CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX5/KUSI) — Tibetan Buddhist monks wrapped up a weeklong visit across North County on Sunday with a powerful cultural ceremony centered on peace, compassion and an ancient tradition built one grain of sand at a time.
For nearly a week, monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery transformed PHES Gallery in Carlsbad into a space for meditation, teaching and reflection. Visitors watched as the monks carefully constructed a sacred sand mandala, an intricate design symbolizing patience, discipline and impermanence.
“For the last 25 years, we’ve been supporting the Tibetan Buddhist monks of the Gaden Shartse Monastery,” said Ellen Speert, owner of PHES Gallery. “They’re refugees from Tibet and Bhutan, now living in southern India.”
More than 1,600 monks live at the monastery, Speert said. Traveling monks regularly tour the United States to raise funds and share Buddhist teachings, helping support the monastery and preserve centuries-old traditions…