Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Phong: These are beautiful. I wish that I had known about it. Jim - http://www.hemenway.com Phong wrote: > A mandala is a painting made with extremely fine colored sand > typically done by Tibetan monks who received mandala training > as part of their religious training. It is a Tibetan buddhist > tradition rich with symbolism echoing the sacred texts. The > making of a mandala is a devotional ritual, culminating in the > dismantling of the mandala and disposing the sand into a nearby > stream or river, the act of which symbolizes the impermanence of life, > a fundamental belief in the buddhist teaching. I have always thought of > this not unlike the old Zen calligraphy masters who burnt the > scrolls after they are done with the art work. (Imagine burning > the negatives from your Leica ! ) > > The mandalas are constructed with great precision, > using very simple tools to dispense the fine sand grains. > They demand all the concentration and steadiness their makers can > muster. When finished, they have a three-dimensional feel to them, which > when added to the intricate geometric patterns makes them look like > a finely embroidered carpet. > > This past week, three Tibetan monks spent several days constructing > a mandala at MIT, here in Boston. I spent some time with them > during the process, and here are some photos. > > Comments, criticisms, etc. very welcome and appreciated as usual. > Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the photos. > > http://www.phongdoan.com/Photography/Mandala/ > > - Phong > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html