WINGATE -- Six Tibetan monks visited Wingate University this week to raise awareness about Chinese suppression in their home country. The visit was part of the university’s Social Justice Week.

While there, the monks spent three days on artwork known as dul-tson-kyil-khor, meaning “mandala of colored powders” or mandala sand painting. Their particular painting was called a peace mandala, featuring the words “world peace” at the center.

To complete the picture, each artist rubbed two long metal funnels together to “paint” with a few grains of sand at a time. Consistent with the Buddhist belief that all people, animals and nature should live in harmony, the finished piece symbolized several religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Judaism and American Indian faiths, as well as earth, wind, water and fire.

The visit was also part of a nationwide Drepung Gomang Monastery Tour involving

refugee monks who live at the monastery now located in south India. The monastery’s first home was in Tibet, but many fled when communist China invaded the country in 1959.

Since then, more than 1.2 Tibetans have been killed and more than 6,000 monasteries destroyed, including the original Drepung Gomang Monastery. Today, nearly 2,000 monks live at the monastery.

Once their mandala was complete, to symbolize the impermanence of all things, the monks swept up the sand and asked others to join them in sprinkling it over the university’s lake.

“They believe that this sand carries peace with it, and so by putting it in the water, it goes out into the ocean and eventually to all the world,” campus minister Dane Jordan said. “They even talked about animals may drink the water and that gives them peace.”

Each year, about 120 new monks arrive at the monastery, but have trouble adjusting to climate and disease foreign to Tibetans. Some come as young as 3 years old; many are orphans.

Because the monastery cannot support all of their medical needs, visiting monks raised money to send back home, selling clothing, crafts and jewelry at the university.

The monks also grow much of their own food and take vows of poverty to maintain simplistic lifestyles.

At Wingate, the monks stayed in vacant campus apartments. Some brought their own floor mats to sleep on. Although staff members constantly asked if they needed anything, it is custom for monks not to ask for anything except food. University staff gave them meal cards for the cafeteria, where students joined them in some of their meals.

“They will not eat until everyone at the table gets their food and sits down,” Jordan said.

The monks also participated in chants, answered student questions and offered prayers during on-campus worship services.

A core belief they hold is that all religions bring truth to the table, Jordan said, and because the university is a largely a Christian one, the monks asked for Jesus’ presence during worship.

Further explaining their beliefs, Jordan said peaceful living will bring peace to the rest of the world.

The tour has taken the monks all over the country. Colorado is a favorite, Jordan said, because it reminded them of their home.

For more information on the monastery, visit www.gomang.org.