Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India returned to the Mariposa Museum in downtown Peterborough Monday morning to begin their week-long sand mandala creation. The week will culminate in a closing ceremony on Saturday when the monks will carry their mandala to the river and scatter the millions of grains of sand into the flowing water to be shared with the world.
The creation of sand mandalas is unique to Tibetan monks and serves as a preservation and dissemination of Tibetan culture around the world. The artwork, which is said to be imbued with spiritual energy during its creation, encourages healing, peace and purification.
David Blair, co-founder of the Mariposa Museum, said community members chose the Green Tara mandala, which symbolizes healing, among five mandala options for the monks to create during their Sacred Arts Tour. According to Blair, this event draws more people to the museum than any other throughout the year.
"What I notice is how attentive people are, watching, it's a rather miraculous process to the see this design emerge over the course of five days. A lot of people return more than once, and it seems to appeal to people of all ages," Blair said. "There's a quality of attentiveness, there's a presence I always feel when they're here ... That's something that we all need, to slow down enough and be present with what's happening in front of us."
Tickets are available each day to watch their progress from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Money from the tickets will be donated to the monastery to purchase food and clothing, as well as other essentials for the thousands of monks living there.