Sacred sands

Sand mandalas are made by grinding natural stones into a fine powder and coloring it with different pigments. The result is an intricate geometric design that symbolizes a former Buddha.\nMonks create sand mandalas as a celebration of the transient nature of things, so though they are slowly and carefully created by trained hands, they are usually destroyed after three or four days. \nBut Bloomington residents will have the opportunity to view the sand mandalas crafted by the monks of the Ganden Shartse Monastary at the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Lower Cascades Park for years to come.\nThe Ganden Shartse monks are part of the Ever Lasting World Peace Tour that has stopped at the monastery in Bloomington. The monks will perform a sacred mask dance and create a Cittamani Sand Mandala. \nThe monks began creating the sand mandala Thursday at the monastery in Bloomington. This sand mandala will symbolize the female Buddha Tara. \nThe self-funded Ganden Shartse Monastery must find ways to afford food, health care, clothing and other accommodations for all its members. Tickets sold at performances and donations collected on these tours are one of the few ways they have to raise funds. The purpose of the tour is to share knowledge and raise funds for the monastery, said Tenzin Dhondup, the Ganden Shartse monastery's translator and coordinator.\n"We are not trying to change people's minds," Dhondup said. "We are trying to help people in their day-to-day lives."\nThe group went to Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica before coming to the United States, and at each stop, the monks catered to the specific needs of the people in that area -- for example performing healing services if many people were sick. \nThe group works with the local organizers in each area to plan activities for approximately one month. They often provide time for private consultation and healing sessions and will sometimes purify homes and offices.\nThe Ganden Shartse monastery in India was originally founded in the 13th century in Tibet. From 1949 to 1959, there was a cultural revolution in that area. The change to a communist government caused monks from the original monastery to flee to India. The monastery was re-established in 1969 with 35 monks. It is now home to more than 3,400, according to Dhondup.\n"There is no stable financial help from the government or other organizations," said Dhondup.\nThis group is led by 78-year-old Geshe Lobsang Sonam. The term "Geshe" refers to a status similar to a Ph.D., which can take up to 30 years of continuous study to attain, depending on the school and system, Sonam said through translator Dhondup. Sonam became a monk when he was 9 and studied for 25 years, he said.\n"It is difficult to become a Geshe because each year the monastery only gives the title to a certain number of people," said Dhondup.\nThe monks plan to stay in the United States until February 2007.