Venerable Losang Samten was born in Ribuce, Tibet (1953) and escaped to India
when he was a boy. He was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk at Namgyal Tantric
University, Dharamsala, India, the monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Samten served as personal attendant to His Holiness The Dalai Lama from 1985-88.
Since entering the lay life in 1995, Samten has been founder and spiritual Director
of five Tibetan Buddhist Centers in the United States. He is the first Tibetan
Buddhist monk to have demonstrated the creation of Tibetan Sand Mandalas in
the West and maintains an active schedule of creating these beautiful and symbolic
works of Tibetan religious art.
Beginning January 29th, 2008, the Venerable Losang Samten began the creation of the KALACHAKRA MANDALA in the lounge of the Bell Memorial Union (BMU) at the University of California in Chico, California.
This was a rare historic and sacred event. 'Kalachakra' means 'Wheel of Time' and is the name of one of the Buddhist deities which represent particular aspects of the Enlightened Mind. It is the most sacred of all Buddhist sand paintings.
The design took one month to complete. On March 8, 2008, Losang initiated the dissolution of the complete design. The dissolution ceremony is symbolic of a central belief in Tibetan Buddhism that all aspects of life are impermanent.
Please give appreciation to the CSUC student body who have invited this event to their campus and to the Chico community!!
The mandala of Kalachakra is considered a visual metaphor for a perfect universe, a palace where deities reside. The highly intricate and delicately adorned diagrams serve as tools for meditation, transition points between the real and the imaginary. This unusual use of artistic visualization in ritual is one of the defining features of Tibetan Buddhism. More than a symbol, the ritual of the mandala is a living enactment of the Buddhist cycle of change and a demonstration of one of the most spiritually advanced of all Buddhist cultures.
The ancient art of Tibetan sand painting has been preserved in the monasteries of India and Tibet for some 2,500 years. Traditionally practiced in seclusion, this unique art form has only been practiced publicly in the last decades. The process of creating the Kalachakra mandala has long been a closely guarded secret. However, the Dalai Lama, recognizing the many misconceptions surrounding Tibetan Buddhist practice, began presentations of the Kalachakra Sand Mandala to the general public as a cultural offering.
The Dalai Lama has given permission to Losang Samten to create this mandala in Chico. Losang is highly skilled in presenting this meditational art or design from Tibet's monasteries which is intended to bring peace and healing to all its viewers, as well as to the environment. The path of its colors has symbolic meaning in every detail and is said to trace the progression toward the state of Awakening and Inner Peace. There are at present only 100 people who know how to produce the Kalachakra sand painting.
Losang has copies of Sand Painting: Sacred Art of Tibet, an incredible DVD that shows him creating a Kalachakra Mandala.
Losang will work on the mandala in the BMU Tuesday through Friday from 10 - 5, Saturday 11 - 5, and Sunday 12 - 5. He enjoys and encourages questions as well as dialogue, and is a wonderful storyteller. While taking breaks, he shares these tales. Every story will lead the listener into the heart of Tibet's deep teachings on wisdom and compassion.
All are welcome! In addition there will be evening teachings and programs on and off campus, as well as teachings for various on campus classes. Daily notices will be posted near the mandala for these details.
The opening ceremony will be on January 29th and the closing will be on March 8 at 2 pm. *NEW! . Don't miss these two events. On March 8, the mandala will be brushed away. The colored sand from this exquisite painting will be collected and distributed to those present. The remaining grains will be safely poured into the nearby creek - no toxins or pollutants. The message is that all things are impermanent, highlighting the idea of not getting "too attached". You will feel the peace of a tradition carried on by a living master of the mandala ceremonies.
What is the Kalachakra Mandala?
EVENTS:(Check back for updates and additions!)
TIBETAN NEW YEAR CULTURAL FESTIVAL - February 16 & 17 Traditional Folk Music along with Tibetan Opera, Vendors with Tibetan Crafts, Jewelry and Treasures, Authentic Tibetan Food.
Saturday only, 6:30-8:30 pm, Dennis Evans, professional photographer and traveling companion of Losang Samten, presents slides from India and Tibet with live Tibetan music from Sonam Tashi. This will be a rich cultural event. Suggested donation $10.00
Chico Family Masonic Center 1110 W. East Avenue, Chico, California.Click this email list link if you want to be placed on Losang's email list for updates and information. Write or paste "Add me to the list" in the subject line, and send.
Donations support the preservation of the artistic heritage of the Sand Mandala.
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