Unity of Naples will host the Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the historic Gaden Shartse Monastery for a week of community and personal healing, meditative mandala creation, and insightful teachings from January 5–12. A highlight of their visit will be the creation of a two-dimensional sand mandala, crafted by several monks. This intricate work, which can take up to 125 hours to complete, represents the celestial palace of a specific deity and is made with colorful materials such as powdered and dyed stone, sand, dust, flowers, and charcoal. The mandala will be viewable from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., January 6–10.

Special events include:

• Opening Ceremony: January 5, 6 p.m. – A powerful ritual to consecrate the area and create a purified environment for the mandala.

• World Peace and Unity of All Religions Session: January 7, 6 p.m. – The first of three selected teachings.

• Lojong Mind Training Session: January 8, 6 p.m. – Learn how the human experience of life begins in the mind.

• Four Noble Truths Session: January 9, 6 p.m. – Discover foundational Buddhist teachings for daily life.

• Closing Ceremony: January 12, 11:30 a.m. – Includes the dissolution of the sand mandala, symbolizing the transient nature of all phenomena. Attendees will receive a small bag of the blessed sand, with the remainder poured into Unity’s lake to purify the surrounding environment.