TIBETAN Mandala Being Created At University of Arizona Bookstore
by Charles Spillar on Mar. 04, 2010, under arts, Tucson Art
Losang Samten Working On Sand Mandala
For the second year, Losang Samten, a Tibetan scholar and former Buddhist monk, is constructing a traditional Tibetan mandala, or sand painting, at the University of Arizona Bookstore, Student Union Memorial Center, on the U. of A. campus.
These are some examples of his mandala artwork:
Wheel of Life Mandala-Regina, Canada 1999
Wheel of Life Mandala-Philadelphia, PA 2008
Wheel of LIfe Mandala-Lake Tahoe 2005
Samten is approximately halfway through the project that began on Feb. 21. A dissolution ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 14, during the annual two-day Festival of Books being held on campus.
Wheel of Life Mandala Dismantle-University of Chico, CA 2008
Samten came to the U.S. in 1988 at the behest of the Dalai Lama to demonstrate to Westerners the meditative art of sand painting. This was the first time a Tibetan mandala was shown in the West.
Closeup of Mandala Being Created
Since then, Samten has created sand mandalas at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Chicago Field Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of University of Pennsylvania, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Harvard University, Columbia University, New York University, Trinity College of Hartford, Conn. among numerous others.
He also has served as the religious technical adviser and sand mandala supervisor as well as actor for Martin Scorsese’s film “Kundun.”
Losang Samten 2004 Photo
Losang Samten is spiritual director of Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia; Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center of Middletown, Connecticut ; Chenrezig Himalayan Cultural Center of El Paso,Texas, and a frequent visitor, teacher in Lake Tahoe and Chico, CA.
He travels extensively, sharing his knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and his skill in the Tibetan ritual arts. His ability to incorporate the qualities of practicing loving kindness, patience, and understanding with those he meets has touched the hearts of many.
More details about Losang Samten and the history of the Tibetan mandalas are found on his website: http://www.losangsamten.com . An informative stop-action video of a mandala being created is available at the site.
