Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala:
Tibetan Sacred Harmony World Peace Tour
With the Monks of Gaden Shartse Phukhang
Guru Day Livestream
January 26th at 9am
On the auspicious days of Medicine Buddha Day and Guru Day on the Tibetan lunar calendar, we will be opening the Pure Land Farms livestream to give our international sangha access to the healing space of the Medicine Buddha sand mandala. The monks of Gaden Shartse will chant, give a short teaching and guided meditation and participants will be able to view the ongoing construction of the mandala.
Online livestream viewing hours:
January 26 (Medicine Buddha Day)
January 28 (Guru Day)
9 - 11am Los Angeles/ Pacific Time
12 - 2pm New York/ Eastern Time
6 - 8pm Rome/ Central European time
These meditations will replace Pure Land Farms regular monthly practice on these days.
THE MONKS OF GADEN SHARTSE PHUKANG
MEDICINE BUDDHA SAND MANDALA
January 24th - February 1st 2026
Opening Ceremony — January 24th 10am
Closing Ceremony — February 1st 10am
Mandala means literally "that which extracts the essence." There are many different types of mandalas used by Tibetan Buddhists. Sand mandalas are without doubt the most creative, labor and concentration intensive of all mandalas created. Sand mandalas represents the architectural layout of the entire celestial palace of a specific deity. The Menla mandala represents the dwelling of the Medicine Buddha, who embodies the perfection of the physical and mental health of all beings. There are multilayered symbolic images throughout the “palace,” where iconography, placement, and color all have significance. Additionally, to the learned Tibetan Buddhist monk, the mandala represents his vision of the entire universe.
Colored sand is applied very precisely by the gentle rubbing of a sand-filled metal cone that has had its tip removed. The Master must be the first to initiate the mandala, and does so by placing the first drops of sand. The outline of the mandala is defined with a compass and scale ruler and must have exact measurements. Upon completion, the monks will dissolve the mandala representing the Buddha’s teachings of impermanence. In upholding the principle of impermanence, the monks sweep up the mandala and place the sand in the nature to purify the surrounding environment.
