Twenty-three of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's high-ranking monks from the Namgyal Monastery in India will be on campus July 21 to chant and sing Prayers for World Peace, 7-7:30 p.m. on the Arts Quad. The event is open to the public as part of the monks' five-day stay in Ithaca.

Since 1992, Ithaca has been home to the North American branch of Namgyal, the Dalai Lama's personal monastery in Dharamsala, India. Prayers offered at Cornell will include the chanting of homage and praise to Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, and "Words of Truth," a prayer composed by the Dalai Lama. Two prayers will be sung -- the Lam-Rim, or "Stages of the Path," and "The Three Excellent Jewels." The ceremony will close with a prayer of personal dedication to the Dalai Lama and to join in his work toward a universal peace.

The monks have come to the United States to assist the Dalai Lama in conducting a Kalachakra Empowerment from July 6-16 in Washington, D.C. The event, intended to help alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings in the world, featured teachings, blessings, ritual dances and the construction of a sand mandala at Washington's Verizon Center and a "Talk for World Peace" July 9 on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

The monks are visiting their sister institution, the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies at 412 N. Aurora St. A new monastery, Dü Khor Choe Ling, is under construction on a 28-acre site on Ithaca's South Hill.

Namgyal monks who reside in Ithaca for longer periods include Cornell's Tibetan Buddhist Chaplain, the Venerable Tenzin Choesang, who teaches meditation and offers guidance through Cornell United Religious Work. The monks also came to Cornell and offered prayers during the Dalai Lama's visit in October 2007.

Public events during the monks' visit include an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, July 22 at 7 p.m. at the Human Services Building in downtown Ithaca, and a community potluck picnic July 24 at noon in Stewart Park.