Saturday, November 1, 2008
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
DNKL
Everyone is Welcome!
Do Ngak Kunphen Ling Tibetan Buddhist Center welcomes the entire community to join in a very special, beautiful Tibetan Buddhist ritual.
This special event begins at 1:30 PM with a short one-hour teaching by Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche on Becoming a Good Person.
Following this will be the actual Sand Mandala Dissolution Ceremony.
Considered one of the most exquisite and unique artistic traditions in Buddhism, sand mandala painting is a painstaking process of applying colored sand to create a sacred cosmogram. Last month two monks from Gyumed Monastery in India came to DNKL and spent many days creating this beautiful mandala. During the dissolution ceremony, the mandala will be ritually dismantled and dispersed into a body of water, symbolizing the impermanence of life.
Rinpoche will conclude the ceremony with a short talk on Impermanence.
The 2008 US Compassionate Mandala Tour - a success
"The reality of impermanence is demonstrated powerfully by dissolving the mandala. Western culture too often hides this reality by distancing us from death and the dead, enabling the illusion that we are able to possess things and protect them from changing form. In a culture rich with religious sermons and canonized holy texts, the dissolution of the mandala best enables me to experience the constancy of change and the wonder of each moment."
-- Rich Montone, Auburn Theological Seminary
"The visit of the Compassionate Mandala Tour to the Parrish Art Museum was one of the most extraordinary events in the museum’s history. The sheer numbers were unprecented – the galleries were bustling and every program was filled to capacity. More gratifying and uplifting were the enthusiasm and awe generated by the tour. Dozens of people returned day after day to follow the progress of the mandala. I’ve never seen 100 people as quiet and attentive as during the meditation workshop, except perhaps for the 200 people at the concert. And Tenzin achieved the near impossible – getting a room full of ordinarily sedate Southamptonites to sing along. His music, like the chanting and artistry of the monks, was unforgettable. It’s tempting to conclude from the overwhelming response of our communithy that lurking beneath the impermanence, complacency, and materialism of our society is a yearning for contact with something spiritual and enduring."
-- Mark Segal, Director of Adult Programs, The Parrish Art Museum
Tenzin Choegyal toured the US along with the Tashi Lhunpo Monks in September 2008 at the following locations.
Sept. 9-14 |
The Parrish Art Musem - South Hampton, NY |
Sept. 15-19 |
Choate, Rosemary Hall School - Wallingford, CT |
Sept. 22-29 |
Northfield Mount Hermon School - Mount Hermon, MA |
Congratulations to Tenzion Choegyal for Winning The Q-Music Award for "Crane Song" in the World Music Category
Watch a video of the award winning song on our highlights page. |
Overview of the Event
Of all the artistic traditions of Tibetan Buddhism the ritual of painting with sand is one of the most unique and exquisite. Witness the creation of this sacred art as it unfolds over the event. A series of guided meditations is also scheduled. The week will culminate with the dissolution of the mandala (a reminder of the profound Buddhist concept of impermanence) and a concert with the traditional Tibetan chanting of the monks and Tenzin Choegyal whose voice and musical talents are uniquely beautiful as he draws on his traditional Tibetan roots to create music which expresses his thoroughly modern life.
The powerful combination of a beautiful concert with traditional Tibetan monastic chanting, songs, modern rhythms and riffs, a sand mandala creation and workshops and guided meditations creates the 2008 Compassionate Mandala Tour. The Compassionate Mandala Tour will raise awareness for the beautiful Tibetan culture, the Buddhist monks exiled after the Chinese invasion of Tibet, and The Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala, India. Please join in this celebration.
Significance of the Tour’s Message
The Compassionate Mandala tour is focused on the need for all of us to recognize the importance of compassion for our fellow humans, all other life forms, the earth and the self. During this time of intense global unrest, learning compassion is an essential avenue for peace.
“…It is our collective responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members, and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.” - H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama