On April 8th, the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center opened its gates to the public of Bloomington to both nearby and distant visitors commemorating the solar eclipse. The cultural center serves as a hub for Tibetan spirituality and culture in the heart of Bloomington.
The cultural center partnered with the Indiana Forest Alliance (IFA) for a special two-day event in celebration of the solar eclipse.
Festivities began on April 7th at the Yellowwood Lake, where the IFA led guided meditation hikes exploring Forest Ecology and other cosmological topics that enhance the significance of the celestial event.
On April 8th, (eclipse day), the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center opened its gates for both local and distant visitors, inviting them to observe the eclipse on such peaceful grounds. Renowned for its spiritual harmony and tranquility, the center provided a unique experience to its visitors through a spiritual lens.
Attendees brought blankets and enjoyed the comfort of the crowds, as it became a place for individuals to escape from the craziness of their daily lives. From the hours of 11 a.m. until approximately 2:45 p.m., close to the eclipse’s peak, people strolled around the solitary grounds soaked in the warm atmosphere.
Attendee awaiting for the eclipse peak
Visitors taking in the serenity of the monastery grounds
Monuments of the cultrual center
The monks of the monastery chanting the puja prayer
Visitors relaxing on the green soft grass of the monastery grounds
Temple of the monastery
All of the monks preparing for the puja prayer
Around 1:30 p.m, monks from the cultural center prepared for a puja prayer, a ritual aimed at fostering inner happiness and calmness. Attendees gathered around the lawn to sit in peace and listen to the ritual. Prayer books were offered for those who wished to follow along.
At precisely 3:04 p.m, Bloomington was enveloped in darkness as the eclipse had hit its peak. Attendees were in complete awe, taking in the beauty of the eclipse.
Gary Tang, who made his way down from Los Angeles, explained how he was able to experience the eclipse not just from a visual aspect but in more of an inner spirituality way.
Tang wasn’t the only to make this connection with the solar eclipse. Tenpa Phuntsok, one of the monks from the cultural center and Bloomington local, Jami Scholl believe that being at the monastery allowed them to take in the eclipse in a way that they would have never experienced from elsewhere.
A brief question and answer from one of the Monks at the cultural center, a Bloomington local, and a visitor from Las Angeles.
The Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center remained open until 5:00 p.m., allowing visitors to depart with a renewed sense of awareness and well-being, carrying in the special experience from the day into their daily lives. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tours are offered Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. For more information regarding the monastery, visit https://www.tmbcc.org/tour.
