Teachers' Domain®
 

Organization:

Forgot Your Password?

Already have a TD account?

If you are already a Teachers' Domain user, sign in now to connect your Teachers' Domain and  accounts.

Your ID:  not your account?

Organization:

Forgot Your Password?

Signing in now will connect your  and Teachers' Domain accounts, so that in the future you will automatically be signed into Teachers' Domain when you come from .

Not yet registered?

Register now to download, share, and save resources. It's simple, safe, and free! Learn More

First time here?

As a  user, you may browse Teachers' Domain and view as many resources as you wish without registering.

However, for access to all of the features of Teachers' Domain, we'll need a little more information. Learn More

You are now "Test Driving" Teachers' Domain

You may view up to 7 resources in this limited trial period.

You have 6 views remaining. Register now for unlimited free access and to download, share, and save resources. Learn More

You are now "Test Driving" Teachers' Domain

As a user, you may view as many resources as you like without registering.

Register now to download, share, and save resources. Learn more

About Registration:

Registering with Teachers' Domain is free and allows you to:

  • • View as many resources as you like
  • • Save, sort, and share resources using My Folders and My Groups
  • • Download resources to your desktop
  • • See standards correlations for your state

Thank you for "Test Driving" Teachers' Domain

You have viewed all seven resources permitted in this limited trial period. You may continue to browse the site, but to view, download, share, and save resources, you must register now. Registration is simple, safe, and free.

For more information:

Learn about our online Professional Development Courses, or review our Privacy Policy.

If you still have questions, please contact us.

Recommended for: Grades 9-12

Resource: Tibetan Buddhist Mandala

WNET: Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Tibetan Buddhist Mandala Save to a folder

Loading...
 



Loading...
You must enter a valid email address.

Media Type:
QuickTime Video

Length: 3m 26s
Size: 9.6 MB

or

This video from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly features Tibetan Buddhist monks constructing and destroying a sand mandala, a circular diagram of intricate shapes and symbols used to facilitate meditation. The creation of a sand mandala can take days or weeks, as millions of grains of colored sand are laid into place to form a representation of Buddha's divine palace. After its completion, in a process that takes no more than a few minutes, the mandala is destroyed -- an act symbolizing the impermanence of life.

Alternate Media Available:

Transcript (Rich Text Format Document)

Supplemental Media Available:

Buddhism Glossary (PDF Document)

 

Teachers' Domain, Tibetan Buddhist Mandala, published July 2, 2009, retrieved on ,
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/awr09.socst.world.glob.mandala/

 

The three main vehicles, or paths, in Buddhism are Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Vajrayana Buddhism, also known as Tibetan Buddhism and the "diamond vehicle," emerged in India as an intersection of Mahayana and Theravada precepts, with Hindu influences. From northern India it migrated to Tibet where it fully developed and fused with Bon, a shamanic native tradition.

Central to Tibetan Buddhism is the belief that all sentient beings are endowed with an enlightened essence, and all thought and action should be geared toward manifesting it to help others also become enlightened. The Buddha taught that the path to enlightenment is through adherence to the four noble truths:

The truth that life is suffering.

The truth that desire causes suffering.

The truth that there is a way to end suffering.

The truth that the way to end suffering is to follow the Eightfold Path of Buddha.

All Tibetan Buddhism is based on these truths, as well as the principle of interdependence: Everything that is experienced results from a complex interplay of causes and conditions. Happiness and suffering, for example, do not arise without cause. Buddhists believe that when the interdependence of all things is fully realized, there is nothing to desire or resent, and suffering ends.

Tibetan Buddhist thought also stresses that the true nature of life is empty, and nothing is permanent. Once these beliefs are actualized, worldly attachments are easier to shed, and the path to enlightenment becomes clearer.

The law of karma, defined as the law of cause and effect, guides Tibetan Buddhists. An action that results in suffering is believed to be negative or evil, while one that results in happiness is believed to be positive or virtuous. Suffering and happiness produced by thoughts and deeds can be experienced in this life or the next, if one has not reached enlightenment and is compelled to rebirth.

Source: Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly: "Belief and Practice: Tibetan Buddhist Mandala"

Learn more about the Religion & Ethics segment "Belief and Practice: Tibetan Buddhist Mandala."

Resource Produced by:

WNET

Collection Developed by:

WNET

Collection Credits

Collection Funded by:

Corporation for Public Broadcasting The Henry Luce Foundation Lilly Endowment Mutual of America