In October of 2000, I started trying to figure out what sort of major course to offer for a two-week “mini-mester” that was part of my school’s academic schedule. During the mini-mester, students would take a “major” class that met for four hours per day, and a “minor” class that met for 2 hours per day. Teachers were free to offer courses outside of their regular subject areas, and both students and teachers usually enjoyed the change of pace that the mini-mester provided.
In 1999 I’d taught a special sculpture class for my younger students, but this year I wanted to do something different. I came up with the idea of doing a class that would be called “Sacred Circles,” and when I pitched it to the dean of academics, I said that students would study the different cultures that have used the circle in their religious art, and that they would also create their own circular artwork.
The dean approved the concept of “Sacred Circles” as a major course offering for the mini-mester, and as I seriously started researching the topic, I was surprised at the near-universal use of the circle in world religions. After my initial concern that maybe I wouldn’t have enough material for four hours per day for two weeks, I soon realized that I wouldn’t have time to cover all of the information that I was finding!
As I planned the art activities and my lectures, I became especially fascinated with Tibetan mandalas. I found a movie that I planned to show to supplement my lecture on Tibetan art, and when I previewed it, I was pleased to see that it contained a small segment that showed Tibetan monks creating a circular mandala out of sand. Very cool!
On the Saturday night before we were to start back on Monday, I had a good idea of how each day would be structured, but I was still hoping to include “something extra.” I hadn’t signed up to do any fieldtrips during the mini-mester, but there was a small art museum about 15 miles from our school. I couldn’t think of anything in their regular collection that would possibly relate to the theme of “Sacred Circles,” but since it’s always valuable to expose students to “real” art, I decided to check the museum’s website.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that a special art exhibit had just opened at the museum that was called “The Mystical Arts of Tibet”!
I knew that I’d have to figure out a way to take my students there because this would be the perfect “something extra” for the course!
As I excitedly read through the description of “The Mystical Arts of Tibet” exhibit, I was then stunned when I read that Tibetan monks would be creating a mandala at the museum during the first week of our course! WOW!
Through this marvelous and perfectly-timed episode of synchronicity, my students were able to see, first hand, the creation of a Tibetan mandala–one of the world’s most beautiful and spiritually significant “sacred circles.” 
© SKB 2000, 2023