Danne
2010-04-11, 05:16 PM
So my school just finished hosting a pair of Tibetan monks while they created a sand mandala (Avalokiteshvara's) in our library. It was pretty nifty to watch, especially the way they put down the sand. It went into these hollow tubes, tapered at one end to control the flow. The tubes had a series of ridges along one side, and the monks ran a stick up and down the ridges, creating vibrations that knocked the sand from the tubes. And the colors were so bright!
I got back from the dissolution ceremony a little while ago, taking the mandala down to the river. A fascinating experience. (In short, my school is awesome. :smallcool:)
I did have one question: after sweeping up the sand, the monks tossed rice down onto the table and floor where they'd been working. I asked one of the monks about the significance of this later, but he didn't really have the English to fully explain. (Though his English > my Tibetan by a lot!) He did make an analogy to "deities throwing down flowers," and Google says something about rice symbolizing wealth, but I wondered if there was anyone here who could tell me more.
I got back from the dissolution ceremony a little while ago, taking the mandala down to the river. A fascinating experience. (In short, my school is awesome. :smallcool:)
I did have one question: after sweeping up the sand, the monks tossed rice down onto the table and floor where they'd been working. I asked one of the monks about the significance of this later, but he didn't really have the English to fully explain. (Though his English > my Tibetan by a lot!) He did make an analogy to "deities throwing down flowers," and Google says something about rice symbolizing wealth, but I wondered if there was anyone here who could tell me more.