Tibetan Buddhist Sand Mandala Painting

View six monks from the Drepung Monastery in India construct a sand mandala on UCSB’s campus. Mandalas are colorful geometric images that are used for spiritual guidance and establishing a space to support meditation. True to Buddhist teachings about the impermanence of things, sand mandalas are things of beauty to be enjoyed in the fleeting moments before they are blown away and lost.

The Drepung Monastery is part of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, which became the dominant Buddhist school in Tibet and Mongolia since the end of the 16th century. This School of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy integrates sutra and tantra studies, rituals, and teachings; analytical reasoning; and yogic meditation. UCSB is honored that this Tibetan Buddhist delegation from Drepung Monastery includes three holders of the highest Tibetan Buddhist scholastic degree, the geshe degree.

This event is co-sponsored by UC Santa Barbara’s Religious Studies Department, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, and Amy O’Dowd.