Sweeping away the mandala
Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Southern India dismantle a sand mandala they constructed in early May at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in conjunction with the opening of the museum’s exhibit, “Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment.” With the exhibit’s closing this week, the monks dismantled the mandala in a ceremony last Saturday, sweeping up the sand to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists. (photo by Ava Reaves)
