Making a mandala

Sometimes you can run into the most unexpected little pleasures on campus. Such was the case yesterday when my friend, Sara Pennington, and I came across an exhibit on Tibetan culture in the Mullins Library.



Visiting monks from Tibet are in the process of constructing a mandala. A mandala is a creation of sacred design formed from fine grains of colored sand or rock dust. A mandala is also an offering of peace and harmony. Below is the scheme that the monks' mandala will follow.



Here are the monks working on the mandala. Two of the monks use the funnel-like tool and stick; the former monk in the foreground uses just his fingers to disperse the sand. Not only do the monks exhibit much control over the sands but they also recreate mandalas from memory. In addition, their creations have a 3-D quality to them.



Here is Sara working on one of the student mandalas. I found the process very soothing and rhythmical.



Control of the dispersal of sand is determined by the distance of the funnel to the board. My funnel point is very close to the board which creates a finer line. I was very glad that I did not have the urge to sneeze.



This monk is removing excess blue sand from one of the petals on one of the students' boards. He sucks up the sand. The fabric prevents him from ingesting it.



The monks' mandala will be created over the next week. The closing ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 29, when, as I understand, it will be destroyed. I hope I will be able to attend.