Tibetan monks are here at the "Sprawl of America" creating this awesome Mandala, I had to share this with my pals.. The construction of the Sand Mandala is one of the most awe inspiring and memorable experiences I've had. In Tibetan it is called dul-tson-kyil-khor (which means mandala of colored powders). Millions of grains of colored sand are painstakingly placed on a flat platform. The Mandala has inner, outer, and secret meanings. On the outer level the Mandala represents the world in its divining form; on the inner, enlightenment; and the secret level depicts the perfect balance of body and mind. The Mandala teaches simply "being here now". It will help to create a gateway to pure bliss, peace, healing and harmony in the world. The Mandala can help one reach enlightenment, free of all obstacles, and filled with compassion and wisdom. You will feel the peace and healing this powerful work of living art will generate, and will remember it for the rest of your life. The Mandala is constructed on a Theg-pu (mandala base), with measured lines, compass, ruler, and white ink pen. After the pattern is laid out, colored sand is applied through the end of a metal funnel, called a chakpu, which is rasped against another funnel with various sized openings. The sand painting's root extends back 15,000-20,000 years, and has similarities in its use with the newer sand paintings of the Hopi and Navajo of our own southwest. Construction of the Mandala begins at the center and works outward, as the Mandala is made in the spirit of impermanence and non-attachment, to be washed away. In this way the Tibetan Buddhist monks build planetary peace a grain of sand at a time. They should be finished tomorrow. Peace! ;)