Tibetan monks share their art at SU on April 12
Over the course of a week, Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will turn millions of colored grains of sand into a mandala blessed by the Dalai Lama.
Shortly after the completion of the mandala — diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically — it will be destroyed and poured down a flowing body of water to teach the Buddhist belief in impermanence in life.
This April will mark the fifth time the Tibetan monks have created a mandala at Salisbury University. People are free to come and go throughout the entire construction, said June Krell-Salgado, director of Cultural Affairs at Salisbury University.
“It will occur over in Great Hall (of Holloway Hall) and what’s nice about it is the natural light, there’s something about an airy, high ceiling and natural light that looks beautiful,” Krell-Salgado said.
The process begins when the monks cleanse the space of bad spirits to ensure that the space is clear before the creation of the mandala begins.
“The opening ceremony begins with the Black Hat dance,” Krell-Salgado said. “Dr. Jim Hatley will do the introduction, and then the monks will have horns and cymbals with some chanting to make it a clean space.”
Before pouring any sand the monks’ meticulously draw the outline of the mandala on a large wooden table.
“With the drawing of the lines ceremony, some people call it sacred geometry,” Krell-Salgado said. “It’s where they make a perfect circle, line it off and prepare the grid. It’s very precise.”
After the lines have been drawn the monks begin from the center and work their way out building layers of colorful sand into various shapes that have specific meanings in Buddhism.
“It all has meaning,” Krell-Salgado said. “It's imbued with meaning and so many ways. There are little monkeys and gates and the circle around the outside is a highly stylized fire to purify. It's a meditational tool.”
To pour the sand a tool called a chak-pur. Along the metal ice cream cone shaped tool there is a serrated edge. To use the chak-pur, the monk holds it in one hand and then rubs a metal rod along the serrated edge causing tiny vibrations which causes the sand to pour in a slow controlled manner.
“The vibration makes drop by drop by drop (of sand),” Krell-Salgado said. “They painstakingly create this as prescribed by their religion. When you see it, it’s probably one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever see.”
After completion the mandala will cover an area of 5 feet by 5 feet.
The beauty of the mandala will not last long as it will be swept up and destroyed. Those present at the closing ceremony will be given some of the sand after it has been blessed. The rest of the sand will be brought to City Park where it will be poured in the river dispersing healing energies to flow throughout the world.
“It is a metaphor for the Buddhist principle of the impermanence of everything,” Krell-Salgado said. “You know don't take anything for granted right.”
Admission is free and open to the public.
Event will also be live streamed online.
If you go:
What: Healing the Earth: A Sacred Art by the Tibetan Lamas of Drepung Loseling Monastery.
When: Opening Ceremony, April 12 beginning at noon
Drawing of the Lines following the Opening Ceremony
Mandala Construction, April 12-15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and April 16 from noon to 2 p.m.
Closing Ceremony, April 16 at 2.pm.
Dispersal Ceremony following the Closing ceremony
Where: Great Hall of Holloway Hall, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801
Dispersal Ceremony will take place at the Salisbury City Park
For more information visit www.Salisbury.edu or call 410-543-6271