Frome’s new venue The Good Heart will be hosting the creation of a peace mandala, an ancient Tibetan ritual dedicated to bringing peace and harmony into the world, on Thursday 13th September from 9.30am – 3.30pm.
The exquisite mandala will be patiently created by eight senior monks from Tashi Lhunpo monastery in South India, using millions of grains of coloured sand. The event is free of charge and there will be tea, cakes and a raffle to raise funds for Tashi Lhunpo monastery, which is home to 400 Tibetans in exile.
Around 4pm (weather permitting) the monks will walk to Jenson Button Bridge, where the mandala sand will be scattered into the river as a blessing for the town and surrounding countryside. At 5.30pm there will be a special vegetarian three-course meal at The Good Heart provided by Tibetan Memories (booking highly recommended) and at 7pm the doors will open at the Cheese & Grain for an evening of Tibetan and Mongolian Music and Sacred Dance from the Roof of the World.
“Watching a sand mandala come to life is an extraordinarily calming experience,” says organiser Alison Murdoch. “The artistry of the monks is incredible – and then, as a symbol of impermanence, the entire work of art is destroyed. I always find this a shock. Few of us will have the good fortune to travel to Tibet, so this is a rare opportunity to watch this centuries-old sacred practice right here in the heart of Frome. Everyone is welcome to drop in, even just for five minutes.”
The Good Heart is located at 7 Palmer Street, Frome BA11 1DS and is a one-year pop-up, dedicated to exploring kindness in all its forms. It is now open weekdays 9am – 3pm for delicious vegetable curries.
