Intricate sand mandala on Cornell's west campus will represent compassion for all
It will take two monks from the Namgyal Monastery of Ithaca five eight-hour workdays to create a four-foot circular Mandala of Avalokiteshvara, or Mandala of Compassion, and when it's complete, the intricate work of art, featuring millions of grains of brightly colored sand carefully arranged to represent the sacred home of Avalokiteshvara, the deity of compassion.
The Mandala event is a partnership of Alice Cook House, Ithaca’s Namgyal Monastery, Cornell Dining, Class of 1966’s Thriving Red Fund, and the West Campus House System to present a six-day opportunity for the campus and Ithaca communities. The activities and talks connected with the Mandala will promote happiness, wellness, and peace.
In Tibetan folklore, seeing a well-made Mandala is thought to be a great blessing as the impression goes deep into the subconscious. This particular mandala is said to generate boundless compassion for all beings. During the six-days, students will be able to walk up to the mandala and observe the monks carefully placing individual pieces of sand with their chakpur, (a traditional tool in the making of sand mandalas).
Events will include an Opening Ceremony on the morning of Tuesday, October 15th, a Tibetan Dinner the evening of Thursday, October 17th, and a Closing Ceremony on Sunday, October 20th. The Tibetan Dinner from 5-9pm on Thursday will feature 15 different Tibetan dishes developed in a partnership between Cook House Dining Room and two local Tibetan chefs. During the Closing Ceremony at 2:30pm Sunday, everyone is welcome to attend as the monks from the Namgyal Monastery will pray, gather up all the sand from the Mandala, and walk it up to the Fall Creek Gorge by Forest Falls where they will release the sand back into nature to bless the whole world. The Mandala is destroyed to show the impermanence of life: that all sufferings, objects, and states are moving and temporary.
The public is welcome during these hours:
Opening Ceremony:
October 15th at 11:00am
Free Public Viewing Hours:
10/16 – 10/18: 11:00am-4:45pm
10/19 – 2:00-5:00pm
10/20 – 2:00-2:30pm
Viewing available during Cook House Dining Room hours (meal purchase required)
10/16 – 7:00-9:00pm
10/17 & 10/18 – 5:00-9:00pm
10/18 10:00 – 2:00pm
Closing Ceremony:
October 20th at 2:30pm