Artisans’ Treasure -  Sand Mandalas:

                                                                  Comparative Information

Non-traditional Sand Mandalas can be used for team-building with groups, as well as, Healing Through the Creative Arts, individual sessions. It is also available in a party format.

The images are made by sprinkling brightly colored sand, to create panoramic paintings in minutes. It is a free flowing method. The sand is allowed to drop onto a white surface undisturbed. The images are then discovered and identified, through each participant's interpretation of the art.


The Sand Mandalas pictured below, were created by the free flow method.

 
                                                                                       
                           Large Orange Horse                                                  Group Creating the Orange Horse


                                                     
                    Large knelling woman holding                                            Skinny Lady with Stylized Stroller
                               an instrument                                                             


                          
            Stylized Horses with Bridles Facing Right                                  Dancers with Long Dresses and Scarves




Traditional Sand Mandalas are generally created by highly revered monks and others, over a period days. The grains of sand are carefully placed to create the images.  They have become more familiar in recent years, as the monks travel, and share their practice with others. People from many other cultures make different forms of sacred mandalas, such as paintings.

It is traditional to destroy the image that has been created, and the sand is then put into a special place, such as a river. The process may be accompanied by ceremony and music. It is considered a sacred practice.


                                               Namgyal Monastery Monks in India
                                                                              
  http://www.namgyal.org/image.cfm?image=/img/photos/namgyal_india_3.jpg&credit=Sidney+Piburn
                            

                                                    
          
Namgyal monks creating a sand mandala in a Cleveland Ohio museum

                                                                   
A monk putting grains of sand into place.

Please enjoy  a visit the web site, to learn more about Traditional Tibetan Sand Mandalas

http://www.namgyal.org/mandalas/


Click on the links below to see short films of the making of other Sand Mandalas


http://youtu.be/PSLU9PiXgRk   "The Life and Death of a Sand Mandala"    Filmed April 10th 2007, at a Buddhist shrine in Chichester, this video tells the story of a sand painting born only the day before.

http://youtu.be/dU9vA6omKN8   " Creation of a Sand Mandala" With Music from singing bowls
                      
http://www.flickr.com/photos/musaeum/4017197748/   Step by step filming over time
 
http://zomobo.net/play.php?id=9QItAyepAnI          Step by step with time stop