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Sawtdee

To commemorate the lives lost in last year's bridge collapse, Supenn Harrison, owner of the Sawatdee restaurants, has invited all of Minnesota's Buddhist monks to participate in a commemorative service and alms offering in the parking lot of Sawatdee Bar & Café, 118 N. 4^th St., Minneapolis next Saturday, August 16. The ceremony will be followed by a food offering and lunch, and the public is invited to attend.

No donation is required, but Supenn says people are encouraged to bring gifts of dry foods, fresh fruit, or cash for the monks - you can give individual gifts to each monk, or make a donation to one or more of the temples that will be represented. Supenn expects 30-50 monks to participate, representing as many as four Laotian Buddhist temples, three Thai temples, and one each serving communities from Cambodia, Sri Lanka and possibly Vietnam.

Lunch is at 11 a.m. - people are welcome to bring food to share, but Supenn says she will also provide plenty of food from the Café. The press release notes that the one can gain the "fruits of merit by offering meals to monks: one will have the five ennobling virtues; longevity, good complexion, happiness, strength and sagacity."

Here's the schedule of events:

10:00 am: Requesting the Five Precepts and Sangkadana Offering Ceremony

10:15 am: Buddhajayamangala chanting (The Buddha's Auspicious Victories) by the monks

10:30 am: Alms offering to the Monks

11:00 am: Food offering & Lunch for all

12:15 pm: Blessing by the Monks

Dharma

The young woman fronting the little band of Hare Krishna chanters outside the Wedge Co-op handed me a flyer for "Dharma," a show on Wednesday, August 20, 7 pm at the University of Minnesota's Coffman Memorial Theater. The show, presented by Krishna Culture Tour, is billed as "blissful entertainment from the Krishna culture of India, performed by an international cast." But it was the food angle that caught my eye - the website for the event says that "at the end of the show, guests are served delicious vegetarian refreshments of savories, sweets and nectar drink in the lobby, created by gourmet Hare Krishna chefs. The food is prepared with love and is served as a complimentary gift to all who attend." Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, students and children. For more details, go to http://dharma.eventbrite.com