Exciting news from Leeds University Tibet Society
On Monday 8th October, Leeds University Parkinson Court will play host to six Tibetan Buddhist monks, who will be making a sand mandala. A sand mandala is an important ritual in Tibetan Buddhism, where the monks use a variety of tools to lay the sand in the intricate design of a mandala. The sand mandala will be a colourful, beautiful and mesmerizing spectacle for all those who visit the Parkinson Court from 8th-12th October.
The monks themselves are Tibetan exiles, from Drepung Gomang monastery in south India. Drepung Gomang monastery was built following the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1949. Ten years later, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising by lay Tibetans in the capital, Lhasa. Depung Gomang is named after a monks school in Drepung, near Lhasa, which was for a long time the world's largest monastery. Whilst Tibetan Buddhism has been spread across the world following hundreds of thousands of Tibetans following the Dalai Lama, those remaining in Tibet have been subjected to a brutal repression of their religion, culture and human rights.
LUU Tibet Society have organised the event, which is a first for the university of Leeds. Their president, Suzi Hale said 'Not only is Tibet an important geopolitical and human rights concern, it is also the home of a deeply spiritual people, and it is vital that Tibet's history, culture and religion are preserved. We're delighted that we can share a fascinating and beautiful religious ceremony with all those associated with the university. We hope that this will spread awareness about Tibet and it's rich religious culture and that the construction of the sand mandala and ceremonies will be peaceful and enjoyable for everyone.'
The opening ceremony will be at 10 am in the Parkinson Court, and the mandala will take 5 days to build. The sand mandala will be made in the Parkinson Court from 10am till 4am from Monday to Thurday, and all are welcome to come and look. Please be quiet around them as the construction of a sand mandala is a religious ritual and requires great concentration. There will be a stall selling Tibetan crafts and Buddhist goods, and one monk will be on hand to field any inquiries. Once the monks have finished (around Friday morning), the mandala will be on show for only a few hours before the closing ceremony at 3 pm. The sand mandala's short lifespan symbolises an important part of the Buddhist canon; that all things are impermanent.
For details, please;
e-mail: unitibet@leeds.ac.uk
visit: www.whatabouttibet.com
phone: 07872017285
isadora101
It sounds like a very interesting event but can I clarify that it is definatly October as you have written August at the end of your first paragraph.