The Crow Museum of Asian Art at The University of Texas at Dallas will soon welcome Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery for a transformative week-long artist residency centered around the creation of a traditional sand mandala.
The monks have crafted mandala sand paintings at over 100 museums, art centers and universities across the U.S. and Europe. Beginning Nov. 4, the monks will meticulously construct a mandala of Akshobhya — The Unshakable Victor — a symbol of conflict resolution and peace at the Crow Museum.
The monk’s residency offers a rare opportunity to witness the ancient Tibetan art of sand mandala creation, in which monks place millions of grains of crushed marble by hand to form intricate, symbolic designs. This complex process, believed to generate powerful energy for global healing, will culminate in a closing ceremony on Nov. 8, at noon.
The monks will be creating the mandala on Monday from noon to 5 p.m., including the opening ceremonies, Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday until the closing ceremonies at 12 p.m.
Traditionally, most sand mandalas are dismantled shortly after their completion, symbolizing the impermanence of life. The sands are carefully swept up and placed in an urn. During the closing ceremony, half of the sand is distributed to the audience, while the other half is taken to a nearby body of water and released. This act allows the waters to carry the healing blessings to the ocean, where they are then dispersed across the globe for planetary healing.
“For the first time in five years, the beloved Tibetan monks are returning to the Crow Museum, and our hope is that their beautiful, symbolic ceremony and presentation will provide a meditative reprieve for us all during this busy time in our lives,” said Amy Lewis Hofland, senior director of the Crow Museum of Asian Art, in an official statement. “We’re especially excited that the UT Dallas students on campus will get a chance to be a part of this meaningful experience.”
The week’s events also feature a special lecture on Monday evening, titled “The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Why Do We Need Each Other?” Scheduled for 6 p.m., the talk will explore the cultural and spiritual significance of the mandala as well as the importance of interconnectedness. Both the residency and lecture are free and open to the public and will take place at the Crow Museum’s UT Dallas campus location, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson.
In addition to observing the mandala's construction, visitors will have the chance to engage directly with the artistic process. Throughout the week, guests can try their hand at using the chak-pur, the traditional tool used by monks to create sand mandalas, as part of a community sand painting created especially for the UT Dallas campus and the surrounding community.
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