Monks introduce Tibet through food tasting

As day was beginning to turn into night and the air temperature was steadily dropping, a crowd of believers and those simply interested gathered at the Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Monastery Saturday. The prayer flags surrounding the compound flowed in the breeze with tiki torches livening up the dusk.\nThis was the sight at one of the many Taste of Tibet gatherings at the monastery. The events are one of the ways the monks have been giving back to the community and socializing, as well as raising money for the monastery since they came to Bloomington in 1996.\nHolly Stocking, professor of journalism and student at the monastery, first visited the monastery in 1998.\n"The taste of Tibet is something that the monks like to do for everyone in the community" she said, adding that "people who come [to the monastery] regularly received an e-mail, but fliers were also posted around town." Whether this is the first time a person is attending Taste of Tibet or if they have been an active participant at the monastery for years, according to Stocking, "all people in attendance have gathered tonight to taste Tibet."\nCriminal justice professor Leon Pettiway -- or Lobsang Dorje, his Buddhist name -- helped prepare for Saturday's event by cooking some of the food.\nPettiway explained that monks view "Taste of Tibet" events the same way they view their lifestyle: one of the tenets of Buddhism is giving.\n"[I believe] Buddhism leads to enlightenment, for ourselves and to teach others, and that our main goal is to serve others," Pettiway said.\nThis philosophy is Pettiway's reason for joining Buddhism, and he doesn't see a conflict between being a monk and being a professor.\n"There isn't any conflict at all," he said. "In teaching criminal justice I have begun to see things from a different perspective, in a more compassionate way."\nThroughout the night visitors tasted rice noodles, dumplings, steamed and marinated vegetables, and other traditional Tibetan foods. Some gathered outdoors on the porch or in the chairs set up in the grass, others sat Indian style on the carpet inside the front room of the monastery as they ate and socialized.\nColorful works of art, from flags to photographs, were displayed throughout the front room of the monastery.\n"Prayer flags represent good fortune and positive energy," monk Jam Yang explained. "Each flag has writing on it and the color represents one of the five elements -- earth, air, fire, wind and water -- and as the wind blows past the flags it carries away negativity."\nWhether one was looking to find spiritual enlightenment or a great sample of Tibetan food, the Taste of Tibet had something for everyone to enjoy.\nAs neighbor and student of the monastery Mark Beebe said, "It's a great benefit to the community to have these guys here."\n-- Contact staff writer Jacquelyn Janowski at jjanowsk@indiana.edu.