User:Lilybillow/Mandala

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This is a proposed addition to the Mandala article:

Sand Mandalas
Sand mandalas are colorful mandalas made from sand in Tibetan Buddhism, each mandala is dedicated to specific deities and symbolizes their house. Sand mandalas are created by monks that have trained for 3-5 years in a monastery. These sand mandalas are made to be destroyed to symbolize the Buddhist belief that death is not the end, our essence will return to the elements. It is also related to the belief of not becoming  attached to anything. To create these mandalas first the monks create a sketch, they then take colorful sand traditionally made from powdered stones and gems into copper funnels called Cornetts and start to gently shake them to make a pattern. Each color represents attributes of deities. While making the mandalas the monks will pray and meditate, each grain of sand represents a blessing.