Tibetan monks are at Cal Poly to create art — and then destroy it

Tibetan monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery, exiled in India, are at Cal Poly this week as part of their “Mystical Arts of Tibet” international tour.

Endorsed by the Dalai Lama, the goal of the tour is to contribute to world peace and healing, raise awareness of the endangered Tibetan civilization and to support the Tibetan refugee community in India. For five days, the monks create a mandala, or painting, from millions of grains of brilliantly colored sand in the University Union.

When the mandala is completed Friday, the monks will perform a closing ceremony at noon, destroying the artwork as a symbol of the impermanence of all things. The monks also will give a Sacred Music/Sacred Dance performance at 8 p.m. Friday in Spanos Theatre. Tickets are available at www.calpolyarts.org.

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Tibetan monks are at Cal Poly to create art — and then destroy it."