Secrets of Central Park: Walking Tour and Picnic
with Geshe Sherab
Led by New York Tour Guide, Slava Shpigel

Mon May 20, 4:30-6:30pm EDT  

IN-PERSON/FREE (MUST PRE-REGISTER)

Join us for an unforgettable adventure in Central Park to experience its peace and majesty while learning things unknown to most New Yorkers. Did Native Americans really live on park territory? How did the animals live before the zoo was constructed? The iconic Bow Bridge wasn’t supposed to exist; so why was it built? Which sculpture in Central Park was the first major city sculpture to be commissioned to a woman?
 
Our guide, Slava Shpigel, will take us on a 75-minute journey through some of the park’s most interesting features. Geshe Sherab will join us. We invite you to come and enjoy this beautiful space with a beginner’s mind and new perspectives! After the tour, feel free to stay for a small picnic to hang out and enjoy time with Geshe Sherab and friends.
 
The tour is completely free due to the generosity of Slava, our tour guide. In coordination with him, Shantideva Center will make a donation to assist people from Ukraine (his homeland) via Direct Relief – a humanitarian organization with a 100% Charity Navigator score. If you are inspired to help, you can make an additional offering when registering, and we will pass all funds received to this worthy cause.
 
If you plan to stay for the picnic, feel free to bring a small snack to share. We will also bring drinks and delicious snacks to enjoy on a picnic blanket!
 
Spots are limited. Please register to secure your spot.
 
(Rain date will be Tuesday, May 21 at 3pm. You will be notified in case of anticipated rain.)

Important Information

Our meeting point will be the Doris C. Freedman Plaza at Central Park: 5th Ave, 60th Street. 
(It has a beautiful art installation called Parabolic Light. Feel free to check it out before our tour begins!)
 
Please be prepared to walk/stand for approximately 75 minutes, followed by sitting on grass for a picnic. Some parts will have uneven ground and steps.  If you have mobility limitations, please write to jennifer@shantidevanyc.org with details about your needs before May 12, so that we can assess route alternatives.
 

Registration

Suggested: Open Donation.
 
100% of the amount will be given to Direct Relief’s Ukraine fund to assist the humanitarian crisis.
Register

Time zone: US Eastern Daylight Time (GMT/UTC-4)

For questions regarding registration, please email registration@shantidevanyc.org for assistance.

About the Teacher

Geshe Thubten Sherab was born in 1967 in a small village in the province of Manang, the western part of Nepal, to a Kagyu-Nyingma family. He entered Kopan Monastery at the age of nine and completed his geshe studies at Sera Jey monastery in South India, followed by a year at Gyumed Tantric College. He then completed retreat and teaching assignments in the United States and Asia. Geshe Sherab served as headmaster of Kopan Monastery’s school for four years, overseeing debate training and tantric training activities. Geshe-la taught and helped in the FPMT International Office for two and a half years in Taos, New Mexico (2001–03) and also served as director of the FPMT board for a few years. For the last few years, Geshe-la has been traveling and teaching at FPMT centers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia, and Europe, while also serving as resident teacher at Thubten Norbu Ling in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

About Our Tour Guide

Slava has lived in the United States since 2008. His favorite local neighborhoods are the East Village and Harlem, and he can talk for hours about Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. He became a full-time tour guide in 2014 and loves showing people around! He never appreciated history before moving to New York in 2010, but upon studying up on this vibrant city and country, he now has 4 shelves of US and New York history books, and he loves sharing the stories he’s learned. Slava knows some very interesting facts about Central Park and looks forward to meeting you!