A lovely short film on the creation of a Sand Mandala in the Tibetan way. Although not a tradition in the Zen schools (those guys are a lot more colorful than we are!), the heart of this work is the same ... one grain, and one grain, and just one grain ... all amid impermanence ...
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/?hpt=C2
I am reminded of a story, perhaps apocryphal (I have not tracked down the original) told of a group of Tibetan monks invited to create a sand mandala at a museum in San Francisco. After days of precise, careful work ... one grain and one grain for hundreds of thousands of grains ... a passing homeless man who was disturbed, as the mandala neared completion, jumped into it and, kicking his feet, destroyed the fruits of all that effort! The museum staff was aghast!
But not the monks. What did they do?
They cleaned the floor, bowed, and began again ... one grain, and one grain, and just one grain ... impermanence ...
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/?hpt=C2
I am reminded of a story, perhaps apocryphal (I have not tracked down the original) told of a group of Tibetan monks invited to create a sand mandala at a museum in San Francisco. After days of precise, careful work ... one grain and one grain for hundreds of thousands of grains ... a passing homeless man who was disturbed, as the mandala neared completion, jumped into it and, kicking his feet, destroyed the fruits of all that effort! The museum staff was aghast!
But not the monks. What did they do?
They cleaned the floor, bowed, and began again ... one grain, and one grain, and just one grain ... impermanence ...
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