DANBURY, CONN. —After chanting mantra prayers to call forth all goodness and compassion, a group of Buddhist monks will spend a week creating an intricate sand exhibit at Western Connecticut State University.

Beginning on Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at the Westside Campus Center on the Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury, the monks will use millions of grains of colorful said to create a Compassion Mandala — a three-dimensional representation of the world in its divine form. The monks sit on the floor to apply the sand on the mandala, an ancient form of art created over several days during a sacred ritual. The design of the mandala is to generate compassion.

The opening ceremony begins Monday at 9:30 a.m. with construction following and continuing Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 16 through 17, from 9:30 to 5:30 p.m. Viewing will be Thursday, Oct. 18, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. On Friday at 12:45 p.m., the sand will be dispersed into water on campus to spread its blessed healing intentions into the universe.

The event is a collaboration between the university, the Do Ngak Kunphen Ling Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace in Redding and the Sacred Art Tour Group Monks of Drepung Gomang Monastery.

The exhibit compliments the upcoming visit of Nobel Peace Prize recipient, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, to WCSU in October.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.