Continuing the ecumenical monastic tradition begun between Trappist monk Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama, the Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine invited the Tashi Kyil monks to create the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala to recognize the common goal of compassion among all spiritual traditions and philosophies in the response to suffering.
The Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala was created in particular to honor the compassion of people working in healthcare and anyone who dedicates their life to making the world a better place.