By Rob Bedeaux //

As part of the ceremonies leading up to the opening of the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room: The Alice S. Kandell Collection on September 14, 2024, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) will host several Buddhist nuns from the Jangchub Choeling Nunnery in India. During their visit, the nuns will create a sand mandala to mark the occasion.

To better enjoy your visit or just to learn more about the Tibetan tradition of sand mandalas, here is a quick guide to the art and history of sand mandala making. Jump to the end to see the schedule of events.

Chenrezig Sand Mandala was created and exhibited at the British House of Commons in 2008 during the Dalai Lama’s visit.

What is a sand mandala?

Mandalas, pronounced muhn · DAH· luh, are artistic representations of the residential palaces or cosmic realms associated with particular deities, who are represented in the center.

Tibetan Buddhists have long created mandalas out of colored sand as a way to manifest their beliefs in the physical world. The mandala’s creation and consecration is believed to benefit beings, while their destruction serves as a reminder of their ephemerality of life and the impermanence of all things.

History of the Sand Mandala

Some Buddhists believe that Shakyamuni (Buddha) taught the art of sand mandala construction in India in the fifth or sixth century BCE. In this tradition, it also states that the knowledge has been passed down, unbroken, for over 2,500 years. Through the centuries, it has been incorporated into many Eastern religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Shinto.

Sand mandalas were documented in Tibet as early as the 11th century, and the Tibetan term dul tson kyil khor means “made of powdered colors.” The geometric designs are first drawn by a qualified lama, after which purification rites are conducted to bless the monks or nuns who will undertake the mandala’s creation. Starting at the center, they work their way to the outer edge over the course of several days. The sand is applied using a thin funnel-like tube. Rubbing a metal rod along the ridged exterior of the tube causes a gentle vibration that helps keep the sand running smoothly. This sacred art form is not only a visual representation of specific qualities and energies but also serves as a tool for meditation, focusing the mind, and fostering spiritual reflection. It is a symbolic offering of the entire universe.

Every intricate detail of the mandala is fixed in the tradition and has specific symbolic meanings, often on multiple levels. In the Tibetan religious tradition, it is believed that the process of creation gathers spiritual energy, and then the destruction distributes that energy back to the natural world, where it can be used again.

Creation & Destruction

The creation and destruction of a sand mandala is a deeply spiritual practice, symbolizing the impermanence of all things. The process begins with the consecration of the site (the Target Atrium, in Mia’s case) where the mandala will be constructed. The ritual includes dance and prayer chants, which purify the site for the mandala.

Once the rotunda is purified, the nuns will begin placing individual grains of colored sand using tubes, funnels, and scrapers. The process will take five days, resulting in an elaborate geometric pattern filled with sacred symbols. During the creation, the nuns will bless the grains of sand which will imbue them with spiritual energy.

On Saturday, September 14, at 2:45 p.m., an additional Consecration Ceremony will be held that is open to the public. The mandala will then be available for viewing until the Dissolution Ceremony, which will occur on Saturday, September 21, beginning at 10 a.m.

The destruction of a sand mandala is known as the Dissolution Ceremony. The Ceremony begins with one of the nuns scraping a knuckle through the sand, creating a cross of grey sand. Next, the nuns will sweep the sand toward the center until it is a small grey pile. This sweeping represents the impermanence of everything in the universe. The sand will then be collected in a jar and transported to the Mississippi River, where it will be released back into nature. It is believed that the “dissolution” disperses the healing energies of the mandala into the water and throughout the world.

Green Tārā & the GreenTārā Mandala

Every mandala is believed to house the essence of a particular deity and imbue certain qualities. In partnership with the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota and the Jangchub Choeling nuns, the creation at Mia will be a Green Tārā Mandala.

Green Tārā is a central deity in Tibetan Buddhism. She is believed to be incarnated as the Nepali princess Bhrikuti Devi, whose influence helped establish Buddhism in Tibet.. She embodies happiness, peace, and prosperity and is often depicted with a green complexion. Tārā is a protector who responds quickly to the cries of those in distress, offering relief from fear and suffering.

As part of Mia’s Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room opening day festivities, the nuns of Jangchub Choeling will be creating a Green Tārā Sand Mandala to mark the event. Each mandala is believed to house the essence of a particular deity and imbue certain qualities. In partnership with the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota and the Jangchub Choeling nuns, the creation at Mia will be a Green Tārā Mandala.

White Tara and Green Tara. Western Tibet (Guge). Distemper on cloth, 20 1/4 x 20 in. (51.4 x 50.8 cm). In this unique arrangement of an extremely rare subject, two Taras are seated on lotus thrones rising from pools set in a mountainous backdrop. The White Tara, represented with the multiple eyes of omniscience, sits in meditation posture, while the Green Tara hangs one leg pendant. Both lower one hand in the boon-giving varada mudra.

Who are the Jangchub Choeling Nuns?

In the early 1980s, the 14th Dalai Lama recommended establishing a nunnery to preserve Tibetan culture and provide philosophical education for women. This led to the founding of Jangchub Choeling Nunnery, which is located in Mundgod, South India. Today, it serves 308 nuns from Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, the United States, France, Singapore, Taiwan, Mongolia, and India–it is an institute for every woman who wants to pursue Buddhist Philosophy.

The nuns study philosophy, grammar, and poetry with ten monastic teachers and science with a lay teacher. Philosophy is the key subject for the nuns. Over a period of seventeen years of study, they become scholars of the Five Great Canonical Texts.

After completing their studies, candidates become eligible to undertake the Geshema exams. This rigorous assessment includes four years of written and debate exams, as well as the completion and defense of a thesis. The Geshema Degree represents the highest level of training in the Gelugpa tradition and is akin to a PhD in Tibetan Buddhism. Notably, the degree was formally accessible to women in 2012, leading to the graduation of over 40 Geshemas, with approximately 32 individuals currently in the process of acquiring this esteemed degree.

In 2024, the nunnery embarked on its first U.S. tour. The tour was designed as a way to share aspects of Tibetan culture and raise funds for the nunnery, specifically for healthcare. In preparation for the trip, the team studied five mandalas, training with monks for the previous year. This was the first time that nuns started learning this specific training in our Nunnery. The four nuns, including one Geshema and their former Abbot, Khensur Geshe Tashi Tsering of Gaden Shartse Monastery, and their coordinator, Ms. Lobsang Chime, have been traveling throughout the U.S. with stops in Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Maine, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washing D.C.

Did You Know?

• Crushed precious stones were traditionally used to create a mandala, but today it is often plain white stones or marble dust dyed with opaque inks or food coloring.
• Small tubes, funnels, and scrapers called chak-pur are the tools used to create a mandala.
• Sand mandalas are unique to Tibetan Buddhism and are believed to emanate healing and purification.
• The word mandala literally translates to “circle” in Sanskrit (मण्डल).
• There are three main types of mandalas seen across world cultures and religions; they are teaching mandals, healing mandalas, and sand mandalas.

Schedule of Events

Monday, Sept 9 – Friday, Sept 13, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

Throughout each day, the Nuns of Jangchub Choeling will assemble the Green Tārā Mandala. They will work from memory, without any reference designs, to create their masterpiece.

On the final day of the assembly, a brief dedication prayer for the betterment of all sentient beings will conclude its creation.

Saturday, Sept 14 at 2:45 p.m.

A 15-minute consecration ceremony will occur during which the nuns will offer prayers accompanied by a damaru (a small two-headed drum), a cymbal, a tingsha, a vajra, and a bell. The prayers and accompanying music signify the impermanence of everyday existence.

Saturday, Sept 21 at 10 a.m.

Starting at 10 a.m., the nuns will begin dismantling the Green Tārā Sand Mandala. Following the ritual, the nuns will carefully place each segment of the mandala into jars. The jars will be taken to the Mississippi River–the body of flowing water nearest to Mia–where the nuns will offer the sand to the river while uttering the final words of the Buddha: “Impermanence is inescapable. Everything vanishes.”

Small plastic bags will be available so that the public may take a small sand remembrance of the event.