Wednesday, May 20, 2015

BUDDHIST MONKS COMING TO MAPLEWOOD

 
From the Township:



The Maplewood Township Committee and Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs is excited to announce the Maplewood Mandala Project. Beginning Monday, August 10 through Saturday, August 15, 2015, Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Tibet will be in residence in Maplewood, NJ to create a magnificent work of sand art in the Great Hall at The Woodland, located at 60 Woodland Road in Maplewood NJ.  


Working up to eight hours per day, the monks lay millions of grains of colored sand into large geometric pattern called a mandala, one painstaking grain at a time. The public is invited free of charge to observe this mesmerizing feat of artistry and concentration which ranks among the most unique and exquisite traditions of Tantric Buddhism.  

Township Committee member Jerry Ryan states “we are extremely excited to offer this rare cultural experience to the Maplewood/South Orange community.”  He noted that “visitors from around the State and beyond who come for this special event will also have a chance to enjoy the unique charm Maplewood has to offer.” 

The monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery have created mandalas in museums, art centers and universities around the world, including such prestigious institutions as The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and The Smithsonian Sackler Gallery.  Recently, the construction of a mandala sand painting was prominently featured on Netfix’s popular series House of Cards.

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