Nirvana in the Palisades

For the past four years a group of 10 crimson-robed Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in southern India has traveled on a nine-month tour of the United States. When the latest tour finishes in early July, the monks will have visited 44 cities in 22 states, performing traditional chants and dances at museums, colleges, elementary schools and libraries. Drepung Gomang organizes the tour to spread a message of inner peace and to raise money for the monastery, which already houses 1,750 monks and accepts 150 new monks who've fled Chinese-occupied Tibet each year.

When the Drepung monks stop in Los Angeles they stay in the sprawling homes of Liberty Godshall, an energetic blond activist who lives in Santa Monica, and Kathy Rodman, a sexy mother of six with dyed auburn bangs who lives in the Pacific Palisades. Three years ago, during the monks' first trip, Rodman offered to house two monks to help out a friend of a friend. Two months later she got a call: All 10 monks were going to show up at her house the following day. Rodman freaked, called her close friend Godshall for help, and Godshall agreed to take half the monks at her place. Over the years a number of other women in the Pacific Palisades have eagerly offered to host the monks in their own sprawling homes, but Godshall and Rodman won't hear of it.

"They don't like to share," said their close friend Karen Fairbank.

GROCERY LIST

In mid-February, one week before the monks arrived in Los Angeles, Rodman, Godshall and Fairbank gathered in Rodman's sunny kitchen looking out onto the Pacific to make a grocery list.

"Red peppers, green peppers, onions, that special basmati rice," said Rodman, who was taking notes.

"I already have that," said Godshall. "But we need a big bag of flour, remember that?"

"We need to find out if they're Coke drinkers this time or juice drinkers," said Rodman.

"Ice cream," said Godshall.

"Tons of ice cream," said Rodman, writing it down.

"Remember that first year when they wanted yak butter," said Fairbank, "and we couldn't find it, oddly enough?"

"You know, the butter is what makes their skin so good," said Godshall. "Last year I asked them what moisturizer they use in Tibet, because it's so dry up there, and they said butter."

"Maybe we should try it," said Rodman.

"I did," said Godshall, making a face. "It gets rancid."

MAGIC MARATHON