Today my friend and I went to see a sand mandala created by the Gaden Shartse Monks. They have been in the US for 16 months touring and sharing their gifts.

Here is a link to their website.
http://www.gadenshartsecf.org

Here's a video I took of part of the ceremony.

And here's some pictures.

It was a beautiful creation! When the ceremony was finished each person that was there received a little bag of the sand from the mandala. The Monks said to either sprinkle it around your property, keep it as a memory or when someone is passing away, sprinkle it on the crown of their head to help reach a higher level of consciousness in the next life.

After everyone left, the Monks took the remaining sand and sprinkled it into a nearby stream. The sand will travel to other areas around via water and bless the life around.

It was very touching and enlightening. I will remember the Monk telling us that today is almost gone. It will not be here ever again so make the best of today and tomorrow. WE might be gone tomorrow, so make the best out of your life.

beautiful.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and photos.

I really enjoyed everything.

Such peaceful, wise and kindly souls the monks.

I love their colourful robes and the tradition of the sand sprinkling is very comforting.

Love Everytime x x

nice pics!

the Om in the mantra is sometimes spelled AUM, it represents the sound of the universe humming and its root is the same as omni- meaning All or That Thou Art.

I always remembered this piece from the upanishads.

"AUM is the bow, the arrow is the Self, Brahman the target. By the undistracted man is It penetrated, and One should come to be in It, as the arrow in the mark."

that's nice about the sand, I never heard that before.