Clark College hosts sand mandala construction

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Tibetan monks will create spiritual artwork in college’s library Jan. 13-17      

Tibetan monks making sand mandala
Tibetan monks making a sacred sand mandala in Cannell Library during their 2012 visit.

Clark College will host a group of four Tibetan Buddhist monks from South India from Monday, January 13, through Friday, January 17, as they construct a sand mandala in Cannell Library on the college’s main campus.

All events are free and open to the public; they are co-sponsored by Clark College International Programs, Clark College Libraries, and Dharma Light Tibetan Buddhist Association of Vancouver. (Full schedule printed below.) Cannell Library is located on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way in Vancouver, Washington. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), prior to the event.

This project can be appreciated simply as a beautiful and intricate time-based art form. But according to Tibetan Buddhist belief, a sand mandala is meant to create a profound experience of compassion for any who attend. The positive effects of a sand mandala construction are believed to radiate out over the entire region, blessing the environment and the beings therein, in an effort for world peace. The mandala is destroyed in the closing ceremony, as a lesson in the impermanence of all phenomena. The opening and closing ceremonies will include traditional Tibetan Buddhist chanting and music. The closing ceremony will also include a procession to the Columbia River, where a small portion of the colored sand will be poured into the water as a form of blessing.

This video shows a 2012 sand mandala construction–the last time the college hosted such an event.

Schedule of events

Opening Ceremony    

  • Monday, January 13, 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Mandala Construction

  • Monday, January 13, 12:30 pm – 6:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday,  January 14, 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, January 15, 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, January 16, 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday, January 17, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Public Talk

  • Tuesday, January 14, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Venerable Lobsang Dawa, with the help of translator Lobsang Dhondup, will speak about the history and meaning of the sand mandala, as well as the importance of compassion in daily life.

Closing Ceremony:

  • Friday January 17, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., followed a procession that leads to the Columbia River from 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
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