The sacred world of Tibet is filled with the chanting of mantras,bells,
cymbals, drums and the sound of the long horns.Tibetan monks from
the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery present sacred dances, music and
prayers, with traditional costumes and ceremonial masks, offering
an
opportunity to witness a unique and endangered culture.
Tibetan Sand Mandala
Sunday 4 – Wed 7 May
King’s College Chapel
Destruction Ceremony
Wed 7 May
Viewing of the complete mandala from 11.00am
Destruction Ceremony begins promptly at 11.30am - 12.30pm
King’s College Chapel
(please bring proof of Cambridge residence for free entry to King’s Chapel)
Of all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with coloured sand is one of the most exquisite. The Mandala essentially is a representation of the celestial mansion or abode of a principal deity or deities, surrounded by their retinues, and representing the paths and fruits of the particular cycle of practices. To make a sand Mandala, millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place in an intricate design over a period of several days using hollow tubes called chagpurs. The material used is ground marble dust – but in ancient times powdered precious and semi-precious stones were also used.
The exhibition begins with a short dedication prayer, and on completion, the mandala is dismantled in a moving ceremony during which the sand is swept into the centre of the table, symbolizing the impermanence of all things. A small amount of sand is poured into running water, and people attending the ceremony can take away with them small bags of sand as a memory of the event.
Heart of the World and the Monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery would like to thank The Provost and Fellows of King’s College, Cambridge for their support in enabling this event.
The sacred world of Tibet is filled with the chanting of mantras,bells,