Learning about Sand Mandalas

I attended a private reception tonight featuring a Compasion Mandala created by two Tibetan monks here in Everett. I don't know much about Buddhism and found the event very interesting.

The monks from the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, N.Y., made the circular mandala of Chenrezig, the Buddha of great compassion. Chenrezig means "One who looks with an unwavering eye."Chenrezig appears in the center of the mandala as a lotus flower in a moon disc. Each element of the design conveyed its own meaning in Tibetan Buddhist culture.

A mandala is thought to bring peace and harmony to the area where it is being constructed. Simply viewing a mandala is believed by Buddhists to be enough to change one's mind stream by creating a strong imprint of the beauty of perfection of the Buddha's mind, as is represented in the mandala itself. As a result of this imprint, one may be able to find greater compassion, awareness, and a better sense of well-being.

When the monks are finished constructing the mandala, there is a dissolution ceremony where the deity is released by the dismantling of the mandala. The sand is cast into a body of water to emphasize and highlight the impermanence of all things and the importance of nonattachment. When the sand enters the water, the kindness and compassion of the deity are disseminated into the world to benefit all beings. The dissolution ceremony is tomorrow.

Source: Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies