Unity in Chicago, a spiritual organization, hosts the third annual TIBETfest

Sand mandala will be built in advance of fest -- the festival itsself is being called a A Little Bit of Tibet" Featuring Food, Cultural Programs, Sacred Arts

Chicago, IL -- July 11, 2002 -- Unity in Chicago and the TIBETcenter are hosting the third annual TIBETfest, a celebration of Tibetan culture and sacred arts, on Saturday, July 20 from 10 a.m. -- 7 p.m. at Unity in Chicago (1925 W. Thome, 1 blk west of Ridge). Among the many highlights of the festival is the viewing and dismantling of the Metrupa sand mandala. This mandala ceremony was recently performed in both New York and Washington D.C. as an act of healing the September 11 tragedies.
The Metrupa sand mandala will be available for viewing throughout TIBETfest and will then be ceremonially dismantled at the end of the day. The manadala being created during the seven day preceding the festival is by the Venerable Nawang Chojor, who is a senior monk from Namgyal Monastery (the Personal Monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama).
The sacred art of sand mandala has been handed down for the past 2500 years. The elaborate designs of the mandala painting are created using colorful sand: each mandala representing the dwelling place of a particular Tibetan diety. The mandala includes various images that represent particular qualities or energies; as the mandala is constructed, the monks use mandala as a focal point for attaining spiritual realization of those energies. After the mandala is created, it is dismantled and swept away in a ceremony that serves to release the mandalas positive energies/qualities into the world. The Metrupa mandala is specifically recommended when mass deaths have occurred. The deity Metrupa is said to purify negative actions and bring about positive energy.
The week before the festival (Sunday, July 13 -- Friday, July 19) the creation of the samd mandala will be open to the public free ( 10 a.m to 6 p.m. daily with a 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. lunch break). Admission for TIBETfest on Saturday, July 20 is by donation: $7.00 at the door; $5.00 for seniors and children. For further information on TIBETfest and the building of the Metrupa Mandala, contact Tsering Tashi, President of TIBETcenter at 773-743-7772 or visit the website at www.buddhapia.com/tibet.