Monks share mystic art of compassion

By Becky Mayad

Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery visited the Crow Museum of Asian Art where they constructed a magnificent mandala sand painting of Akshobhya — The Unshakable Victor — depicting conflict resolution and peace. A lecture was also held titled “The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Why Do We Need Each Other?” The public was invited to come watch as millions of grains of crushed marble were painstakingly laid into place in this ancient spiritual art form that generates energy for global healing. 

Guests also had the opportunity to use a chak-pur, the traditional hand tool for producing sand mandalas, to contribute to a community sand painting uniquely designed for the UT Dallas campus and surrounding community.

From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. Millions of grains of sand are placed on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks to form the image of a mandala. To date, the monks have created mandala sand paintings in more than 100 museums, art centers and colleges and universities in the U.S. and Europe.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred cosmogram. These cosmograms can be created in various media, such as watercolor on canvas, wood carvings and so forth. However, the most spectacular and enduringly popular are those made from colored sand.

In general, all mandalas have outer, inner and secret meanings. On the outer level, they represent the world in its divine form; on the inner level, they represent a map by which the ordinary human mind is transformed into enlightened mind; and on the secret level they depict the primordially perfect balance of the subtle energies of the body and the clear light dimension of the mind. The creation of a sand painting is said to effect purification and healing on these three levels.

Traditionally most sand mandalas are destroyed shortly after their completion. This is done as a metaphor for the impermanence of life. The sands are swept up and placed in an urn; to fulfill the function of healing — half was distributed to the audience at the closing ceremony, while the remainder is carried to a nearby body of water, where it is deposited. The waters then carry the healing blessing to the ocean, and from there it spreads throughout the world for planetary healing. 

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