During the week of June 20, we were honored to host a group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery. All week long, the group painstakingly created an incredibly beautiful piece of Sacred Art – a sand mandala representing the world in perfect form.
Asbury residents and associates stopped into the Hefner Auditorium each day to watch its progress and marvel at the process of precisely placing grains of sand onto the platform. You can view a short mandala-making video here.
While there, they learned about Tibetan culture and Buddhism. Several special sessions allowed residents to create their own sacred art object and practice the sand placement process. At week’s end, the monks held a mandala dissolution ceremony and procession, giving the mandala’s blessings back to the world.
It was an incredible event to witness and a meaningful way to experience one of the world’s unique cultures.