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In
2002, the students of Pema Ts'al created a sand mandala (several
photos below), a traditional Tibetan ritual. The Institute
will create a sand mandala or perform extensive rituals and
meditations upon request. Please
contact the school for more information.
Mandala
is a Sanskrit word, which translates as kiylkhor in Tibetan
and literally is a symbolic depiction of the “celestial,
the abode of a meditational deity”, or, in more mundane
terms, a circular diagram representing the entire universe.
Both monks and laypersons use mandalas as a meditation aid.
Although there are four types of mandala, only two are physically
visible - those painted on a thangka (scroll), or drawn on
a broad flat surface with coloured sand. These sand mandalas
made by monks with the appropriate accompanying rituals are
used to alleviated suffering, lessen bad karma and accumulate
merit. Unlike other mandala forms, the sand mandala brings
benefits not only to the makers, but also to the donors and
viewers, irrespective of whether the viewer has Buddhist knowledge
or not.
Sand
mandalas are beautiful creations - intricately drawn line
sculptures filled with auspicious coloured sand. Generally,
the mandala, which measures about five feet across, is made
over seven consecutive days - two days outlining the sculpture
followed by five days of prayer and ritual. To achieve the
best result, it is essential that the same monks participate
throughout the seven days, and the more monks involved with
the mandala, the more benefit it brings.
Monks
must observe strict mental discipline and perform rituals
before starting work on a mandala to concentrate their spiritual
energies. When the mandala is completed and the rituals over,
the sand is carefully collected and scattered over a river
or body of water as a kind of closing ceremony.
The
Pema Ts'al Institute performs the Vajrakilaya Puja and makes
the Vajrakilaya Sand Mandala for seven days each November.
The Institute also performs special pujas and makes mandalas
when requested. In June, the Institute will perform the Vairochana
Puja and make its mandala on the auspicious occasion of Sa-Ka
Dha-Wa (Buddha Shakyamuni's Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana).
The puja will commence from 12th and end on 16th June.
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