Drepung Monastery

Traveling monks work on a sand mandala at Lake Street Church in Evanston, Illinois.

Tibetan monks on tour in US as China continues to restrict religion in Tibet

Sacred Nation

A group of Tibetan Buddhist monks, living in exile in India, are doing a “sacred arts tour” this month in the US. They’re demonstrating an ancient artistic and spiritual practice, creating big, colorful sand mandalas. They say Buddhist traditions like this are under threat because of Chinese government policies in their historic homeland of Tibet.