(Sept. 25, 2017) – The Mystical Arts of Tibet tour is making a stop at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) this week.
The monks of Deprung Loesling Monastery will bless the grounds of the institute before starting a mandala sand painting on the main exhibit floor at 11 a.m., Thursday, September 28.
After the opening ceremony, guests can watch the monks draw an outline of the mandala on a wooden platform and lay down colorful sands through Sunday, October 1.
Two lectures will be held at the institute to educate the public about Tibet and the significance of the monk’s traditional mandala sand painting.
A lecture called “Symbolism of the Sand Mandala” will take place at 6 p.m., Friday, September 29. Then on Saturday, September 30, a lecture entitled “Tibet Today” will begin at 6 p.m.
Families are invited to work with one of the monks to create a community mandala from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, September 30.
The tour wraps up on Sunday, October 1 during a closing ceremony scheduled at 3 p.m., after which the sands will be dispersed.
Traditionally, most sand mandalas are destroyed shortly after their completion to symbolize the fleeting nature of life. The sands are swept up and half is distributed to the audience and the remainder is carried to a nearby body of water to be deposited.
After the ceremony, guests will get a small bag of sand to take home. The remaining sand will be dispersed in the San Antonio River.
The Mystical Arts of Tibet is a tour endorsed by the Dalai Lama to promote world peace and healing by sharing Tibet’s performing and visual arts with audiences around the world. The monks visited UTSA last fall and completed a mandala sand painting in the University Center window lounge.
