@margonaut Several years ago they invited the public to observe the creation of a sand mandala by monks, and I went. The inside is simple but beautiful, dominated by a large statue of Buddha.
@eudora I've seen those sand mandalas a couple of times. If you go for the closing ceremony, they sweep it up (ugh! everything is temporary!) and give out little vials of the sand. Then there's a parade to the nearest body of flowing water, where the rest of the sand is released into the world, taking their prayers with it.
@margonaut I knew the mandalas were temporary, but I did not go for the closing ceremony. The symbolism is beautiful, as was the painting. There is an interfaith prayer breakfast in Baton Rouge next week where the Buddhist abbot and the Catholic Bishop will speak on bringing peace to our community. They will also pay tribute to 3 black Baptist churches burned by an arsonist in Louisiana this year.
