A mandala of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, has been erected at the Central Khurul of Kalmykia “The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni.”

On March 8, at the Central Khurul of Kalmykia “The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni,” the monks completed the erection of a sand mandala of Avalokiteshvara.

A sand mandala represents the field of activity (palace) of a particular deity. The mandala erected at the Central Khurul of Kalmykia is dedicated to Buddha Avalokiteshvara — the Buddha of boundless compassion. Over the course of several days the monks painstakingly poured out myriads of grains of sand into an extremely intricate multicolored ornament of colored granite crumbs, with the help of special metal tubes — chakpurs.

The sand mandala of Buddha Avalokiteshvara at the Central Khurul of Kalmykia can be contemplated from the 9th to the 10th of March. On March 10 the mandala of Buddha Avalokiteshvara will be dismantled. The sacred sand will be offered into the nearest body of water, and part of it distributed to the faithful. The dismantling of the mandala is carried out in order to show us the impermanence of all phenomena and to teach us not to become attached to material objects. In order to gain as much benefit as possible from contemplating the mandala, it is better to come prepared: to calm the mind, to free it from negative thoughts, to visualize the mandala as the palace of Buddha Avalokiteshvara and his abiding within it. If, in a peaceful state, in the prayer hall where the mandala is erected, one repeats the root mantra of Buddha Avalokiteshvara: “OM MANI PADME HUM,” then positive changes will certainly come about.