A Tibetan Buddhist monk will return to Mohawk Valley Community College this month to create a detailed sand mandala, the Mandala of Compassion MVCC, in public, then dismantle it in a ceremony focused on compassion and the temporary nature of material life.
The Venerable Tenzin Yignyen will work in the Library at Payne Hall on MVCC’s Utica campus from Monday, Oct. 26, through Thursday, Oct. 29. The public may watch the process for free from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. each day.
MVCC said “the public is welcome to watch him at work,” making the event an open educational and cultural experience for students, families and other Mohawk Valley residents.
Four days of careful work at MVCC
Yignyen will create a ceremonial sand mandala based on the theme of compassion. A mandala is a carefully planned design with religious meaning in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The finished work is made from colored sand arranged into precise patterns.
Visitors do not have to attend every session. They may stop in during the posted hours and observe the image taking shape over several days. Watching the process can show how patience, concentration and repeated small actions build a complex work.
The event takes place in the Library inside Payne Hall at MVCC’s Utica campus, 1101 Sherman Drive. Admission is free. The schedule provides both morning and afternoon viewing periods from Oct. 26 through Oct. 29.
Public schedule
- Monday, Oct. 26, through Thursday, Oct. 29: Mandala construction from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30: Dismantling ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in the Library.
For event information, the public may call the MVCC Events Office at 315-731-5721. General college information is available through MVCC’s official website.
Why the mandala is taken apart
The public event does not end with the completed artwork being placed on permanent display. On Friday, Oct. 30, Yignyen will dismantle the mandala during a ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. in the Library.
According to MVCC’s announcement, the creation and destruction of the mandala represent the Buddhist teaching that material life is temporary. The ceremony is part of the work, not the loss of it.
After the mandala is dismantled, Yignyen will carry the sand to a body of water a short walk from campus and pour it into the water. That final action returns the material to nature and completes the ceremonial process.
The college said the dismantling ceremony is also open to the public. Visitors who plan to follow the group outdoors should check the weather and dress for the walk.
Yignyen brings decades of study
Yignyen is an ordained Tibetan Buddhist monk and a professor of Tibetan Buddhist studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. MVCC said he was ordained by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and entered Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India, in 1969.
He studied the monastery’s rituals and philosophy. In 1985, he received the monastery’s highest degree with highest honor, according to MVCC.
His return to Utica continues a relationship with the college and the community. Yignyen held another Mandala of Compassion demonstration at MVCC in April 2026. The October program gives people who missed that event another chance to see the full process.
The new dates also make the project more than a repeat display. Each mandala is created by hand, in real time, and then dismantled. The public sees the complete cycle rather than only a finished object.
A free cultural program for the Mohawk Valley
The event adds an international religious and artistic tradition to the local calendar while keeping access free. Students can connect lessons in art, religion, history and philosophy to a live demonstration on their own campus.
For community members, the open sessions offer flexibility. A person may visit briefly during one stage, return later to see the progress or attend the final ceremony. Families and school groups can also use the event as a starting point for age-appropriate conversations about compassion, patience and change.
Visitors should observe quietly and follow any directions from college staff so Yignyen can continue the detailed work. Photography rules may be set at the event, and guests should ask before taking close pictures.
The Mandala of Compassion will be created Oct. 26-29 and dismantled Oct. 30 at MVCC’s Utica campus. All announced sessions are free and open to the public.
