Tibetan Buddhist monks to construct mandala sand painting Oct. 21-24

Once again, Tibetan Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery will construct a mandala sand painting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Lentz Center for Asian Culture.

The construction will begin with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. Oct. 21 and continue through Oct. 24. The monks will work 11 a.m.-4 p.m. daily and conduct a closing ceremony at 2 p.m. Oct. 24. The event is free and open to the public at the Lentz Center, 1155 Q St., lower level of the Hewit Place Building.

Of all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, painting with crushed marble, called sand painting, is one of the most entrancing. Tiny grains of marble are placed on a flat surface to form the mandala. A mandala is a cosmic diagram that shows the deities' relationships to one another. Mandalas are also painted, sculpted and created in architectural form. They are all oriented to the four directions. Mandalas can be dedicated to many different deities. This particular mandala will be dedicated to Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. A Bodhisattva is one who has attained enlightenment but stays behind to help others. Manjusri is a favorite of students and scholars and usually carries a book and a sword to cut through ignorance. Mandalas are used by Buddhist practitioners to help rid themselves of negative emotions.

The lamas begin the opening ceremony with the consecration of the site and a call for the forces of goodness. This is done by means of chanting, music and mantra recitation. Then the lamas begin the exhibit by drawing an outline of the mandala on the wooden platform. On the following days they lay the color. Each monk holds a traditional metal funnel called a chak-pur while running a metal rod on its grated surface. The vibration causes the sands to flow like liquid.

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 is 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.

The monks have created Mandala sand paintings in more than 100 U.S. museums, and interest and attendance records continue to increase. The mandala at the Lentz Center is co-sponsored by the University Honors Program.