The public is invited to witness the four-day creation of Tibetan Sand Mandala at the Copper Beech Institute in West Hartford.

Sand Mandala painting. Submitted photo

Submitted by the Copper Beech Institute

Copper Beech Institute will host “The Sacred Art of the Sand Mandala” Dec. 1-4, 2015 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily. Tibetan monks visiting from Drepung Gomang Monastic College, who have been endorsed by his Holiness the Dalai Lama, will create a sand mandala painting over the four-day period.

The public is invited to visit once or several times to observe themandala as it unfolds. Daily meditation practice will be offered at noon. Tours of the Institute will also be available at 1:15 p.m. beginning in the public chapel. All are welcome.

A closing ceremony will be held on December 4, 2015 beginning at 4 p.m. when the monks will perform a ritualistic ceremony of destroying the sand mandala, teaching the lesson of impermanence. Everyone who attends will be given his or her own piece of themandala in the form of a bag of sand.

A mandala is an ornate circular sand painting with ancient roots. According to Tibetan tradition, the creation of a sand mandala effects purification and healing. It is one of the ways the monks offer the rare, ancient and culturally rich art of the Tibetan tradition and extend peace and spiritual wisdom.

A free-will offering will be accepted to help support the daily needs of the community of about 2,000 monks who live in a Tibetan refugee camp in South India.

To learn more about the sand mandala event, please visit: copperbeechinstitute.org/sandmandala.

Copper Beech Institute offers more than 40 overnight and day retreats and workshops, courses and events for all levels of experience and ability. Continuing education creditsare pending for several of the new season’s offerings, and scholarships are available through the Institute’s Boundless Heart Fund and Hemera Educator Scholarships programs.

To learn more about Copper Beech Institute, please visit copperbeechinstitute.org.