In connection with the upcoming teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on May 1, 2011, we are planning a special Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling Weekend celebrating Tibetan Religion, Culture and Arts at the Long Beach Convention Center. The tentative schedule for the weekend is as shown below. Tickets for these events and for His Holiness' public talk will be available for purchase by the general public starting 10 am on February 22, 2011 via ticketmaster.com. Type 'GSTDL' into the search box on the ticketmaster.com website to bring up all four events for which tickets will be sold via ticketmaster.com.
Schedule of Events:
Thursday, April 28
11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Opening Day for the 4-Armed Chenrezig (Buddha of Compassion) Sand Mandala
The Tibetan sand mandala is an ancient, sacred art form of Tibetan Buddhism. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning cosmogram or world in harmony. Mandalas are drawings in three-dimensional forms of sand that are constructed as vehicles to generate compassion, realize the impermanence of reality, and a social/cosmic healing of the environment.
Free & located at the Center Theater Lobby
11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Mandala Viewing, Thangka display (Buddhist Religious Art), sales of books and other Buddhist items, documentary viewing
Free & located at the Center Theater & Lobby
7:00 – 9:00 pm: Journey to the Roof of the World—A Performance by the internationally renowned Gaden Shartse Monks
This cultural performance will provide an opportunity to experience the rare sounds and dramatic imagery of Tibetan sacred dances, music, and chants. It will feature the famous multi-phonic throat chanting of Tibet.
A ticketed event; $16; open seating at the Center Theater
Friday, April 29
11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Mandala Viewing, Thangka display (Buddhist Religious Art), sales of books and other Buddhist items, documentary viewing
Free & located at the Center Theater & Lobby
7:00pm – 9:00pm: Introduction to Tantra as Practiced in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition — A Public Talk by Khen Rinpoche Jangchub Choeden, Abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery
Khen Rinpoche will be outlining the basics of tantra. This talk is open to anyone interested in learning about Tibetan Buddhism. In the latter portion of the event, he will also be conferring refuge vows to interested students of Buddhism.
A ticketed event; $16; open seating at the Center Theater
Saturday, April 30
11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Mandala Viewing, Thangka display (Buddhist Religious Art), sales of books and other Buddhist items, documentary viewing.
Free & located at the Center Theater & Lobby
7:00pm – 9:00pm: Connecting With Your Compassionate Nature: The Art and Science of Compassion — A Public Talk by Thupten Jinpa
Compassion has been a major focus of interest in Buddhism throughout its long history. From the development of formal meditation on compassion to the institutionalization of it in the form of the Dalai Lama reincarnations, compassion has captured the imagination of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in particular. Today, as neuroscience and cognitive psychology expand their research into human behavior and its underlying motivations, the study of compassion and altruism is increasingly becoming an important area of scientific exploration. Thupten Jinpa will speak on compassion, both from the perspective of Buddhism as well as modern scientific research, focusing on his work at CCARE (Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education), Stanford University, where he helped develop a formal training known as CCT (Compassion Cultivation Training).
A ticketed event; $24; open seating at the Center Theatre
Sunday, May 1
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Secular Ethics and Meditation — A Public Talk by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
A ticketed event; $37, $64, $94; reserved seating at the Terrace Theatre
4:00– 6:00 pm: Mandala Viewing & Ritual Dissolution, Thangka display (Buddhist Religious Art), sales of books and other Buddhist items
Free & located at the Center Theatre Lobby
We have posted a page with travel and lodging information and also a page with answers to frequently asked questions.