A Practice in Perfection Shows Who Really Is Perfect

A Sand Mandala measured out perfectly, meticulously created
by Buddhist Monks
photo courtesy Do512Family

What is perfection?

I have come to know that only God is perfection, however, when I saw a short blurb about the practice of Buddhist Monk's creating sand mandalas, I have to admit, I thought it was a creation of perfection!

Each Mandala is perfectly measured out.  A perfect mathematically-measured design.

Each section is meticulously created by shaking sand out of a metal wand so that the perfect amount of sand is dispersed.

The sand is colored with fruit and vegetable dye so it is created in the perfection of God.

The mandalas take three to four days to complete.

They are made as a practice in awareness and presence of the Monks.

Each Monk must be present to the design so as not to color in the incorrect color.

The Monks stay silent and are steeped in the perfect awareness of the creation.

And then, the impossible....

....only minutes after the mandala is finished, it is destroyed. 

Destroyed to learn and embody the practice of detachment.  

Not getting attached to anything that is not the Inner Presence of God.

This practice is a ritual that seems perfect, but really, it's a practice that there is only One that is perfect, and that is God.

No matter how hard we try, no matter how beautiful our physical creations are, no matter how organized our home is, no matter how good everything looks on the outside, the only perfection is found on the inside of each and every one of us.

On the flip side, no matter how disasterous things may be in our lives, no matter what chaos we have going on, none of it matters, because perfection is found from within.

Each of us is perfect.  

Each of us is a morsel of God and God is perfection.

When we realize that, nothing on the outside matters, just like each Monk that creates a sand mandala knows that the perfection of that beautiful creation is nothing like the perfection within.

Here's a short video about the creation of a sand mandala.  

I invite you to watch it.  It's a fascinating process and a practice that is sure to make you say, "wow..."