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Mandalas are two- or three-dimensional ritual objects found in Tibetan Buddhist and other religious traditions. Typically geometric in design, they are understood to represent the realm of a celestial being, but they are also a powerful symbol of creation, destruction, and impermanence. A tradition originally reserved only for the monastic environment, recently the Dalai Lama has allowed the construction of sand mandalas in public places as a cultural offering and to promote preservation of Tibetan traditions. At IC we are so lucky to have Namgyal Monastery as our neighbor – yet so many people don’t even know about this amazing cultural treasure on South Hill! Monks for Namgyal Monastery will come to campus on November 2-7 to construct a mandala in Campus Center. Upon completion, the mandala will remain on display until November 7, when a dissolution ceremony involving the gathering up of the sand will occur. The public is invited to attend this ceremony and to join the procession that will carry the sand to the Muller Chapel Pond. The pouring of the sand into a body of water symbolizes temporality, the releasing of the deity, and the spread of compassion throughout the world. This lecture, which will feature both the Venerable Tenzin Choesang, the president and leading professor of Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, and Prof. Eric Steinschneider from the IC Department of Philosophy and Religion, will introduce students to the history of the monastery and will also contextualize Tibetan Buddhism and the mandala within the history of South and Central Asian religions. It will provide a good understanding of the important role of the mandala as a powerful symbol for the Tibetan community. Our hope is that it will also inspire students to learn more about the peaceful and non-violent struggle of the Tibetan community while facing the multiple imminent threats to its very survival.

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