The Mandala

Our first art project of the year is a mandala. The mandala has spiritual importance in Hinduism and Buddism and is supposed to represents the universe in symbols. In the Buddist tradition, monks create mandalas. When I was travelling in India 10 years ago, I stayed in a village in Ladakh where I saw a group of monks creating a mandala out of sand. I couldn't help but wonder why anyone would work so hard on a piece of art that would blow away overnight or be washed away in the rain. My understanding is that sand mandalas are created to promote the idea that we should not become too attached to things of beauty, as they will not last.
Students in Room 202 will be creating mandalas which include symbols that they feel represent things which are important to them. These symbols could represent interests or values.