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Justin Lui
Issue date: 3/17/06 Section: Campus News
As part of the Guest Artists on Campus Series, the Campus Activities Board and school of visual and performing arts brought Tibetan monks to ULM to construct a mandala sand painting.
The event takes place in Brown Gymnasium started Monday, March 13. It will conclude today.
Mandala is the Sanskrit term meaning "circle," and dates back more than 20,000 years, preceding the time of migration of native North-Americans from Central Asia.
This Buddhist tradition of creating a sand painting has its roots in the tantric legacy of Buddhist India.
"It's amazing how they work so minutely and patiently," said Pratik Shah, a first-year pharmacy student from Bossier.
Millions of grains of sands are poured through traditional metal funnels to construct the mandala.
The process takes three to five days to complete.
The various stages of the construction include an opening ceremony, drawing of the lines, mandala construction, mandala completion, dismantling the mandala and dispersal of the sand.
"It's a job that requires patience," said Tung Tran, a first-year pharmacy student from Baton Rouge. "I respect the work that they do."
The purpose of their visit is not only to share their ritual and culture with the members of the university, but also to bring attention of China's occupation in Tibet while providing healing energy to Louisiana residents affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The closing ceremony entitled "Sacred Music, Sacred Dance" is comprised of nine pieces believed to generate world healing energies, and will be held today in Brown Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
The monks will be robed in costumes, play traditional Tibetan instruments and perform ancient temple music and dance for world healing.
At the end of the performance, half the sand will be given to the audience while the other half will be dispersed into the bayou as a symbol of universal peace.
The Drepung Loseling monks are renowned for their multiphonic chanting.
The event takes place in Brown Gymnasium started Monday, March 13. It will conclude today.
Mandala is the Sanskrit term meaning "circle," and dates back more than 20,000 years, preceding the time of migration of native North-Americans from Central Asia.
This Buddhist tradition of creating a sand painting has its roots in the tantric legacy of Buddhist India.
"It's amazing how they work so minutely and patiently," said Pratik Shah, a first-year pharmacy student from Bossier.
Millions of grains of sands are poured through traditional metal funnels to construct the mandala.
The process takes three to five days to complete.
The various stages of the construction include an opening ceremony, drawing of the lines, mandala construction, mandala completion, dismantling the mandala and dispersal of the sand.
"It's a job that requires patience," said Tung Tran, a first-year pharmacy student from Baton Rouge. "I respect the work that they do."
The purpose of their visit is not only to share their ritual and culture with the members of the university, but also to bring attention of China's occupation in Tibet while providing healing energy to Louisiana residents affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The closing ceremony entitled "Sacred Music, Sacred Dance" is comprised of nine pieces believed to generate world healing energies, and will be held today in Brown Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
The monks will be robed in costumes, play traditional Tibetan instruments and perform ancient temple music and dance for world healing.
At the end of the performance, half the sand will be given to the audience while the other half will be dispersed into the bayou as a symbol of universal peace.
The Drepung Loseling monks are renowned for their multiphonic chanting.