When the Tibetan monks arrived in the area last week, Tamera Rooney of Findlay hosted a reception for them to open The Red Tornado Art Gallery in downtown Findlay.
The monks also constructed a sand mandala Sept. 1 at the gallery. Rooney said the process occupied a large table and took most of the day.
This week, the monks are to construct another mandala from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the lobby of the Campus Center at Heidelberg University. The public is invited to view its construction. The mandala is to be a smaller version of a typical mandala that takes three to five days to complete. The circle or wheel is intended to represent the universe, and the sand symbolizes the transience of earthly life. The mandala is a form of meditation for its creators.
"At the end of their visit, they'll deconstruct the sand drawing, scoop up the sand, give a portion of sand to all the people who watch the deconstruction, and they'll take the remaining sand to a local body of water," Rooney said.
In Findlay, the sand was scattered from a bridge over the Blanchard River as a blessing.
Information at www.artnetwork.com/mandala explains the process begins with a ritual of chant and music to bless the site where the art is to be done. The symmetrical design usually consists of a circle within a square, which is based on "sacred geometry." The monks draw lines for the pattern and then fill in the spaces with sand in six basic colors, all of which are symbolic. They use a funnel called a chakpur to distribute the grains and small brushes to remove excess.
