Buddhist Sand Paintings

As with Buddhist tradition as a whole, sand painting has its roots in the Tantric legacy of Buddhist India, extending back more than 20,000 years to the time preceding the migration of the native North Americans from Central Asia. Thus we see similarities between it and the sand painting traditions of the natives of the southwest such as the Hopi and Navajo.

There are hundreds of mandalas in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. On the Mystical Arts of Tibet tours, the Lamas create many different types, including the mandalas of the Healing Buddha, Amitayus Buddha (the Buddha of Boundless Life), Yamantaka (the Opponent of Death), and Avalokiteshvara (the Buddha of Compassion). These are created when there is a need for the healing of living beings and the environment. The Lamas consider our present age to be one of great need in this respect and therefore construct these mandalas whenever requested during their world tours.

See this site for more information.