Kalachakra Mandala
Cleveland, Ohio - August, 2005

Earlier this month (1-7-09), I posted several images of a Tibetan sand mandala created at Jewel Heart Cleveland by renowned artist Sonam Dhargye. That was actually the second mandala I've had the honor and opportunity to witness and photograph. The first was a Kalachakra mandala, created in August of 2005 at the Cleveland City Hall rotunda, by lamas from Namgyal Monastery, the personal monastery of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, in Dharamsala, India.

Although not as personal an experience as the event at Jewel Heart, it was nonetheless exciting and very beautiful. Prior to 1989 Tibetan mandalas were never seen outside the monasteries in which they were created; it is now possible to witness these creations with greater frequency, as the high Tibetan Lamas living in the west offer these creations as a way to make Tibetan culture available to the people, and to plan for its preservation within western culture.









Shortly after the city hall event, I was able to begin formal instruction in Tibetan Buddhism at the Jewel Heart program in Cleveland.

This Monday, I will begin a course of study known as the Odyssey to Freedom. The paragraph below was borrowed from the Jewel Heart web site course description:

Jewel Heart's spiritual leader, Gelek Rimpoche created the Odyssey to Freedom as a concise and complete Lam Rim outline. The Odyssey encompasses the stages of the spiritual path from whatever your current situation is, to full enlightenment. Each topic is also addressed in a short videotaped teaching by Gelek Rimpoche. This course has 43 classes and is run in several sections. Introductory level class, new students welcome.

Jewel Heart Cleveland - November/December Newsletter

I plan to use this blog page to document my participation in the Odyssey to Freedom. On Wednesdays, I will also begin a short course of study on the Four Noble Truths, led by my dear friend Jewel Heart dharma coordinator Susie Kirchner.

My interest in Tibetan Buddhism has been inspired by the life of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. This year will mark the fifty year anniversary of the Chinese Invasion of Tibet, which was followed by the escape of His Holiness to India where the Tibetan Government in Exile was established. He was accompanied by a retinue that included Jewel Heart founder Gelek Rimpoche.

Since the beginning of exile, His Holiness has been a tireless fighter for the spiritual freedom of Tibet. A practical person, His Holiness has not advocated for Tibetan Independence from China, recognizing that the military power of China could not be overcome. Last November, after the failure of talks between China and Tibet for improved autonomy, His Holiness held a dialogue in Dharamsala, India in which he encouraged the emergence of new Tibetan leadership, accepting that his "Middle Way" course has failed. It is very possible that when new leadership does emerge, younger Tibetans will begin to push for full Tibetan independence. His Holiness has announced that he may appoint his successor, the 15th Dalai Lama, rather than follow the traditional selection process, in order to prevent the Chinese from manipulating the succession as they did with the Panchen Lama, who remains a political prisoner inside China.

Update: Saturday January 24, 2009

Went fishing on Youtube for examples of sand mandalas under construction. Thank you to the contributors.