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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2007

PRESS CONTACT:   
Andrea Potochniak
607 254-4563
arp37@cornell.edu

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Presents
Tibetan Buddhist Mandalas

Namgyal monks from Dharamsala and Ithaca constructing
two mandalas in honor of the Dalai Lama’s visit

Ithaca, NY—The Herbert F. Johnson Museum is pleased to present the construction of two Tibetan Buddhist mandalas in conjunction with the visit to Ithaca of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A tradition originally reserved only for the monastic environment, in recent decades the Dalai Lama has allowed the construction of sand mandalas in public places as a cultural offering and to promote preservation of Tibetan traditions.

Two types of mandalas are being constructed here by monks from the Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India, and its branch in Ithaca: a Kalachakra Sand Mandala, and a Thread-cross Mandala. Construction of such mandalas has the purpose of providing temporary dwellings for housing Tantric Buddhist deities. Upon completion, the mandalas will remain on display until Saturday, October 13, when a dissolution ceremony involving the gathering up of the sand will occur. The public is invited to attend this ceremony and to join the procession that will carry the sand to Beebe Lake. The ceremony will conclude an afternoon of Tibetan performances, activities, and tastes at the Museum from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free, and there will be a free shuttle from Cornell’s “A” lot from 12:45 to 4:30 p.m.

A rare and intricate Tibetan art form, the dö, or thread cross, is woven from colored thread onto crossed sticks, and serves as a trap for harmful spirits. A small thread cross is sometimes hung over the entrance to a Tibetan home for protection. Originating in the indigenous religion of Tibet known as Bon, the thread cross has been incorporated into Buddhist tradition where a three-dimensional construction of thread crosses serves as a mandala, or dwelling for a particular tantric deity. The various colored threads represent precious substances such as peacock feathers, coral, owl feathers, turquoise, iron, etc. Chanting and the presentation of offerings entice the deity to inhabit the Thread-cross Mandala.

The Kalachakra Sand Mandala is based on one of the thousands of Buddhist tantras, or continuities, that express the origin, practice, and effects of the Buddha’s teachings. At the center of Kalachakra, the Wheel of Time, is a multiarmed, multiheaded deity that is in blissful union with his consort, representing the perfect union of wisdom and compassion. In the sand mandala the deities are symbolized by Sanskrit “seed” syllables or dots, except for Kalachakra, who is represented by the vajra, or thunderbolt scepter. The student of Tibetan Buddhism uses this mandala as an aid to visualize Kalachakra’s palace and enlist the state of mind represented by the deity, as a progressive step on the path to enlightenment. This particular mandala has a broader function to purify the environment and bring prosperity to the world.

Consisting of five square mandalas, surrounded by six concentric circles, each square represents one of the five levels of Kalachakra’s palace, while the circles represent the elements earth, water, fire, wind, space, and, at the outermost circle, wisdom. The mandala is created from the center outward, with each monk working on one quadrant, using an elongated metal funnel, called a chakpu, which is filled with colored sand. The sand is carefully released through vibration by using a second chakpu to rasp the surface of the first. A wooden scraper, called shinga, straightens the edges of the sand and removes any stray grains.

This exhibition is funded in part by a grant from the Cornell Council on the Arts. The Museum is also grateful to the Namgyal Monastery, Ithaca, and the Cornell East Asia Program for their support.

The Johnson Museum has a permanent collection of over 30,000 works of art from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. The museum building was designed by I. M. Pei. Funds for the building were donated by Cornell alumnus Herbert F. Johnson, late president and chairman of S C Johnson. The building opened in 1973.

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The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, located on the campus of Cornell University, is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. The Museum is completely accessible for mobility-impaired visitors, and a wheelchair is available in the lobby. Metered parking is available in the lot next to the Museum. For more information, please call 607 255-6464. Visit the Museum’s website at  www.museum.cornell.edu. The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art is a proud member of Ithaca’s Discovery Trail: www.DiscoveryTrail.com.

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