four hours Minimal donation suggested: 100€

House and Workplace BlessingUpon request, Ngari Khangtsen monks will be available for private home and business blessing pu-

jas to eliminate obstacles and bring pros-perity

Time: about 30min Minimum suggested donation: 120€

Sutra recitation in an hostel.

House blessing.

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Ngari Khangtsen New Temple ProjectProviding our monks with a proper educationWithin their own country, the Tibetan people can no longer study Buddhism because mere survival occupies the majority of the Tibetan refugees Therefore, nowadays the preservation of Buddhism rests mainly on the teachings given in the big monasteries rebuilt in Southern India The temple (tib. gompa) makes it possible for the monks to get together for “pujas”, for teachings (an integral part of monastic life) or to follow other classes The Temple is also the place where the monks will take their exams and where conferences on the preservation of Tibetan culture will take place The ol-der monks use the gompa daily in order to meet and meditate In the evening, young monks gather in the gompa to do their homework, under the supervision of by their tutors

His Holiness the Dalai Lama reminded the peo-ple of the Himalayan Regions of their bound duty to make use of the freedom and oppor-tunity to study and preserve Tibetan Buddhism, which he said is passing through a difficult phase in Tibet ‘‘Since Tibetan Buddhism is a common religion followed by both Tibetans and the peo-ple living in Himalayan regions, the latter should make great efforts to preserve the whole set of teachings and commentaries of Buddha and the Nalanda Masters. I had information from Monastic Institutions from South Indian that stu-dents from the Himalayas are taking a great role in the preservation of Buddhism with some even teaching in Monasteries, which is very much appreciated by everyone ’’

Khensur Rinpoche Jetsun Jampa Thegchok has said: ‘‘We have an immediate need for a proper temple where our monks can perform their daily pujas and practice of our rich Buddhist tradition ”

Controlling costsThe Sera Jey Ngari Khangtsen’s New Temple Project has been ini-tiated by the late Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchok Rinpoche himself made the first donation to start the building. Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, Dagpo Rinpoche and other recognized masters also make consistent offerings to this meaningful project This vital building is truly needed for the education and practi-ce of our monks. The first plans were conceived in 2000 in order to respect the initial and reasonable budget The first Ngari Khangtsen Temple was built in 1983, and was sup-posed to host about 50 monks More than 30 years later, our Khangtsen is now taking care of more than 150 monks, and we are waiting for many more monks to join us In 2000, costs were estimated at 32 million Indian rupees (about 380 000 €) In 2014, the new cost evaluation was about double that figure. This is why plans have been revised to bring down costs to around 40 million Indian rupees (about 475 000 €) Today, due to the rarefaction of sand, etc costs are still increasing There-fore, in order to be able to control our budget, Ngari Khangtsen’s Office decided not to build the traditional roof over the temple (estimated at 21 000 €) and to borrow 71 000 € to finish the buil-ding, before the prices of construction materials rise again The future of Ngari Khangtsen.

His Holiness the Dalaï Lama with Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchok and the members of the Ngari khangtsene Office in 2013.

Making statues in Nepal.

Some benefactors already sponsored the statues we had ordered in Nepal We will still have to finance the altar (about 35 000 €).

You can follow the development our temple project at: www serajeyngari orgDownload our pdf presentation of the new Temple Project at: www.amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari.fr/construction-du-nouveau-temple/the-new-gompa-project/

More information and more pictures: www amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr

How to support this project?It is said : “There is no greater merit one can accumulate in our lives then to build temples and monasteries for sangha. By building monasteries, the sangha has the opportunity to practice the vinaya and to preserve and spread the Buddha’s Dharma ”Thus, great merit, blessings and benefits can be gained by anyone who is involved in this project.

Any size donation is accepted and appreciated You can help in three ways:

1. By making a donation directly to Ngari Khangtsen by direct deposit or wire transfer too: Corporation Bank, Bylakuppe Branch, Periyapatna Taluk, Mysore District, Karnataka State (India)Branch: WITH CORPINBB1095Account: SERA JEH NGARI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETYAccount number: 109500116004609

Kindly contact Ngawang Tashi at serajeyngari@gmail com

2. By making a donation to our society in FranceLes amis du khangtène de Ngari (The friends of Ngari Khangtsen)

IBAN: FR76 1027 8022 5900 0201 5590 193By using Paypal on our website at www amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr

Contact Michel Henry at contact@amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr

In both case, you will recieve a receipt from our Ngari Khangtsen Office.

3. By becoming one of our local organizers during this second European Himalayan Sacred Arts for Peace Tour - from April to July 2016 - one of the aims of this Tour being to raise funds for the new temple See page 15

The new temple, 24th of September 2015.

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The Organizers of the European TourAbout Ngari Khangtsen at Sera Jey MonasteryNgari Khangtsen at Sera Jey Monastery is located in the State of Karnataka, South India, in the By-lakuppe Tibetan Settlement Bylakuppe is one of the oldest of the Tibetan refugee camps in South India At Sera Jey, there are fourteen house groups called ‘Khangtsens’ Each khangtsen is linked to a province in Tibet and has to accommodate the monks that hail from these areas Thus, the Ngari Khangtsen is responsible for the monks from the Himalayan regions which nowadays are located in Tibet, India, and Nepal, from Ladakh to western Tibet. These house groups function independently from the main monastery Each house group has the responsibility to provide the living necessities for their monks, which includes housing, medical care, and educational needs His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently reminded the people of the Himalayan Regions of their responsi-bility to preserve Tibetan Buddhism, which he said is currently passing through a difficult phase in Tibet. Since Buddhism is commonly followed by both Tibetans and Himalayan people, the Himalayan people should make great efforts to preserve the complete set of the Buddha’s teachings along with the com-mentaries of the Nalanda Masters of India and Tibetan Masters His Holiness said, “At this time, it is very important and the responsibility of all Himalayan people to send as many students as possible to Sera, Drepung, Gaden and other monasteries to learn Buddhism from the present Monastic Scholars”

The monks participating in the tour Six qualified monks - including four Geshes - from our Ngari Khangtsen will perform during this Euro-pean Tour

More information on www.himalayan-sacred-arts-for-peace.org.

Geshe Nawang Zangpo: Born in the village of Saboo, in Ladakh, India, Geshe-la joined Sera Jey Monastery in 1979 and completed his Geshe degree in 1999 Geshe-la is an accomplished master in Chö, Puja, chanting, and dia-lectic debate He is currently 46 years old Ngarampa Lobsang Dhondup: Born in Sikkim India in 1968, Lobsang Dhondup is proficient in the art of mandala crea-tion and puja He is also an expert in Buddhist divination, Chö, and dialectic debate Ngarampa Thupten Nyima: Born in Dha-ramsala, H P , India, Thupten Nyima is a talented chanting master and accom-plished in puja, chanting and dialectic debate He is 50 years old Geshe Lobsang Tashi: Born in Shar-nos Tong Tot village in Ladakh, India, Geshe-la joined Sera Jey Monastery in 1990 He earned his Geshe degree in 2012 Geshe-la is a master of mandala creation, meditation, puja, chanting, and dialectic debate He is 38 years old Geshe Lobsang Norbu: Geshe-la co-mes from Ladakh and first entered Sera Jey Monastery in 1986 He earned his

Geshe degree in 2013 He is an expert in cham dancing, puja, chanting, and dialectic debate He is 40 year old Geshe Sange Sherpa: Born in the Bigu village of Nepal, on the Tibetan border, Geshe-la joined Sera Jey Monastery in 1984 He received his Geshe degree in 2014 Geshe-la is accomplished in puja, chanting, mudra and dialectic debate He is 42 year old

Les amis du khangtsène de Ngari - Friends of Ngari KhangtsenCreated 25th of May 2013, the nonprofit organisation called ‘Les amis du khangtsen de Ngari’ has as its objective to support projects of the Ngari khangtsen, Sera Je monastery in South India and has the permission from the Ngari Khangtsen Office, represented by M. Ngawang Tashi to raise funds in its name To do this, the association makes efforts to collect funds from individual sponsors, private people and different other organizations

Les amis du khangtsène de Ngari (chez M. et Mme Henry)Bordeneuve , 81500 Marzens (France)

For further information: www.amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari.fr/ and http://serajeyngari.org/

Help us to organize our European Tour We would be very grateful to anyone who can help in the local scheduling and logistics of our tour If you can help please contact Michel Henry at: contact@amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari fr You will find regular updates - including dates and performances - on our web site: www.himalayan-sacred-arts-for-peace.org

The Tour members last year in Gruyeres, Switzerland.

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Les amis du khangtsène de Ngari, Bordeneuve , 81500 Marzens (France)www.amis-du-khangtsene-de-ngari.fr/

http://serajeyngari.org/www.himalayan-sacred-arts-for-peace.org

Annex documentThe Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s letter