The Dalai Lama is in Washington D.C. from July 6-16, leading a gathering of thousands of Buddhists through the "Kalachakra for World Peace." Central to the kalachakra ritual is the design and creation of a mandala.
HuffPost blogger Matteo Pistono explains:
Central to the bestowing of the Kalachakra initiation is the creation of a mandala. "Mandala" literally means "center and circumference" and in the tantric context connotes a circular diagram symbolizing a universe with a deity in the center of his or her palace complete with entourage, gatekeepers, and a surrounding environment. Mandalas are painted on cloth and temple walls, created from colored sand, or fashioned from wood, stone or colored threads.
We've collected pictures of several beautiful mandalas, created by Buddhist monks in different locations around the world. Enjoy!
Posted image from the
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1 of 11
Tibetan Buddhist monks work on a mandala, January 20, 2002 at the Smithsonian Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...4579&title=Smithsonian_Institution_Washington
HuffPost blogger Matteo Pistono explains:
Central to the bestowing of the Kalachakra initiation is the creation of a mandala. "Mandala" literally means "center and circumference" and in the tantric context connotes a circular diagram symbolizing a universe with a deity in the center of his or her palace complete with entourage, gatekeepers, and a surrounding environment. Mandalas are painted on cloth and temple walls, created from colored sand, or fashioned from wood, stone or colored threads.
We've collected pictures of several beautiful mandalas, created by Buddhist monks in different locations around the world. Enjoy!
Posted image from the
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1 of 11
Tibetan Buddhist monks work on a mandala, January 20, 2002 at the Smithsonian Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...4579&title=Smithsonian_Institution_Washington