Tibetan Monks Return to Hancock
SEPTEMBER 23, 2024-- A group of Tibetan monks from the Ngari Institute will return to Santa Maria to create a sacred sand mandala from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 in the Ann Foxworthy Gallery at Allan Hancock College.
Over a period of five days, the monks will create an elaborate sand mandala by hand with tools and skills that have been passed down for centuries. The monks will be creating the “Buddha of Compassion” sand mandala, which symbolizes loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity.
The monks last visited the college in 2019.
“This is an incredible experience to be a part of,” said Gallery Director Laura-Susan Thomas. “We hope students, staff, and community members will take the opportunity to see this spectacular piece of art and culture.”
Construction of the mandala will commence with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. on Sept. 30. Work on the mandala will continue each day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., followed by a closing ceremony on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m., where the monks will sweep away the mandala. Tibetan monks sweep away their sand mandalas after completing them as a symbolic act representing the impermanence of life. This practice teaches detachment from material things and a deeper understanding of the transient nature of existence, which is a core principle in Buddhist philosophy.
Members of the public are invited and encouraged to stop by on any of these days to watch the monks at work. There is no charge to see this unique event.
The Ngari Institute Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit based in Ladakh, India. Ngari engages in a variety of projects, including housing and caring for the needs of school-age children who have been orphaned or are from otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds and training monks at the Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics.
The Ann Foxworthy Gallery is located inside the Academic Resource Center (bldg. L) on Hancock’s Santa Maria campus. For more information on this exhibit or the Ann Foxworthy Gallery, visit www.hancockcollege.edu/gallery, or contact gallery director Laura-Susan Thomas at laura.thomas@hancockcollege.edu or 805-922-6966 ext. 3465.
