A greeting from the monks of Lawa Khangtsen

Before the tour begins, the monks wanted to say hello.

In this short video greeting, Geshe Phende, who leads the touring party, joins the five other touring monks of Lawa Khangtsen, from Sera Jey Monastery in South India, to introduce themselves and the journey ahead. They share what they hope the tour will be: a chance to offer Tibetan Buddhist culture with an open heart, to meet new people, and to make new friends in communities across the United States.

Most of all, they extend an invitation to everyone watching: to become a peacemaker.

Peace begins within. The Sera Jey Lawa Khangtsen World Peace Tour is an educational journey about peacemaking, reconciliation, forgiveness, and nonviolence. Each stop is shaped together with its host community, and may include teachings, meditation, open conversation, sacred music, and the creation of a sacred sand mandala, grain by grain. The heart of it all is bodhicitta: the wish that all beings be free from suffering, and the commitment to help make that real.

No Buddhist background is needed. People of every faith and no faith are welcome, and public events are free.

The tour is organized and sponsored by Lion's Roar Dharma Center in Sacramento, California, a Buddhist temple in the tradition of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Watch the greeting above, and follow the journey on the tour schedule to find a stop near you. We hope to meet you there.