“A revolution is called for, certainly. But not a political, an economic, or even a technical revolution. We have had enough experience of these during the past century to know that a purely external approach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution.”
– Dalai Lama XIV, Ethics for the New Millennium
Our politics aren’t working. We can all feel it, especially in recent weeks and months – in the political division, the bitterness, anger, and exhaustion that characterize our national mood. The Dalai Lama – spiritual and moral leader of Tibet and a global voice for peace and compassion – reminds us that what we need is not another political revolution, but a spiritual one: a revolution of the heart and mind grounded in compassion, self-reflection and peace.
Durango has a rare opportunity to take part in that revolution. The Tibetan Buddhist monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery have returned to our community for Compassion Way Durango, a 10-day series of cultural and spiritual events running through Nov. 21, hosted by the Durango Dharma Center, with additional programs at Dreams of Tibet, Himalayan Kitchen and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. This marks the monks’ third visit to Durango, following inspiring tours in 2016 and 2018. Each visit has offered participants an intimate experience of Tibetan culture, spiritual practice and living compassion in action.
The 2025 tour features the creation of a Compassion Sand Mandala – an intricate artwork formed grain by grain from colored sand. Its beauty is fleeting; once complete, it is ritually dismantled and poured into the Animas River, symbolizing the impermanence of all things and the need to let go of attachment. Visitors can attend cultural presentations, witness the creation of the mandala, and participate in meditations and healing ceremonies, each designed to cultivate mindfulness, kindness and compassion in daily life.
The visiting monks come from Gaden Shartse Monastic University, located in the lush green hills of southern India. Founded in 1969 by Tibetan monks who fled the Chinese invasion, the monastery continues the centuries-old tradition of Buddhist scholarship once flourishing in Tibet before the 1959 destruction of thousands of monasteries during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. More than 1.2 million Tibetans died in that period, and survivors scattered across the world. The monks’ tours not only share their culture but also raise funds to sustain their monastery, which now educates over 1,600 monks – many of them refugees still arriving from Tibet seeking safety, education and spiritual refuge.
Tibetan Buddhism teaches that the path to enlightenment begins with compassion, mindfulness and wisdom – cultivating inner peace not just for oneself but for all living beings. The purpose of the monks’ tour is to preserve their endangered culture and to invite the world into a practice of peace and understanding. In their chants, art and rituals lies a message for us all – that true change begins within.
As we watch these monks carefully lay down each grain of sand, we might ask ourselves what we are building in our own lives. The Dalai Lama reminds us that lasting peace will never come from the top down or the outside world but from the inner revolution of our own hearts and minds. Only when we confront and make peace with our own demons – our fears, resentments and attachments – can the outer world begin to heal.
So come. Starting today, Friday, Nov. 14, view the creation of the Compassion Sand Mandala at Dreams of Tibet and enjoy a Tibetan dinner at Himalayan Kitchen. Join the Compassion Empowerment meditation and Dharma talk at the Durango Dharma Center on Monday, Nov. 17, and experience the many other events through the weekend and next week – family art activities, teachings on monastic life and the beautiful dissolution ceremony on Nov. 21. For the full schedule (some events require registration), visit the Durango Dharma Center website at durangodharmacenter.org, and for more on the monks and their mission, go to sacredartsoftibettour.org.
Listen, learn and let this be your invitation to practice the principles of peace, compassion, kindness and understanding in a world that desperately needs them. The spiritual revolution begins here – within each of us.
