Buddhist Monk Begins Sand Painting for Peace in Philadelphia

by KYW's Karin Phillips

A local Buddhist monk will spend the next four weeks constructing a sand painting to help bring peace to his adopted city of Philadelphia.

Members of the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia joined with Venerable Losang Samten on Monday in prayers and chants around a roped-off platform in the lobby of the Gershman Y, at Broad and Pine Streets in center city. 

Over the next four weeks, he says, he will construct a colorful and intricate mandala -- a flat sand sculpture -- for the benefit of Philadelphia:

"Traditionalists believe about creating these mandalas for certain places. It will be a benefit for the places and the people."

Venerable Losang has created mandalas all over the world.  Barbara Montgomery is co-president of the Buddhist Center:

"Particularly as Philadelphia is in such a crisis,  and he wanted to offer it in Philadelphia since Philadelphia is his home."

There'll be a series of special events throughout the creation of the mandala, until November 22nd when, in accord with tradition, it will be dismantled and its sand tossed into the Schuylkill River. 

(Photos by KYW's Karin Phillips)