International Day of Peace

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 2010
September 18 - 21, 2010

Peacebuilding creates and maintains beneficial conditions for sustainable, life-enhancing, social, economic, political, and spiritual development of all peoples.
(Adapted from speech given at UN – “An Agenda for Peace”, 1992)

Positive creativeness is the fundamental quality of the human spirit. Let us welcome all those who, surmounting personal difficulties, propel their spirits to the task of peacebuilding, thus ensuring a radiant future.
Nicholas Roerich

The Mandala Center declared 2010 as its year of Peace. We wish to celebrate our 2010 theme with a special event.

International Day of Peace is on September 21st of each year. It was established by the United Nations Resolution in 1981. In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared September 21st as the International Day of Peace. This effort encourages mankind to cooperate in acts of peace and provides opportunity for individuals, organizations, and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.

This event is our way of contributing to this special day and to the peace efforts around the world. We hope you will join us!!

To learn more visit www.internationaldayofpeace.org

THE MYSTICAL ARTS OF TIBET

We will celebrate this event by having the Mystical Arts of Tibet join us as our main attraction for a peace-filled retreat. The Mystical Arts of Tibet is a world tour co-sponsored by Richard Gere Productions and Drepung Loseling. The performers/artists on the tour are not full time professionals; rather they are genuine monks who are taking time off from their lifelong devotion to contemplation and study to participate in the tour. These monks consider it an honor to be selected to represent their monastery and share their cultural traditions, hoping that they will be able to make some small contribution toward world peace and toward a greater awareness of the Tibetan Situation. At the end of each tour the monks return to Drepung Loseling Monastery to continue their vocation. The three goals of the tour are

• Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the basic purpose is to make a contribution to world peace and healing through the sacred art
• To generate greater awareness of the endangered Tibetan civilizations
• To raise support for the Tibetan refugee community in India.

To learn more go to www.mysticalartsoftibet.org.

The Mandala Sand Painting seemed like the perfect art form for this event at The Mandala Center. The creation will take place in our circular sanctuary.

Mandala in Sanskrit means sacred cosmogram. From all artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sands ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. In Tibetan, the art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means “Mandala of colored powders.” As with the sand painting tradition as a whole, Mandala have their roots in the Tantric legacy of Buddhist India, extending back some 2,500 years.

In general all Mandalas have outer, inner, and secret meanings. On the outer level they represent the world in its divine form; on the inner level they represent a map by which the ordinary human mind is transformed into enlightened mind; and on the secret level they depict the primordial perfect balance of the subtle energies of the body and the clear light dimensions of the mind.

The Tibetan Lamas from Drepung Loseling Monastery will begin our event with an opening ceremony at 10:30am on Saturday to begin the creation of the Mandala that best represents “conflict resolution” – the Akshobya Mandala – that dispels violence and promotes the sentiment “may all beings be happy.”

“I will never forget the sensation of being bathed in the peaceful, cleansing vibrations of each monk’s voice. One of the most amazing, cleansing experiences I have ever had. I felt the pain and anguish of my world and the world around me lessen and dissipate.”
(Comment from an audience member to the event from Washington, D.C.)

THE MEDICINE BUDDHA PUJA

A Tibetan Healing Ceremony The monks will perform a ceremony of healing through meditation and chants associated with the Medicine Buddha. This Buddha is the embodiment of the enlightened healing principle. Participation in this timeless and ancient Tibetan ceremony helps to activate one’s inherent healing potential that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual well being as well as environmental and global healing. We will be collecting donations for this event. All donations collected will go directly to the Monks.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The Mystical Arts Tour will be selling CD’s, tapes, Tibetan artifacts, jewelry and similar items to the public during the event.  All proceeds go to the Tour group.  There will be a PUBLIC SAND PAINTING where guests will be able to try their hand at creating their own group sand Mandala just like the Lamas! Other activities such as yoga, guided nature walks, labyrinth walks and more will be conducted throughout the event.
See our calendar for more listings.

PINWHEELS FOR PEACE PROJECT

Pinwheels for Peace is an international project that began as an International Day of Peace effort and the first installation of Pinwheels was in 2005. In 2009 three million pinwheels were created around the world and posted on the website for all to see.

We wish to participate in this international arts project by encouraging people of all ages to log onto the pinwheel website, find the directions for creating pinwheels (and the templates) and make one to send to, or bring to The Mandala Center for our peace event. All pinwheels will be planted in the soils of the Sierra Grande and photographed for our own website and for submission to the international site to be counted as part of the 2010 tally.

What makes this project so exciting is that it asks you to make a Mandala on one side of the pinwheel template and write your prayers of peace on the other side. We hope many people will feel inspired to create one. We will be making them on site at The Mandala Center during our event. But even if you cannot come to our event we hope that you as an individual or groups of students in classrooms or groups in churches, communities or centers will choose to make pinwheels and mail them to us to include. It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s meaningful and it matters.

The first pinwheels for peace will be planted during our peace pole dedication ceremony on Sunday, September 19th, and we will continue to add them through Tuesday September 21st, on The International Day of Peace. That day we will photograph the pinwheels and post them on our website and the Pinwheels website. We are certain the winds of the high desert plains will spread your prayers of peace far and wide!!

To learn more visit www.pinwheelsforpeace.com.

PEACE POLE DEDICATION CEREMONY

A Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony will be held at The Mandala Center on Sunday September 19th in the afternoon. We are purchasing our Peace Pole from a company in Michigan dedicated to this effort.

Learn more at www.peacepoles.com  This is from their website:

The Peace Pole Project started in Japan in 1955 by Masahisa Goi, who decided to dedicate his life to spreading the message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in response to the bombings on Hiroshima. Peace Poles are handcrafted monuments erected the world over as international symbols of Peace. Their purpose is to spread the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages.

Two of our patrons – Bob and Phyllis Stice, have donated the funds for the purchase and installation of the peace pole. Our ceremony will include a Labyrinth Peace Walk and an opportunity for various spiritual leaders to come and offer a blessing and inspirational words on peace during the dedication.

We would also like students and adults to write and submit POEMS FOR PEACE to The Mandala Center to be posted on our blog and on a display here at the Center during the event (possibly to be put into a booklet). Four local students will be chosen to read their Poems for Peace at the Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony.

LABYRINTH WALK OF PEACE

The labyrinth is a winding pathway, created in circuits, leading to a center. It is considered to be a spiritual tool that helps us to “center” ourselves. The labyrinth image has been in use in cultures around the world for thousands of years and is believed to represent a pilgrimage of sacred meaning. Our labyrinth was created in 2002. Labyrinths have been constructed all over the world, at churches, schools, hospitals, sacred sites, homes and parks. You can learn more at www.labyrinthsociety.org. Our Labyrinth Walk of Peace will be held during the Peace Pole Dedication.

Bios
Dennis Grogan and Tina Proctor are labyrinth facilitators certified by Veriditas, a non-profit organization which teaches people about the Labyrinth Experience as a personal practice for healing and growth, a tool for community building, an agent for global peace and a metaphor for life. Dennis and Tina have lead many groups through labyrinths in Colorado using meditation, visualization, sensory awareness, and play. Both Dennis and Tina have spent over 20 years facilitating groups, training, and developing partnerships. As a couple, they have led a “Peace Circle” in Denver for the past eight years, focusing on the development of inner peace practices.

The Experience
During The Mandala Center International Day of Peace Celebration, Dennis and Tina will lead four to five labyrinth walks, depending on interest. Each walk will be based on a different peace practice. The labyrinth at The Mandala Center is set in a majestic clearing with stunning views of the surrounding hill country. Natural rocks outline the path which takes the seeker into the center for contemplation. The mystery and power of the labyrinth walk is based on an ancient design with no blind corners or wrong turns. Each labyrinth experience is unique.

Saturday (9:15) - Peace Day Intention walk

Saturday (8:15 pm) - Reflecting your personal light (participants bring flashlights and we will place solar lights around the labyrinth for a mystical experience)

Sunday (9:15) - Labyrinth as meditation

Sunday (2:30 pm) - Peace Pole dedication walk (sending peace into the world)

Monday (TBA) - school/public group walk (Beginner's Walk)

Maximum of 10 walkers (from signup sheet), minimum of 3 walkers. Sign Up sheets will be available at the event.

MUSIC FOR PEACE with Hal Walker

We have made arrangements for Hal Walker to join us from Ohio. Hal has been providing musical entertainment for many years and is an inspiration to young and old alike. Hal writes much of his own music and plays a variety of instruments from around the world – making him perfect for an International Day of Peace celebration. This year Hal is scheduled to participate at Kent State University “Widening the Circle – Creating Peace across Cultures with Music” event as well as a project called “Traveling Peace Stanzas” poems about peace written by students. He will also be participating in the 2010 International Conference on Peace and War by Case Western’s “Inamori International Center” creating a choir of peace for their October event.

Hal will join The Mandala Center for a musical concert on Sunday the 19th, following the peace pole dedication ceremony. Donations will be accepted to support his creative efforts.

Hal is also available, with advanced arrangements, to visit area schools to do an assembly program or come into a classroom and offer some of his musical talents for students. If you are interested in having Hal come to your school in September (either Friday the 17th or Monday the 20th) please contact Lori at The Mandala Center, or Hal directly from his website as soon as possible to book.

To learn more visit www.halwalkermusic.com. You can also find many videos of Hal on YouTube and experience this musician extraordinaire!!

FIELD TRIPS AND GROUP TOURS

Monday and Tuesday

Monday, September 20th, and Tuesday, September 21st, are special days where schools are encouraged to bring students to see the monks, the Mandala, the Center and the grounds. Other adult groups may also wish to take a tour and visit our center and this special event.

Groups may also come and hike the Sierra Grande, shop for Tibetan goods, walk our labyrinth and try their hand at the community sand Mandala. Reservations are required for scheduling groups so please register early. Special Rates apply for field trips and tour groups. Please inquire.

Lodging and Fees

On Site at The Mandala Center with the Lamas

Lodging on the grounds at The Mandala Center will be very limited because the Monks will be housing here as well. This leaves us with only 6 rooms, accommodating only 12 people on the grounds. Those who choose to participate in this “intimate and up-close” experience with the Monks will have special access in the mornings and evenings and during meal times to be with the Monks exclusively. There is one price for this arrangement and it includes lodging from Friday night through Tuesday night, all meals and access to all activities. There will also be some retreat activities planned and offered during these quieter times. In the Event Schedule this is indicated by “reserved for onsite guests” and indicates times The Center is not fully open to the public.
On site package deal is $765 per person, all inclusive.

Other Lodging and Day Passes

The Artist Nook – This small simple cottage is at the base of the hill near The Mandala Center and is part of our housing options. It can sleep up to 4 people in a common area and offers a small kitchen and bathroom with beds and sofa beds. Guests staying in this cottage house will also have access to all activities at The Mandala Center and may be on the grounds for all meals and in the morning and evenings. It is expected that guests in The Artist Nook will be attending the entire event and there is one inclusive price.
One all inclusive price of $665 per person.
Contact The Mandala Center 575-278-3002.

LOCAL LODGING OPTIONS

Note: those people staying off site from The Mandala Center will need to purchase day passes and will be served a bagged lunch during the day. Persons choosing this option will need to seek out their own dinners at night. There is a café in Des Moines, several restaurants in Raton or Clayton and other choices over the Raton Pass in Trinidad.

Suite B
Suite B lodging above Studio C in Des Moines, only minutes from The Mandala Center, sleeps 3, 1 full sized futon bed and a single day bed. It is a guest room/artist's studio & retreat. Amenities include: Fresh ground organic fair trade coffee, great views of the surrounding landscapes, wood stove heating and porch. Wireless Internet Incl.
Suite B's rates: $55.00/ night for two; additional person $35.00.
Contact: 575-278-3517 or studioc@bacavalley.com.

Turkey Track Lodge
A beautiful lodge on a local ranch provides a stunning lodging option. The rooms have 2 twin beds in each with shared bathrooms –two downstairs and 1 upstairs. There is a common room area for guests. Coffee, tea, juice and rolls will be offered in the mornings. There are only 3 rooms being held for us (6 people) at this location for our event. It is approx 15 minutes from the Mandala Center.
Turkey Track Lodge rates: $45 per person per night.
Contact: Cathy Kennedy 575-278-2185.

Price Ranch
The Bunkhouse This lodging option is located approximately 30 minutes from The Mandala Center toward Raton and is off the beaten path. The Bunkhouse is situated on a charming funky western ranch with beautiful scenic views across from Laughlin Peak. It offers a shared sleeping space that includes one double bed, two singles and a pull out couch. There is a shared bathroom and small kitchen. Coffee, juice and rolls will be offered for breakfast.
The Bunkhouse rates: $45 per person per night.
Contact Nancy Passikoff at 575-278-3667.

Hotels in Raton (40 minutes away)
Our listing is limited. You may check Raton area for other accommodation options. You may also check Clayton, NM, and Trinidad, Colorado, both slightly larger cities, that are approximately an hour away from our event, but both may offer more options for your dining and evening pleasures.

Quality Inn (previously Comfort Inn)
533 Clayton Road Raton NM
575-445-4200
MENTION OUR EVENT FOR THIS SPECIAL RATE - James or Gilbert
$79.99 + tax for a room with a queen, king, or two queen beds (up to 4 persons)
includes free wireless internet, continental breakfast, indoor pool and jacuzzi

Holiday Inn Express
101 Card Ave Raton NM
575-445-1500
Mention Our Event for Special Room Rates
Traditional Room $85+ tax up to 4 people per room
Suite $120+ tax up to 4 people per room
Spa Suite $145+ tax up to 2 people per room
Amenities Offered • Continental Express Start Breakfast Bar 6:30am – 9:30am • Complimentary Evening Snacks 4pm-8pm • Business Center, open 24 hrs with DSL high speed internet, computers, fax / printer / copier • Fitness Room, 6:00am – 10:00 pm • Indoor Pool & Hot Tub Open 24 Hours • Free high speed internet

Campgrounds

Capulin RV Park
575-278-2921
Call for Availability

We have two area KOA Campgrounds. They both offer RV hook ups, cabins and tent space.
Raton KOA 575-445-3488 (about 40 mins away)
Clayton KOA 575-374-9508 (about 55 mins away)

Event Fees

DAY PASSES may be purchased by people staying off the grounds or for local individuals who may wish to come only for the day. Guests to our area may also want to find lodging and accommodations in the area so they can hike and see the local sites and then join us for a day.

These passes will give guests access to all events and the building and grounds from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, or until the conclusion of the final daily event. If day pass guests register at least a week in advance (to allow for meal planning) a sack lunch will be provided. Day pass guest who do not register in advance are welcome to bring picnic lunches. Guests can also choose to leave the premises for lunch and return on the day pass.

Day Pass for Saturday $45.00 per person
Day Pass for Sunday $45.00 per person
Day Pass for Monday $25.00 per person
Day Pass for Tuesday $25.00 per person
Children under 10 are free with an accompanying parent.

Day Passes allow guests to view the creation of the sand Mandala, visit with the monks, try their hand at our community Mandala, make a pinwheel of peace, walk the grounds, and labyrinth, join in any activity happening that day between 9-5, and shop for Tibetan goods brought in by the Mystical Arts of Tibet.

SNEAK PEAK PASSES

Sneak peak passes may be purchased at $5 per person per hour at any time between 9 am and 5:30 pm each day just to see the Monks in action and be on the grounds. Sneak peak passes may be purchased for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 4 hours; otherwise a Day Pass should be purchased. Sneak peak passes do not include a lunch. Reservations for Sneak Peak passes can be made but are not necessary. They may be purchased at the gate. Visitors will receive a band indicating time of arrival and departure. For anyone remaining on the grounds longer than the indicated time, a day pass will need to be purchased upon departure.

VOLUNTEERS

We will be looking for a limited number of volunteers to help staff and run this event. We are going to need volunteers to help work the front gate, for parking, kitchen help, general grounds care, sitting at stations such as the Pinwheels for Peace table, setting up chairs for the music concert, and so on. Volunteers will be able to be on the grounds at no charge for the days they are scheduled to work.  We are seeking local volunteers from our community for this event. This is to ensure that volunteers can come to some orientation meetings prior to the event and be part of the planning process. If you are interested, please inquire at The Mandala Center.