Monks Bless Mon
8 Tibetans pray for the river
Morgantown Dominion Post
10 July 2013
By Tom Terrarosa
Eight Tibetan Buddhist monks blessed the Monongahela River at Twin
Spruce Marina on Tuesday.
Peggy Pings, owner of Twin Spruce Marina, off Smithtown Road, said
she is learning about the Tibetan Buddhist culture, and she is
honored to receive the monks’ blessing.
The monks are from the Drepung Gomang Monastic University in
southern India. They are in Morgantown for three days to teach the
Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and raise money for their monestary.
Tonya Madia, of Bliss-Bliss-Bliss Yoga Studio, helped coordinate
their trip to Morgantown. She said they will be at the yoga studio
today for a one-hour children’s coloring workshop and other
teachings.
Geshe Lharampa Lobsang leads the group and spoke to the people
gathered at the marina about what the “puja,” or offering, means.
He explained the monks would pray to their Buddhas and deities, as
well as all other deities, to protect the river and marina from
negative obstacles such as natural disasters, and promote peace,
happiness and compassion for everyone.
The monks chanted in unison for about 30 minutes and used drums
and horns in their prayer ceremony for the river.
“A lot of people have bad feelings about this river. They’re
afraid of it,” Pings said. “It’s our life blood. We get our
drinking water out of this river. This river needs to be blessed.”