By ELAINE ROSE
ATLANTIC CITY – Sitting at the receiving end of two 12-foot-long horns, 5-year-old twins James and Jesse Thibault covered their ears in anticipation of the sound that was about to emerge. But their fear soon turned to fascination, as the boys were enthralled with the cymbals, bells, horns and drums that seven Tibetan monks used to bless a work of sand art in front of them.
Even on tippy-toe, the Thibault twins were too short to see the multi-colored sand mandala spread out on the table at the Atlantic City Art Center Saturday morning. They have no idea where or what Tibet is. But they were among about 100 people who strained their necks to see the work before it all was swept away.
The monks from the Drepung Loseling monastery – re-established in India after Chinese Communists occupied Tibet in 1959 – were sponsored by the Stockton Performing Arts Center. They had been in town since Tuesday, as they created the sand mandala and gave a performance of sacred music and dance on the Boardwalk.
The mandala – an intricate geometric design about a yard square – is constructed to create healing energy and to purify the environment, said group spokesman Tenzin Legden. The many symbols represent values such as love and compassion. After it is consecrated by the monks, the mandala is dismantled to show that all things are temporary. The sand is then sprinkled into a body of water to spread the blessings far and wide.
After about 15 minutes of rhythmic instrumentals and chanting, the oldest monk circled the mandala several times while ringing a bell. Then he cut lines through the mandala, and a second monk used a brush to sweep all the sand to the center.
Grimaces of pain were evident on many faces in the audience, as the work that took seven men four days to complete was demolished in less than five minutes.
The ceremony was “pretty powerful,” said Belinda Manning of Pleasantville, as the monks distributed small bags of the blessed sand for people to take home.
Manning recently lost her father, star Negro League player Max Manning. His portrait hanging in the adjacent room was a reassurance during the ritual, she said.
“The universe provides many avenues for you to experience the spirit,” Manning said.
The monks placed the remaining sand in a small urn, and blasted their horns and bells as they led a procession to the New Jersey Avenue beach. Several tourists and beachgoers taking advantage of a perfect sunny day stopped to watch the ritual.
The monks stood in a line on the beach and chanted one final blessing. Then 10-year-old Nikki Djambinov of Ventnor was given the honor of pouring the sand into the surf.
Making the Mandala
The question that many Americans ask is how can the monks work so diligently on a piece of art only to destroy it?
It is a reminder that “existing things are impermanent,” Legden said.
The monks meditate as they work on the mandala, Legden said. As they grind the sand with great precision out of a metal funnel called a chapkur, they visualize peace and compassion for all sentient beings.
A smaller, less intricate mandala was set up nearby for the public to experience the process first hand.
Those who chose to attempt the task, with a monk on hand to give instructions, soon realized how quickly one could enter a trance-like state while creating a mandala. With focus on a tiny section of the design, and the task of dropping the sand in just the right place, all thoughts of worldly matters soon dissolve.
“It starts to flow after a while,” said Beverly Blink of Vineland. “It sort of gets into your subconscious mind.”
Twelve-year-old Heather Nuscis of Cape May Court House leaned against the table, grinding a stick up and down the chakpur to release the sand.
“I thought it was pretty cool, so I came to see the culture,” she said.
Her cousin, Laura Barndt, 13, was busy outlining a section of turquoise sand.
“You have to bend over and you have to be precise,” Laura said. “But you think it’s going to be harder than it really is.”
Heather’s mother, Adella Nuscis, said she took a course in Buddhism at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, and brought the girls to the ritual to experience the culture. The tonal chants from Tuesday’s opening ceremony awakened some deep feelings.
“To see this come to life after learning about it is incredible,” Adella Nuscis said. “The movies that were shown, the reading that we did, just don’t compare to seeing it in person.”
To most of the hundreds of people who witnessed a ceremony or saw Friday night’s performance on the Boardwalk, the monks were all seriousness. There were some joyful, even comic, parts of the sacred music and dance, but the words were understood by few.
Nikki Djambinov and her brother George saw a different side of the monks. As one of the few Buddhists in the area, her family hosted the visitors for several meals during their stay in town, Nikki said.
“They’re really very friendly and playful,” Nikki said. “They love playing Game Cube, soccer and basketball, and running on the beach.”
“They also liked scaring us,” added George, 8. “They always sneaked up on us and went ‘Boo!'”
Elaine Rose at The Press: ERose@pressofac.com (609) 272-7215
