Friday, September 27 – Sunday, September 29
Friday 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Meditation and Workshop Introduction
Saturday 9:30 am – 4:00 pm: Mandala of Compassion Template Construction and Meaning | Meditation
Sunday 12:00 – 4:00 pm: Mandala of Compassion Template | Meditation | The Dismantling Ceremony
$225 Non-Members, $200 Members. Ages 16 and up. Space is limited. Registration required by Monday, September 23. Call 267-502-2990 to register.
Participants should bring a ruler (at least 12”), a pencil, and a compass. All other materials are included. Please bring your own lunch to enjoy at Glencairn. Small break refreshments will be provided.
The Tibetan art form of the mandala is an ancient and sacred practice intended to uplift and benefit not only every person who sees it, but also to bless the environment. Every aspect of the mandala has meaning, with no detail being arbitrary or superfluous. The colors and designs of each mandala have profound meaning originating in the ancient teachings of the Buddha and have remained unchanged over the centuries. Mandalas are used to enhance spiritual practice through imagery and meditation to overcome suffering, individually and collectively for all living things. In essence, mandalas represent enlightened qualities, and are an important form of teaching in Vajrayana Buddhism to support living beings on the path to enlightenment.
The Venerable Losang Samten is dedicating this workshop to educating others on the spiritual practice of creating the Mandala of Chenrezig (Mandala of Compassion), just as it is done in Monasteries throughout the world. This Mandala of Chenrezig originated from the tantric teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni through the Buddhist nun Pema, whose name means lotus. Although depicted on a flat surface, the Mandala is actually three-dimensional, being a "divine mansion" at the center of which resides Chenrezig, Buddha of Compassion. Participants will be led through the spiritual practice of this mandala design creation, learning the meaning of the colors and symbols, the detailed measurements, techniques of pouring the sand with the “chakpur” tool, and the meaning of the dismantling ceremony. Participants will draw a template of the Mandala of Compassion to keep.