For the first time in Richmond, the Mystical Arts of Tibet group are publicly making a five-day sand mandala at the Virginia Holocaust Museum through the weekend.
For the first time in Richmond, the Mystical Arts of Tibet group are publicly making a five-day sand mandala at the Virginia Holocaust Museum through the weekend.
The Mystical Arts of Tibet is a group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in South India. They have traveled all over the world teaching their culture and traditions and are currently on tour throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Local tattoo artist, Amy Black is the coordinator and a sponsor of the event said after seeing the art that the monks made over the years she wanted to bring the experience to Richmond.
“I got to see monks do these kinds of things back in the early 90s for the first time and then I’ve seen them do it again and again over the past several years,” said Black, “I love watching the art being made and being able to meditate with them as they do that. Just to be around them is really great.”
After seeing them in the past, Black decided to sponsor the group to bring them to Richmond.
“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to bring into Richmond,” said Black
During the making of the five-day mandala, there will be group meditations and public talks with the monks. There is also a public mandala which visitors can help contribute to using the tools the monks use in mandala making.
The Sand Mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition involving the creation and destruction of mandalas made from colored sand.Mandalas can be seen in various different forms, from the traditional sand mandala to the currently popular mandala adult coloring books. The sand mandala however, is made on a large table top. The monks use a white pencil to draw out the basic design of the piece of art and with metal cones filled with different brightly colored dense sand, they very carefully lay out the sand into intricate designs.
At the end of the five days, the monks will then dismantle the mandala. In Tibetan Buddhism, this is to show impermanence, a major teaching in Buddhism. Small packets of the sand will be handed out to the crowd and the rest will be released at the Canal Walk.
“The sand is blessed the whole time that they are making this art so when they release it out to the world It’s releasing all those good intentions and positivity out to the world.”
Check out the schedule for the Holocaust Museum’s Mystical Arts of Tibet event below:
August 12th: 10am-6pm Making of the sand mandala
6-6:20pm public meditation with the monks.
August 13th: 10am-6pm Making of the sand mandala
2pm – Public lecture on “Symbolism of the Mandala” ($10 suggested donation)
6-6:20pm public meditation with the monks
August 14th: 10am-12pm Finishing the mandala
1pm – Closing ceremony, chanting and dissolution of the mandala. Packets will be given to the audience, the remaining will be deposited into the canal.
The monks will also have a great selection of buddhist items for sale the whole week.
