Tibetan Sand Painting

I got to see something amazing this week. A small group of Tibetan Monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery are in Steamboat creating a mandala sand painting. The painting is delicate and so vibrant! They use tubes of metal with ridges to hold the sand. They quickly rub the ridges with another metal piece to make the sand flow out.

The energy in the room was wonderful. I'm sad I won't be able to go to the closing ceremony tomorrow evening. They finish the painting and leave it for people to look at for about an hour and then destroy it. It's all about compassion and impermanence. There's an article about it in the Steamboat Pilot.