Monks Make Their Mark 

While Deltatopia shenanigans were happening off campus over the weekend, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at UCSB had a very different vibe going. Six monks from the Drepung Monastery in India constructed a sand mandala to help demonstrate some of the Buddhist teachings about the impermanence of things. Mandalas — the colorful geometric images used for spiritual guidance and as a supporting space for meditation — have a special significance when created in sand, as things of momentary beauty to be enjoyed in the fleeting time before they are blown away and lost.

It was a big honor for UCSB to host the Tibetan Buddhist delegation. The Drepung Monastery is part of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, which became the dominant Buddhist school in Tibet and Mongolia toward the end of the 16th century. This School of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy integrates sutra and tantra studies, rituals, and teachings; analytical reasoning; and yogic meditation. 

This event included a Tibetan Ritual Performance on April 2 and a Tibetan Completion Ritual Performance on April 6. It was co-sponsored by UC Santa Barbara’s Religious Studies Department, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, and Amy O’Dowd.