Tibet Week has been a timeless tradition at Emory University since its inception in 2001, as the campus celebrates its long-standing collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and its affiliation with the Drepung Loseling Monastery in South India.
The 2023 celebration, themed “Compassion in Action,” is scheduled for Nov. 6-13 and will feature a number of programs open to the public.
Tibet Week, which began in 1998 as a partnership between Emory and Tibet, focuses on celebrating the partnership between Western and Tibetan Buddhist traditions in education and discovery. This year’s Tibet Week coincides with the 25th anniversary, or Silver Jubilee, of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics.also known as Emory Compassion Center.
“From its inception, this unique partnership has exemplified the transformative, cross-cultural discovery that we aspire to in all international collaborations,” said Philip Wainwright, Emory University’s Vice President for Global Strategy and Initiatives. says Mr. “Over the years, programs such as the Emory Tibet Science Initiative and CBCT have [Cognitively-Based Compassion Training] program, reference [Social, Emotional and Ethical] learn And study abroad has brought together countless students, faculty, and staff from Emory University and around the world, enriching their lives and forming lasting friendships. ”
Lobsang Tenzin Negi, executive director of the Emory Compassion Center, echoed this sentiment, noting that the center’s original vision of bridging two worlds in service of one common humanity has led to their work. He pointed out that he continues to promote the
“At the heart of this initiative is the belief, shared by both Emory and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, that life becomes happier and more meaningful by educating both the heart and the spirit. So many of my colleagues at the University, and countless others around the world, are inspired to join us in our efforts to begin the revolution of compassion that His Holiness has called for,” Negi said. “This year marks a major milestone in this journey, and the alarming events taking place around the world make it clear that our efforts remain urgent and necessary. Only by creating a strong culture can humanity survive and prosper.”
2023 Tibet Week Activities
Tibet Week 2023 will be filled with opportunities to celebrate decades of partnership. During the opening and closing ceremonies, the community will be able to participate in discussions and meditations, as well as observe the construction of an intricate sand mandala.
Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held in Ackerman Hall on the third floor of the Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Monday, November 6th
Partnership renewal ceremony
11am to 12pm
Tibet Week begins with the renewal of Emory University’s partnership with Drepung Loseling Monastery. Senior leaders from the Tibetan Works and Archives Library, the Institute for Buddhist Dialects, and Emory University were joined by President Gregory L. Fenves, President Ravi V. Bellamkonda, and Emory University President Barbara Krautmer. and the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1998. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the current Abbot of Drepung Lucerin.
This event can be viewed via livestream, but participants must register online.
Tibet week opening ceremony
1pm to 2pm
Following the partnership renewal ceremony, the Drepung Losseling Monks of Tibetan Mystical Arts will begin Tibet Week in Ackerman Hall on the third floor of the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Masterful with traditional Tibetan instruments, the monks demonstrate their amazing singing abilities through chants. Once the ritual is complete, the monks begin creating the blueprint for the sand mandala, which they complete over a week-long festival.
mandala sand painting
From 2pm to 5pm
Throughout the week, the Drepung Lohseling monks of Tibetan mystical arts will create a mandala sand painting of Green Tara, a fully enlightened female Buddha with wisdom and active compassion. The mandala features millions of colored sand grains meticulously applied through a metal funnel called a chakpur. Every day in Ackerman Hall, the public has the opportunity to watch monks work on mandalas.
compassion meditation
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Join us for this meditation led by Timothy Harrison, Emory Certified CBCT Teacher and Associate Director of the CBCT Program. This meditation is themed “nurturing” and encourages participants to connect to nurturing moments of comfort, deepen their personal awareness of compassion, and strengthen the motivation within us to extend it. .
Discussion: “Bridging Two Worlds: Why Emory Compassion Center Matters.”
7:30pm – 9:00pm
This seminar explores the impact of the groundbreaking Emory Tibet Partnership over the past 25 years and why it is important to the international community, and features two of the organization’s co-founders and leaders of important Tibetan cultural institutions. will appear.
Space is limited and registration is required. In-person registration and livestream registration options are available.
Tuesday, November 7th
mandala sand painting
10am to 4pm
We return to the second round of Mandala Sand Paintings as the Drepung Lohseling Monks of Tibetan Mystical Arts continue to create works of Green Tara.
Curiosity TEA
4pm to 5pm
Master Tibetan artist Buchan Ngbya and Andrew W. Mellonfellow of Conservation Era Andrews discuss their collaboration to restore two thangka paintings at the Norbulingka Institute in Dharamsala, India. Afternoon tea and pastries are served, and the two discuss the process of repairing the damage caused when the painting was shipped from India to Atlanta.
Registration required. In-person registration and livestream registration options are available.
compassion meditation
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Penny Clements, an Emory-certified CBCT teacher, will lead a meditation on consciousness. This meditation aims to create greater space for self-awareness and choice for participants. Once you reach a place of stability and clarity, you can turn your attention inward and move closer to non-judgmental awareness.
Panel: “Bridging Science and Spirituality: ETSI’s 18 Year Journey”
7:30pm – 9:00pm
The Emory Tibetan Science Initiative (ETSI) has an 18-year history of bridging science and spirituality to deepen our understanding of the world around us. In this program, panelists will explore interesting issues through the eyes of the monks who participate in the program and the scientists and educators who support them.
Advance registration is required. In-person registration and livestream registration options are available.
Wednesday, November 8th
mandala sand painting
10am to 5pm
Wednesday will be another opportunity for the Emory community to observe the progress of the Green Tara mandala sand painting by Tibetan mystical arts monk Drepung Losseling.
Webinar: “Compassionate Revolution: Understanding and Responding to the Dalai Lama’s Vision for the Future”
11am to 12pm
Join this online-only panel to explore the Dalai Lama’s call for a “compassion revolution” based on fundamental human values shared by all. Panelists will combine their expertise from academic, leadership, and author-based perspectives to discuss how we can bring about a “compassion revolution” and how the Emory Center for Compassion has responded to the Dalai Lama’s call. discuss.
Please register online to attend this webinar.
compassion meditation
5:30pm – 6:30pm
This week’s third compassion meditation will be led by Kimble Sorrels, an Emory certified CBCT teacher, and will be held with the theme “Agency.” It is important to take a broader view of life’s ups and downs and develop the ability to give yourself grace when faced with difficulties. By understanding that everyone faces challenges in life, we can explore the potential to transform those challenges into growth, meaning, and purpose.
Panel Discussion: “Cultivating Compassion in Educational Systems: See Implementing Learning at the National, District, and School Levels”
7:30pm – 9:00pm
Join this panel to learn more about how SEE Learning, a global program aimed at developing students’ social, emotional, and ethical skills, can be applied to various educational programs in India, Brazil, and the United States Let’s learn.
Registration is required to attend in person or to participate in the live stream.
Thursday, November 9th
mandala sand painting
10am to 5pm
Return to Ackerman Hall to see the progress of the Green Tara mandala sand painting by Monk Drepung Losseling of Tibetan Mystical Arts.
compassion meditation
5:30pm – 6:30pm
Join an Emory-certified CBCT teacher for a meditation on inclusion. This medicine explores paying attention to others by connecting through our common humanity and taking steps to explore our circles of concern. By releasing our warmth towards others, we can be attuned to what others are going through and develop compassion.
Panel: “Practical Intercultural Compassion Training”
7:30pm – 9:00pm
Join this panel discussion featuring certified compassion trainers from Africa, Europe, and Asia to explore the opportunities and challenges of delivering compassion training across cultures, backgrounds, and contexts.
Registration required. In-person registration and livestream registration options are available.
Friday, November 10th
mandala sand painting
10am to 5pm
This is one of the last chances to observe the progress of the Green Tara mandala sand painting by Tibetan mystical arts monk Drepung Lohseling.
Saturday, November 11th
mandala sand painting
10am to 3:30pm
Participate in mandala sand painting for the last full day before the Tibet Week closing ceremony.
Tibet Week Closing Ceremony
3:30pm – 4:30pm
To mark the end of Tibet Week, the mandala sand painting will be dismantled shortly after completion during the closing ceremony, and the sand will be transported to a nearby body of water and released. The mandala’s quick deconstruction serves as a metaphor for impermanence, a central concept in Buddhist philosophy that recognizes that we live in a world that is constantly changing.
Registration is required for this in-person event.
Tibet week days
Tibet Museum Exhibition
10am to 5pm
During Tibet Week, the Michael C. Carlos Museum will host the Tibet Museum’s traveling exhibit, “A Long Look Homeward,” based on the memories of 11 representatives of the exiled Tibetan community. Featuring symbolic textiles, the exhibition takes viewers on a journey through Tibet’s past and expresses hope for the future.
A “Wall of Wisdom” containing more than 100 answers to questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama will also be on display.