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Worcester State College Press
Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Buddhist Monks Create "Mandala" Sand Painting (Worcester, MA – January 25, 2005) Three Buddhist monks will visit Worcester State College during January 26-28, 2005 to create a “Mandala” sand painting in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Graduate School. The sand painting will be created in the first floor Multipurpose Room of Wasylean Hall, the new residence hall on campus, between the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1to 4 p.m. each of the three days. The public is invited to view the progress of the sand painting. On the final day, a ritual of destruction will take place. “This event will help us celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of our Graduate School,” said Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education William White. “It is a way to heighten awareness and, in commemoration of this special event, give blessings on the Graduate School to prosper and grow.” Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle." Mandalas are symbols of the Universe and its energy. Tibetan monks create these archetypal templates to remind us of the cycle of life and death. A Mandala has many layers of meaning, such as cosmic diagrams and support for meditation. Appreciating the sand Mandala as a work of art, we are challenged to see beyond our own defintion of art, with values on innovation and self-expression. In Tibetan ritual arts, collaboration in the execution of the sand Mandala is considered to be more valuable than originality. According to WSC Professor of Philosophy Courtney Schlosser, this activity is a visual form which focuses on the consciousness of ultimate reality. With colored sand (marble dust), shipped in from India, the process takes tremendous concentration. “It is beautiful and exacting in its creation, but then it is destroyed which is one of the three basic tenets of Buddhism, which is impermanence,” Schlosser said. The ending ceremony, known as a “puja,” is a sacred ceremony involving chanting and meditation and then the active and energetic destruction of the design.
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