Special Events with the Monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery

June 23rd-28th

We are incredibly grateful and excited to announce the special visit of the monks of the famed Gaden Shartse Monastery. Our center will once again be open to in-person activities at our new location in the Third Street Center – Suite 12. Throughout the pandemic, with the support and hard work of many, we have been able to continue providing precious Buddhist teachings and special programs online. Now, we will be able to offer opportunities to gather together again in person – and in our new meditation hall! Of course, we will continue our online programs as well as we embrace new ways for all of us to cultivate these important methods to develop more compassion, loving-kindness, wisdom, and inner peace.


About the Monks’ Tour

Our spiritual director, John Bruna, shares about hosting the monks and the creation of the sand mandala.

A video capturing the interactions and activities of the monks from John’s time leading the tour.

Schedule of Events

Sand Mandala: The monks will be creating the sand mandala of the Buddha of Compassion over a period of six days, ending with a dissolution ceremony and distribution of the sand on Wednesday evening, June 28rd.

The creation of the mandala will be open for public viewing beginning Saturday, June 24th and will continue through Wednesday, June 28th in the Round Room at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, 520, 3rd ST, from 9 am to 6 pm. This is free. There will be Tibetan goods available for sale to support the monastery.

All proceeds for the events will go directly to Gaden Shartse Monastery to provide for the food, education, and training of the monks. We are fundraising for the creation of the sand mandala, seeking to raise $5000 to bring this blessing to the Roaring Fork Valley. If you would like to support the monastery and help fund the mandala, you can use the donation button below to make a secure, tax-deductible donation.

Friday, June 23rd at 7 pm: Opening Ceremony for the Chenrezig (Buddha of Compassion) Sand Mandala.

The monks will be creating the sand mandala of the Buddha of Compassion over a period of four days, ending with a blessing, dissolution ceremony and distribution of the sand on Wednesday evening, June 28th. The creation of the mandala will be open for public viewing on Saturday, June 24th through the dissolution on Wednesday, June 28th, in the Round Room at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, 520, 3rd ST, from 9 am to 5 pm.

The Opening Ceremony is a powerful ritual in which the monks will consecrate the area and create a purified environment to receive the mandala. This is a free event.

Chenrezig Sand Mandala

Personal Healings, House, Land, and Business Blessings

Individual Vajravidaran healings with one of the lamas are available by appointment. Sessions are 30 minutes and the offering is $75. To schedule an appointment, call Roxanna at 970.274.4490.

Home, land, and business purification and blessing rituals are also available by appointment. This usually takes one hour and the offering is $350. To schedule an appointment call John, 970.510.0513.

Saturday, June 24th at 9am to noon: Meditation Workshop with John Bruna

Our spiritual director, John Bruna, will facilitate this special workshop covering best practices for establishing a meditation practice and facilitating three different types of mediation:
Shamatha (calm-abiding)
Loving-Kindness (Metta)
Compassion (Karuna)
Suggested donation: $15. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. You can pre-register using this link – Event Donation.

*If you would like to attend online, email [email protected].

John Bruna
Saturday, June 24th at 7 pm: Tea Ceremony

The tea offering is a special blessing for the environment and showers all individuals in the presence of the monks with nectar. In the ceremony, participants don’t drink the tea but rather the monks will chant and bring prayers of healing as well as the removal of obstacles to be granted by enlightened Dharma Guardians. During the prayer, they will invoke all the divine beings and make tea offerings by pouring the divine nectar of each and every enlightened being into a vessel. As the nectar is being poured, the monks will chant prayers in the deep resonate Tibetan chanting that they are famous for while showering all participants with the blessings of radiant nectar. Suggested donation: $15. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. You can pre-register using this link – Event Donation.

Sunday, June 25th at 2:00 pm: Butter Sculpture Workshop.

The monks will work with children and adults to create traditional sculptures made from butter and barley flour. This art has been done in Tibet for over 800 years. This workshop will begin with a demonstration by the monks and will be followed by the opportunity for each participant to make his/her own butter sculpture. Suggested donation: $15. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. You can pre-register using this link – Event Donation.

Sunday, June 25th at 7 pm: Vajravidaran Healing Ritual.

Vajravidaran is a Buddha associated with purification and health. Physical and mental health is impacted by our karmic imprints. This ritual offers an opportunity to improve your health by purifying negative karma. The Vajravidaran ritual of purification and has three stages: the removal of negativities, the cleansing of subtle negative imprints, and protection from their return. Suggested donation: $25. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. You can pre-register using this link – Event Donation.

Tibetan butter sculpture

Monday, June 26th at 7 pm: A Day in the Life at Gaden Shartse Monastery

Learn about Tibetan culture and monastic life. This is a precious opportunity to peek into the inner workings of a vibrant Tibetan Buddhist monastery. Gaden Shartse is the original monastery of the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and has produced many great scholars, including Thubten Jinpa, the translator for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The presentation will include photos of daily life, rituals, and education. You will be able to ask questions and engage in dialogue directly with the monks. Suggested donation: $15. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. You can pre-register using this link – Event Donation.

Tuesday, June 27th at 7 pm: Chenrezig Empowerment

Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, has many aspects and embodies the universal compassion of all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions.  The purpose of the empowerment is to establish a close relationship with Chenrezig and to benefit from his all-encompassing compassion. In this era of challenges, division, and instability, the blessing of Chenrezig helps one to become more peaceful and compassionate, even with the state of current events. The empowerment will also initiate one into the mantra of Chenrezig: OM MANI PADME HUM, which contains the essence of all 84,000 volumes of Buddha’s teaching. Suggested donation: $25. All proceeds go to support the monastery in India. You can pre-register using this link – Event Donation.

Wednesday, June 28th at 6 pm: Sand Mandala Dissolution Ceremony.

The culminating event of the monks’ visit is the powerful and moving consecration and dissolution of the mandala. The monks will consecrate the mandala and ritually dissolve it and bless the valley by ritually pouring the sand into the Crystal River. All in attendance will receive some of the blessed sand from the mandala.


Learn more about mandalas here.