Arising & Passing of a Sacred Sand Mandala

During the week of June 18 – 25, the Gaden Shartse Monks Tour visited Seattle. At the Seattle Asian Art Museum they demonstrated, over a period of several days, the creation and ritual deconstruction of a sacred Tibetan Buddhist sand mandala. The monks’ visit was sponsored by the sangha Dechen Ling, under the direction of Lama Gen Lobsang Choephel.

Dechen Ling’s support has been instrumental in rebuilding the Gaden Shartse Monastery in India after its destruction in Tibet. Gaden Monastery was the original Gelug monastery in Tibet.

To watch a YouTube video of the completion and dissolution of the Sand Mandala in Seattle, with narration, go to Gaden Shartse Sand Mandala Ceremony in Seattle. Another video of the complete creation and dissolution of a sand mandala can be found at the Dechen Ling website (scroll to bottom), www.dechenling.org.