NEWSLETTER
Tibetan Buddhist temple offers donation-based activities every weekend in September
Minoa, N.Y. - Thekchen Choling Syracuse, a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Minoa, New York, is hosting a Medicine Buddha Vaidurya Healing Festival every weekend in September. All events are open to the public and are presented on a donation basis. For more information and to register for individual activities, contact tccl.syracuse@gmail.com. Thekchen Choling is located at 109 East Ave. in the Village of Minoa.
Temple president Babette Teich-Visco notes the festival’s emphasis on care for oneself and others. “The Buddha believed that human life is precious and is our vehicle to enlightenment,” she says. “He also taught that when we care for others, our own life force increases. Therefore, this monthlong festival cultivates compassion on an individual and collective level.”
The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Sept. 6
Medicine Buddha Puja and Jangwa for the Deceased
The temple’s resident monks, Geshe Thinley Namgyal and Lama Thobchu La, perform ancient rituals designed to promote physical and mental healing. The Jangwa puja specifically purifies negative karma of the deceased, enabling them to achieve a better rebirth.
10-11 a.m.
Healing Reiki (30-minute appointments)
An in-person, vibrational healing technique delivered by licensed Reiki therapist Tom Utesch.
1-3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 7
The Healing Chod
Buddhist practitioners Mary Gilliland and Peter Fortunado lead a scared ceremony that releases illness, suffering and karmic obstacles. Participants are encouraged to bring mats, pillows and blankets as they will be lying down during the ritual.
1-4 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13
Medicine Buddha Tsa-Tsa Painting
A traditional Buddhist art involving the painting of small, molded clay images (tsa-tsas) of Buddhas and deities, led by Babette Teich-Visco.
10 a.m. to noon
Acupuncture for Stress Reduction and Relaxation
Balance the mind, body and spirit with Classical Five-Element Acupuncture, performed by Diane Macchiavelli, founder and director of Brighton Pathways to Health in Rochester, New York.
1-2:30 p.m. and 3-4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14
Five-Element QiGong Health and Longevity
Macchiavelli presents ancient movement therapies, like T’ai Chi and Qigong, that release blockages and restore the flow of energy in the body.
10 a.m. to noon
Saturday, Sept. 20
Healing Reiki (30-minute appointments)
Tom Utesch returns to lead more Reiki sessions.
9-11:30 a.m.
Medicine in Your Own Backyard
Discover the healing properties of plants and herbs with medicinal botanist Laurie Tucker.
1-4 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 21
Medicine Buddha Healing Meditation: Healing Self and Others
Babette Teich-Visco invokes the Buddha of Medicine to assuage physical and mental afflictions, cultivate compassion and promote inner peace.
10-11:30 a.m.
Meditation Intensive: Healing Mind and Body Together
Foster goodwill and universal friendliness toward yourself and others through the ancient practice of metta, or lovingkindness meditation, led by Anne Teich.
1-4 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27
Healing Drum Circle
Sandra Sabene, founder and executive director of the Liverpool Art Center, incorporates the basics of percussion to reduce stress, promote wellness and relax the body. Instruments provided; no musical experience necessary.
10-11 a.m.
Book Signing
Sabene signs copies of her new book, Creating with Sprit: Explore the Power of Self-Care (BookBaby, 2025), drawing on her decades of experience as an artist, educator and community builder.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sound Journey: Gong Therapy for Health
Sabene combines therapeutic gong sounds and vibrations (aka “gong bath”) to reduce stress and liberate emotional blockages.
1-2 p.m.
Thekchen Choling Syracuse is a part of a family of Tibetan Buddhist centers founded by Singha Rinpoche, a Singaporean-based lama. As Rinpoche’s North American seat, the temple in Syracuse offers classes, workshops and retreats; operates an online puja service; and houses a rare collection of ancient Buddhist relics.
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