Monks raise spirits

By Kath Gannaway
AT ANY level – spiritual, cultural or community – the Warburton Harmony Festival was both successful and enriching.
The Dalai Lama’s Monks from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery and Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal won the hearts of hundreds of people from the very young to the very old, from committed Christians to non-believers and those who are somewhere in between, from pizza-makers to politicians, school kids to community leaders.
And the people, both locals and those who made the pilgrimage to Warburton, won the hearts of the monks.
The five-day festival centred around the monks’ Compassionate Mandala Tour and included concerts, workshops and community events.
It was presented by the Shire of Yarra Ranges with support from several local community group and business sponsors.
Shire cultural planning coordinator and festival organiser Dion Teasdale said almost every event over the five days was well attended with two sell-out concerts, a great turn-up for the community ‘big sing’ and more than 300 people at the closing ceremony.
He said the monks’ tour not only aimed to raise awareness of Tibetans living in exile and of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Melbourne in June, but it was also about developing relationships with communities in Australia.
“There was good participation from local Christian ministers and monks from the Bodihana Monastery in East Warburton and from the whole community,” Mr Teasdale said.
Among many gifts offered to the monks during the week was a photograph of Warburton presented by Yarra Ranges mayor Tim Heenan.
Mr Teasdale said the monks felt an affinity with Warburton, which was like their own home in Southern India, and were delighted with the welcome they received.
The suggestion made by Cr Heenan that the Warburton Harmony Festival could become an annual event received huge applause.