By Ed Reynolds

Local Tibetan Buddhist monk Ven. Tenzin Deshek will create a Chenrezig sand mandala from December 5 through 14 at the Energy Pointe Institute in conjunction with “10 Days of Tibet: A Celebration of Tibetan Buddhist Culture.” The mandala, which means “circle” in Sanskrit, is used as a meditation aid. Tibetan monks build sand mandalas symbolizing the residence of Enlightened Beings to help people as they meditate on the vast and profound enlightened state. Chenrezig refers to the Buddha of Compassion (a deity). The Dalai Lama, who is currently in his 14th incarnation (the first Dalai Lama was born in 1391) is the manifestation of Chenrezig. The primary deity of each mandala is located at the center of the design, which is the location of the throne within each palace.

“Meditation is trying to reduce our negative part, our negative actions . . . We are trying to gain a positive part,” Ven. Tenzin Deshek explained one recent afternoon at the Energy Pointe Institute, where a group meets each Tuesday evening to meditate. Deshek, who readily expresses appreciation that he is living in a country that allows him to practice his religion, fled Tibet for India in 1969, eventually arriving in the United States in July 2000. He has been in Birmingham since August 2002. In the past year, the meditation group has grown from half a dozen people to more than 25 weekly participants. The Tibetan monk, who has participated in the creation of approximately 25 mandalas over the past two decades, admits that Buddhism is perhaps not for everyone. “Different people have different tastes, you know?” said Deshek, whose Western influence is evident in the number of times he employs the phrase “you know” as he explains the elements of Buddhism.

This is his first time to create a mandala alone, and he stresses the importance of meditation in keeping his hands steady while delicately pouring the colored sand into impossibly precise patterns and shapes through the chakpur, a metal funnel. When asked if there is any significance to creating a sand mandala this time of year, Deshek responds, “It’s the best weather.” He adds that December 10 is the anniversary of the Dalai Lama receiving the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

The opening ceremony is Saturday, December 6, at 10 a.m. The mandala’s progress can be observed from 1 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 262-9186. &