A Sacred Art by the Tibetan Monks Mandala Sand Painting

Tibet is: a plateau region in Asia north of the Himalayas home to the Tibetan people it is the highest region on Earth Tibet was once an independent kingdom Today is part of the People's Republic of China The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is still considered the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was forced to leave Tibet and now lives in India. The Dalai Lama is believed to be the current incarnation of a long line of Buddhist Masters

What is a Mandala? Mandala means “essence” + “having” or “containing.” It also translates as "circle- circumference" or "completion" A Mandala is a radial design having spiritual and ritual significance in many religions especially Buddhism and Hinduism. Amitayus Mandala (Amitayus is the Buddha of Boundless Life)

Mandala designs include geometric shapes, organic shapes and naturalistic designs Traditional Tibetan Mandalas also contain Buddhist spiritual symbols

Mandalas are made using millions of grains of sand They are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform It takes several days, sometimes a week to create After they are created they are dismantled in order to release a blessing into the world It is used to provide a visual aid for meditation OVERVIEW

The Tibetan monks begin by consecrating the site of the mandala sand painting with approximately 30 minutes of chants, music, and mantra recitation. This event is visually and acoustically striking, and draws large audiences.

Drawing of the Lines Immediately after the Opening Ceremony the monks start drawing the line design for the mandala. This is very exacting work that takes about three hours to complete.

Mandala Construction Throughout its creation, the monks pour millions of grains of colored sand from traditional metal funnels called chakpur. The finished mandala is approximately five feet by five feet in size, and takes three to five days of work.

Chakpur: the metal funnels for distributing sand

Mandala Completion The monks conclude their creation of the mandala with a consecration ceremony. In some cities, several thousand guests have attended the closing ceremony. It is a very colorful ceremony.

Dismantling the Mandala During the closing ceremony, the monks dismantle the mandala, sweeping up the colored sands to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists (everything dies). When requested, half of the sand is distributed to the audience as blessings for personal health and healing.

Dispersal of the Sand The remaining sand is carried in a procession by the monks, accompanied by guests, to a flowing body of water, where it is ceremonially poured to disperse the healing energies of the mandala throughout the world.

MANDALA EXAMPLES

Medicine Buddha Mandala The Healing Buddha

Yamantaka Mandala The Opponent of Death

Terms to Know: BALANCE - The state of being stable, or a state of equilibrium. Radial Balance – A type of balance where lines and shapes spoke out from a central point. Symmetrical Balance (Formal) – One half mirrors the other half Asymmetrical Balance (Informal) – Each side of the composition appears to have the same visual weight but are not identical

Materials needed: Colored PencilsCompassDrawing paper DIRECTIONS: 1.CHOOSE ONE OR MORE THEMES for your own Mandala that will reflect your personality or the balance of life. Here are several themes to choose from: - ANIMAL (whether it represents you or it is your favorite) - NATURE - HOBBY/INTEREST - VALUE/BELIEF - DESIGN BASED ON YOUR ETHNICITY - COMBINE ANY OR ALL ABOVE

2.DRAW FROM REFERENCES. You can use your phone for one day only! 3.ON THE ROUGH SKETCHING SHEET (FULL OF RADIAL DESIGN PATTERNS), select one of the radial formats that will best suit your design ideas. 4.Begin drawing out your composition. This should be elaborate, creative and original. Do not just copy one of the examples; make your own piece of artwork. YOU MAY NOT USE ANY LOGOS, CARTOONS OR ART CREATED BY ANOTHER ARTIST!

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL DESIGN? Successful designs have the following five components and concepts: 1)very detailed 2) filled space 3)variation in sizes and shapes of images 4) good use of color 5) BALANCE!

THE FINAL DRAWING: 1. Lightly draw the final drawing onto good drawing paper using a light graphite pencil. Lighten any dark graphite pencils marks if you need to with your kneadable eraser. 2. Use colored pencil to add color. Be aware of your intensity. Add value with the color pencils and remember to blend them 3. Once your teacher approves your final project, sign the project on the bottom right hand with color pencil. 4. Neatly glue your work on top of construction paper. 5. Legibly print your name with sharpie on the construction paper – bottom right.

Utilizes Principles of Design in the development of a sophisticated design /20 Develops a sophisticated design with detail Imagery is unified according to chosen personal theme (all imagery goes together) Includes variety in the design (could be shown through proportion, color, value, or shapes) Design fills up the square with little white Layout of Elements of Art create a radial balance Utilizes the Elements of Color and Value /16 Creates value to model objects Uses intense color Color choices are well-planned and unified Layers colors and blends them together Demonstrates attention to Craftsmanship /20 Coloring in a consistent direction (preferably with the contours) Coloring is completed neatly (within shapes) Demonstrates sophisticated drawing skills Draws from a reference picture Paper is well cared for with no tears, bends, smudges, or Graphite pencil lines marks Demonstrates Professional Qualities /12 Utilizes all class periods productively Correctly completes answers below Attends to completion details – signed and mounted Column Totals Total Score __________/68 ASSESSMENT RUBRIC