Years ago, I had the opportunity to see His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV in an indoor stadium at a Michigan university campus. He spoke about compassion and gifted all attendees—an estimated 3,000+ people—with a book and various Tibetan Buddhist materials. Alongside his humor, which he skillfully wove into his profound spiritual teachings, the most striking aspect for me was the symbolic arrangement of monks, bodyguards, and stadium security.

It felt as though we were inside a living Tibetan sand mandala—a symbolic Dewachen (celestial mandala of Amitabha) complete with associated Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and both peaceful and wrathful deities. The Dalai Lama’s spiritual presence, combined with the sound of the dungchen (the Tibetan long trumpet used in Buddhist ceremonies) and the chanting of the monks, transformed our individual spiritual awareness into a unified collective consciousness.

Ever since then, I have admired the Tibetan sand mandalas. According to Tashi Namgyal of the Tibettravel.org blog: 

“Mandalas are very common in Tibetan culture where they represent various philosophies found in Tibetan Buddhism like the structure of the Universe, Wisdom and Impermanence, Nature of Enlightenment, etc. Tibetan Mandalas are always made using colored sand, hence the name the Sand Mandala.”

They are made by multiple monks non-stop over days and even weeks as a spiritual meditative practice. Only ordained monks who are trained for over three years in this meditative art form can participate.

There are ceremonies prior, during, and at the completion. Finally, the sand mandala is swept away in one sweep, which symbolizes “the impermanence of life or the transient nature of existence in Tibetan Buddhism.” ~ Tashi Namgyal.

For a detailed look into the making, symbology, and philosophy of sand mandalas, check out https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-arts/sand-mandala.html