Mandala Sand Painting by a Tibetan Monk

The making of a sand mandala comes from an ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition involving ritual geometric patterns made from colored sand.The creation involves multiple persons, usually 4 monks, who each work on one side of the mandala. It’s a very long procedure.During the creation a lot of positive energy is aroused and concentrates in that particular spot. Each Buddha has his or her own mandala as it is regarded as the celestial residence of the Buddha. While the Sand Mandala is being created by monks, other monks pray and chant mantras, so this way the energy of the deity is called upon. This way the positive (healing) energies of the mandala are being released to the environment and to those who are around.Sand mandalas can take several weeks to build because of the large amount of work that is involved. Multiple monks work together on the project, creating one section of the mandala at a time, and working from inside out .The monks conclude their creation of the mandala with a special consecration ceremony. Once the sand mandala is completed it is destructed in a ritualistic way, with accompanying ceremonies and prayers. The different elements are removed in a specific order until at last the complete mandala has been dismantled. The colored sand is sweeped up to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists. Through the mixing of all colors the sand becomes grey. It is collected in a pot wrapped in silk.