Gaining Perspective Through Culture

Through travel, art and education, we try to expose Grayson to as many cultures as possible and recently had an opportunity to witness Tibetan monks perform a sand mandala opening ceremony. They were in Norman for a week to build the sand mandala and host talks about their Buddhist traditions and culture.

It's part of the Compassion Tour which includes monks who fled Tibet in the 1970s and painstakingly rebuilt their monastery in India. One of the dorms, which housed approximately 85 monks, was destroyed (I think by fire, but I don't recall for sure) and this tour is helping raise funds to rebuild and reunite the monks who have been displaced. 

These men have faced great adversity and are very fascinating. You can read more about sand mandalas here, but it's a part of their meditation practice as well as an art form. Everything about this process is symbolic and intentional. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is arbitrary. 

Before they begin working on the mandala, the monks invite in deities, cleanse the space and honor the tradition. They sing prayers and play instruments as an offering. 

We were a bit concerned about bringing Grayson to the ceremony since it started right about the time he's usually getting ready for bed, but he really seemed to take it all in and was very respectful, still and quiet during the entire thing. 

Despite the language barrier, it's amazing how much small gestures can communicate. One of the monks even gave Gray a high-five when we arrived and they seemed happy to see him there and welcomed us. 

Here are four of the monks right before they preformed the opening ceremony

The mandala starts in the center and is worked out from there. They fill little metal tubes with colored sand and tap it to control the speed at which it comes out. Such tedious and intricate work!

Don't even think about sneezing or coughing in the direction of the table! All that sand and hard work could be wiped out in an instant!

Here's a better shot where you can see the geometric pattern they will follow with the colored sand

They started the mandala Tuesday night and we went back on Thursday to see their progress. You could come and go throughout the day and see how the mandala changed throughout the week. It was really incredible!

They also had a table set up where you could try it yourself. 

Grayson really liked practicing with different colors of sand and probably could have stayed there for hours. After practicing with the tools, it gives you even more respect for how easy the monks make it look. 

Another amazing part of this tradition is that after spending hours and days creating this masterpiece, they ritualistically destroy it to symbolize their belief that material possessions and life are fleeting. Kinda puts it all in perspective.