Lesson Two: Ephemeral Art

Objectives:

Procedure:

Two of the central concepts of Buddhism are the impermanence of all things and the necessity of remaining detached from the material world. Buddhist ritual reflects these ideas in the practice of creating elaborate works of art out of unstable materials and then destroying them. In the Himalayas, this ephemeral art is created in sand mandalas and butter sculptures. The process of creating these pieces can also be understood as a valuable form of meditative practice in its own right. This slide lecture, created by Dr. Dina Bangdel, is a wonderful introduction to these art forms.

Ephemeral Art slide lecture

Assessment:

After showing the powerpoint, ask students to reflect, either in a 1-2 page essay or an in-class freewrite, on the following question:

The Western tradition tends to collect and preserve any and all works of art in museums and galleries, and many of you may have even had your art projects hung proudly on your parent's refrigerator. Buddhists certainly have art that is intended to be permanent and stable, but the ephemeral art we just saw is also important. Keeping in mind what you know about the Buddhist worldview, reflect on why these ephemeral art forms developed and what they might mean to the Buddhist practitioner.