Tibetan monks spend two weeks making sand mandala to mark Dalai Lama's 80th birthday
Two Buddhist monks worked from 9am until midnight painstakingly placing grains of sand to make the gift that will eventually be brushed away
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two Tibetan monks spent nearly two weeks painstakingly placing grains of coloured sand to create a mandala to celebrate the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday.
The monks worked from 9am to midnight for 10 days, according to the LA Times, but the mandala is intended to be impermanent and the sand used will eventually be swept away.
The Dalai Lama blest their work on Tuesday, inspecting the mandala with lead artist Sherab Chopel, a monk from Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala.
The mandala depicts the celestial home of Avalokiteshvara, a respected figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama is the earthly manifestation of Avalokiteshvara.
The mandala is on display at the University of California, Irvine, soon to be the home of the Centre for Living Peace, a non-profit that says its mission is "to inspire inner peace and its expression in the world".
The centre encourages visitors to make an offering to the mandala, and its website lists the significance of various items that might be offered.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments