Building sacred sand mandala at Bastyr requires monks’ intense concentration

May 26, 2010 2:15 pm
A group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India create a sacred sand mandala in a spiritual exercise that honors impermanence Tuesday at Bastyr University.
A group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India create a sacred sand mandala in a spiritual exercise that honors impermanence Tuesday at Bastyr University.

A group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India create a sacred sand mandala in a spiritual exercise that honors impermanence Tuesday at Bastyr University.

Construction began Monday and will continue through Friday, when they will sweep up the mandala. To fulfill the function of healing, half of the sand will be distributed to the audience, while the remainder will be carried to a nearby body of water and deposited.

Construction hours and public viewing are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and the closing ceremony with sand dispersal is at noon Friday in the Bastyr cafeteria, 14500 Juanita Drive N.E., Kenmore.