the monks of tashi kyil monastery are at randolph this week creating a sand mandala in the chapel. the creation and destruction of the complex design made from tiny grains of sand is a tibetan buddhist tradition symbolizing the impermanence of the material world.
the chapel is silent except for the occasional hum of a singing bowl and the insect-like sound the monks' brass tools make as they are rubbed together to release precise amounts of sand.
today is day two of their work. on wednesday the mandala will be complete. then it will be destroyed.
last week i devoured the entire season of orange is the new black. so many words and images from the show are seared onto my heart and mind. in one scene, yoga jones tells piper about the buddhist sand mandala and says, "work hard to make something as meaningful and beautiful as you can and when you're done, pack it in and know it was all temporary. you have to remember that--it's all temporary."
words that apply in many situations other than a prison sentence.
it's all beautifully temporary.
