an image of A Sand mandala which are colorful mandalas made from sand that are ritualistically destroyed. They originated in India in the 8th-12th century but are now practiced in Tibetan Buddhism.[24] Each mandala is dedicated to specific deities. In Buddhism Deities represent states of the mind to be obtained on the path to enlightenment, the mandala itself is representative of the deities palace which also represents the mind of the deity.[24] Each mandala is a pictorial representation of a tantra. for the process of making Sand mandalas they are created by monks that have trained for 3-5 years in a monastery.[25] These sand mandalas are made to be destroyed to symbolize impermanence, the Buddhist belief that death is not the end, and that one's essence will always return to the elements. It is also related to the belief that one should not become attached to anything.[26] To create these mandalas, the monks first create a sketch,[27] then take colorful sand traditionally made from powdered stones and gems into copper funnels called Cornetts[25] and gently tap sand out of them to create the sand mandala. Each color represents attributes of deities. While making the mandalas the monks will pray and meditate, each grain of sand represents a blessing.[26] Monks will travel to demonstrate this art form to people, often in museums.
