Ladakh Monks Sand Mandala at Lawrence Arts Center

A small group of four Tibetan Buddhist monks from Leh, Ladakh, India are coming to Kansas in August to share the SACRED ART OF SAND MANDALA. Through the creation of a Green Tara Mandala on site, the group hopes to share not only the visual art of Mandala, but also Buddhist teachings, practices, and blessings the art represents, as well as opportunities for cultural and educational exchange at various levels. The Lawrence Arts Center is proud to host this group and bring this unique art and cultural/spiritual experience to our community.

Ladakh was an important crossroads on the ancient silk Road. It functioned as an independent Buddhist kingdom from the 10^th century until it was annexed by the Dogra kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir in 1846. It was reconstituted as a separate Union Territory of India in 2019. The population is a blend of various ethnic groups, but its culture is strongly connected to Tibetan traditions.

The Ladakh Sand Mandala Group will be led by Geshe Lobzang Samstan, who is the founder of Sri Nalanda Dharma Center and director of Jamyang School in Ladakh. These two institutes were founded with the instruction and support of the Dalai Lama to provide free, quality education to children in remote, disadvantaged communities in Ladakh, and to help preserve local culture, traditions, and Buddhist values.

GREEN TARA SAND MANDALA. The Ladakh group has chosen to create a Green Tara Sand Mandala on site. Green Tara is known as the “Mother of All Buddhas” who protects beings from suffering, fear, and disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama encouraged practitioners to recite Tara’s mantra to cultivate inner peace, strength, and spiritual protection.

By choosing the Green Tara Sand Mandala, the group hopes to

• Offer a sacred visual prayer for collective healing and protection
• Share the value of compassion and interconnectedness that Tara represents
• Honor the Dalai Lama’s guidance and teachings during the global pandemic, as these teachings are also applicable during this turbulent time in the world.

The group will set up a gift shop with crafts from Ladakh. Proceeds will support education programs, healthcare, hostel, infrastructure needs, and development and operation costs of Jamyang Boarding Schooling in Leh.

DATES & TIMES

Tuesday, August 12 (Opening Day)

5 pm Opening Ceremony
6 pm Reception
7 pm Public Talk by Geshe Samstan

Wednesday, August 13. 

10 am-6:00 pm Creation of Green Tara Sand Mandala
2:00-2:45 pm Short Talk and Hand-on Experience

 Thursday, August 14.

10 am-6:00 pm Creation of Green Tara Sand Mandala
2:00-2:45 pm Short Talk and Hand-on Experience 

Friday, August 15

1:00-7:00 pm Creation of Green Tara Sanda Mandala
5:00-6:00 pm Short Talk and Hand-on Experience

Saturday, August 16 (Concluding Day) *** Kansas Summer can be very hot, actual time to the River maybe adjusted.

10:00 am-4:00 pm Creation of Green Tara Sand Mandala
4:00-4:15 pm Concluding Talk by Geshe Samtan
4:15-4:30 pm Concluding Remarks by the Representative of Lawrence Arts Center
4:30-5:30 pm Concluding Ceremony. Dissolution of Sand Mandala, distribution of mandala sand to the public, and final prayers by the Kaw River.