Clark College invites the community to experience a week of culture, art, and global connection celebrating International Education, February 23-27 on the college’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Washington.
The highlight of the week is the construction of a traditional Tibetan sand mandala, presented by Clark College International Programs, Clark Libraries, and the Dharma Light Tibetan Buddhist Association of Vancouver. The event is free and open to the community.
Tibetan Buddhist monks from South India will spend a week constructing an intricate sand mandala inside Cannell Library. The public is invited to observe this living work of art, starting at 9 am – 6:30 pm from Monday, Feb. 23 to Friday, Feb. 27.
The week begins with an Opening Ceremony at 9 am on Monday and concludes with a Closing Ceremony at 1:30 pm on Friday, both featuring traditional Tibetan Buddhist chanting and music. Following the closing ceremony, the monks will disperse the sand from 3-4 pm at the Vancouver Waterfront Park, extending the blessing to the wider region. (Transportation and parking fees are not provided.)
On Thursday, Feb. 26, from 2-3 pm in Cannell Library Room 101, Venerable Lobsang Dawa will lead a special Sacred Tibetan Art presentation, sharing the history and symbolism of the sand mandala, and reflecting on the importance of compassion in daily life.
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the creation of a sand mandala is intended to generate a profound experience of compassion and healing. It is believed that the positive energy of a sand mandala radiates outward for world peace, offering blessings throughout the entire region, the environment and the surrounding community. At the end of the week, the mandala is ceremonially dismantled to symbolize the impermanence of all phenomena.
This marks the fifth time Clark College has hosted a mandala construction on campus, with previous visits taking place in 2012, 2015, 2020 and 2023.
Source: Clark College