Sacred geometry

Completed madala

This past week the elementary school has been celebrating India week. Each year the school brings in a variety of craftspeople, performers, and other individuals that are just samples of what make India such a varied and fascinating country. This year we were particularly lucky to have 3 Tibetan monks stay for a few days and create a sand peace mandala. A symbolic form of prayer, where each individual element has meaning, it is also a work of art made all the more impressive by its impermanence. The monks spent a day and half carefully allowing sand to fall out of specially made metal cones, creating a design that not only had great detail but also had a three dimensional aspect to it. How they can create such a thing with sand is still beyond my comprehension despite watching them work for about half an hour with only each other and their mental plan to reference. Then to watch them sweep it up at the end of the second day releasing the work as prayer for peace and the happiness of all things sent home the message of impermanence.

Laying down sand carefully

Each piece of the mandala has its own meaning. The middle with the lotus flower is a symbol of purifying passion into awareness. In each direction from there are seated the retinue of Avalokiteshvara (who represents freedom from attachment), purified aspects of hatred (blue), misery (yellow), ignorance (white) and jealousy (green).  The outermost circle with its burning flames are for protection and to burn away the delusion and darkness of ignorance. The process of visualizing and meditating on the different meanings embedded in the mandala brings about change in the psyche of each individual as it helps to lead them to a more purified state. In fact it is believed that just a glimpse of the mandala can create a positive impression on an individual, touching them for a moment with the potential for perfect enlightenment.

Detail of the mandala

And so I wish you a week filled with peace and happiness as symbolized in this mandala for so short a time period.