11 - Matthieu RICARD (Born in 1946)

Matthieu RICARD (Born in 1946) The monks’ “circle of joy” at the end of a ceremony, Shechen Monastery, Boudhanath, Nepal, 1996 Art print, UltraChrome HDX pigment inks, Epson Premium glossy paper, mounted on 2mm Dibond 60 x 90 cm Label on the back of the mounting. This exhibition print may show slight marks or imperfections. Proceeds from the sale of this print will benefit the Karuna Shechen Association and its relief programs for victims of the August 26, 2026, floods in Nepal. The Shechen Monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal. At the end of a ceremony lasting nine consecutive days and nights, the mandala—meticulously drawn with sand of various colors—is scattered to symbolize the impermanent nature of all things. The sand is placed in an urn and carried in a procession to the river to be poured into it. When the procession returns to the monastery courtyard, the monks form a “circle of joy” (gakhyil), resembling the yin-yang symbol, before entering the temple for the conclusion of the ritual. The Tibetan monastery of Shechen in Boudhanath, Nepal. At the end of a long drupchen ceremony lasting nine consecutive days and nights, the mandala—drawn in precise detail with different colored sand—is swept up as a symbol of the impermanence of all phenomena. The sand is placed in an urn and carried in a procession to be scattered in a nearby river. The procession returns to the monastery courtyard, and the monks walk in single file in a formation known as the “circle of joy” (gakhyil)—resembling the Chinese yin-yang symbol—before returning to the temple for the conclusion.