|
The creation of a sand mandala begins with an 30-minute, opening ceremony in which the monks consecrate the site. They call forth the forces of goodness with their multi-phonic singing and ceremonial dances accompanied by traditional instruments: horns, flutes, drums and cymbals.
The multi-phonic chanting, known as zokkay (low tone) and barda (high tone), is particularly renowned. The main chantmasters simultaneously intoned three notes, thus each individually creating a complete chord. This tradition is also known as "overtone singing" because it is accomplished by learning to control the muscles of the vocal cavity and reshaping the cavity while singing to make it accord with the natural ovetones of the voice.
The construction begins with the monks drawing the mandala's geometeric design on a five-foot, square, wooden platform or base called a "tek-pu." The artists measure out and draw the architectural lines using a straight-edge ruler, compass and white ink pens. This process usually takes about three hours.
Once the diagram is drawn, the monks begin the multi-day, delicate process of laying millions of grains of colored sand onto the design, layer upon layer.
The monks select from many the desired color of sand and scoop them into a metal funnel, known as a "chakpur" (chang-bu). The chakpur is either tap or scrape with a metal rod to cause sufficient vibration to release the sand grain by grain through its narrow end.
The two "chakpurs" are said to symbolize the union of wisdom and compassion.
Crushed limestone is used to create mandalas because it provides particles that are fine enough for exquisite detail and can be colored with vegetable dyes or opaque tempera.
Mandalas usually have three levels each having its own meaning:
The creation of a sand painting is said to affect purification and healing on all three levels.
When the mandala has been completed and its purpose served, the time for dismantling arrives. Before the mandala is dismantled, the monks conscecrate the mandalas through chants and music.
Intially, the elder monk ritually sweeps the sands from each of the four navigational directions into the center with his fingers of and while holding a "dija" in his right hand. The --- bell is held in his left hand.
The sands are swept from the outside toward the center, thus symbolizing he impermanence of all that exists — how in old age and at the time of death everything once more returns to the primordial source at the center of the heart —the ultimate voidness natural of phenomena ... how all things come out of nothingness and eventually return to it.
The sands are taken from the center pyramid and divided:
The sand is carried by a monk in a procession of monks and guests to a flowing body of water where it is, preceeded by another traditional ceremony, poured into the water.
Pouring the sands into a body of water, which by nature is connected to all the waters of the world, symbolizes the dedication of positive energies generated during the mandala process to universal goodness and spreads the healing energies of the mandala throughout the world.