Stockton Hosts Creation, Destruction of Buddhist Medicine Mandala During Tibetan Culture Week

For Immediate Release;
Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Contact:

Christina Butterfield
News and Media Relations
Galloway, NJ 08205
Christina.Butterfield@stockton.edu
(609) 626-3845
www.stockton.edu/media

Galloway, NJ – Stockton University will feature the construction and destruction of the Medicine Buddha Mandala during Tibetan Culture Week from Monday, March 28 – Friday, April 1. The weeklong event will feature a series of activities presented by Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery as part of their Sacred Art Tour. All events are free and open to the public.

The mandala, a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism, will be worked on by the monks every day from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The creation of the intricate colored sand mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition in which the mandala is ritualistically dismantled upon its completion. The destruction symbolizes the impermanent nature of material life.

Jongbok Yi, assistant professor of Asian Philosophy and Religion at Stockton, coordinated the monks’ visit. The university’s Production Services department will record the construction of the mandala to create a time-lapse video.

The schedule is as follows:

Throughout the Week
Construction of the Medicine Buddha Mandala
C-D Wing Atrium

Monday, March 28 Opening Ceremony C-D Wing Atrium 9:30 a.m. -more- -Continued from Page 1-

Wednesday, March 30 Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy, Medicine and Meditation Campus Center Theatre 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tibetan Cooking Class Location TBD 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. *requires registration via email to Buddhist.rsc@gmail.com

Thursday, March 31 Performance: Tibetan Debate, Music and Sacred Dance Campus Center Event Room 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, April 1 Closing Ceremony C-D Wing Atrium 1 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Stockton’s Buddhist Club, with support from Campus Religious Council, Student Senate, Holistic Health Minor, Holistic Health Club, the Wellness Center and the Office of Global Engagement.

For more information, contact Yi at 434-227-2904 or Patricia Donahue, co-adviser of Stockton’s Buddhist Club, at 609-626-3544.