As planned, five Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery concluded their week-long, painstaking creation of the Mandala at The Woodland in Maplewood on Saturday evening.
And just as soon as the last grain of sand was added to the mandala — Sanskrit for “circle” and a spiritual symbol representing the cosmos in Hinduism and Buddhism– the monks began to dismantle the creation, sweeping up the colored sand in a ritualized ceremony before a rapt crowd, complete with chanting, blowing of horns and beating of drums.
Accompanied by the crowd, the monks then carried the sand on a procession through downtown Maplewood and Memorial Park to the banks of the Rahway River, where they emptied the sand to disperse the mandala’s healing energies throughout the world.
“We walked to the river and gathered,” said Maplewood resident Mitch Greenberg. “The monks chanted, and poured the remaining bits of sand into the river.”
Hundreds of visitors dropped in to The Woodland to watch the construction during the last week, participated in various activities taking place in conjunction with the project, met the monks in more informal settings, and watched the live stream capturing the process.
“It was really powerful to see the community come together,” said Irene Langlois, Head of Teen Services at the Maplewood Public Library. Langlois participated in Saturday’s procession and along with others, got to take home a small bag of sand as a keepsake. Seeing photos of the dismantling of the mandala “gave me goosebumps, thinking about what went into it.”
The project is part of a year-long residence the monks are participating in, traveling to various parts of the country. On Friday, one monk told a visitor the group was headed next to Houston, TX. Asked if they had enjoyed Maplewood, he said, “Oh yes, very much.”
Langlois said it was wonderful how the monks embraced the local community.
“This is something you don’t think you will get to experience in your little town, and something you may never experience again,” said Langlois.
Enjoy the incredible photos credit of Joy Yagid, who captured the entire week-long project on film. Click on any photo in the gallery to begin.
