The Sacred Circle of the East Meets the Holy Spirit of the West. Holy Names College in Oakland California is uniquely blessed to host from March 24, 1999 through April 3, 1999 the creation of as Sand Mandala by the Tibetan Buddhist Nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery. The Mandala will be created day by day over a ten-day period, and at the end will be ritually dissolved. A Sand Mandala has never before been created by Tibetan nuns in the Americas.
An unprecedented interfaith dialogue with female monastics from the Tibetan and Catholic traditions will occur on the Holy Names campus March 28, 1999, answering the questions ‘Why in this post-modern world would a woman ordain as a nun? and ‘What is the importance of meditation as a spiritual practice and an interfaith connection?’ This dialogue will be preceded by a shared interfaith meditation by Barbara Hazzard, OSB, a Benedictine monastic and Director of the Hesed Foundation, A World Community for Christian Meditation Center.
The grand finale of the nuns’ tour is the April 3, 1999 ceremony of the Dissolution of the Mandala, followed by a pre-performance catered dinner (informal, outdoor seating). The evening’s highlight is the ceremonial performance of the "The Bliss Whirl of the Sky Dancers" the twirling ritual dance symbolizing female enlightenment. The evening’s performance will begin with Gregorian chanting by the groups Exaudi nos and Cum Jublio as an interfaith prayer offering to the Tibetan nuns.