From outside the box

"Do you really do this from memory?" I asked as I leaned over the table trying to get a closer look at the Sand Mandala the Buddhist Monk had been laboring on for several days. Layed out before me was a complex structure of intricately placed grains of colorful sand. The Tibetan Monk (or Monks) will spend about 30 days making the Mandala out of sand and when it is finished it is carefully put into a jar and released into a river. The purpose is that whatever the monks were meditating on while making the Sand Mandala, usually peace, will be spread out to the world by releasing it into a river or the wind. It is truly a labor of love as well as a testimony to what can be done with enough patience and skill.

"Wow, that's beautiful" I said as stood over the Mandala with a can of "dust off" in my hands aiming it right at the Sand Mandala. The monk looked nervously at the can of "instant wind" probably trying to figure out what I was up to. "Dad, give me that" said my son Brady as he grabbed the can from my hands. The monk must have breathed a sigh of relief as we exited the halls of the BMU.

Let me back up a few minutes here. I had no intention of destroying the Sand Mandala, I swear! Brady and I had just exited the college bookstore where we had bought some computer programs for Brady's Mac. While we were there we asked if they had anything to clean the dust out of the inside of Brady's computer. After our purchases, Brady's hands were full so I offered to carry the can of "Dust Off". As we were exiting the bookstore I noticed the monk over by the stairs. I had heard that a monk was working on a Sand Mandala in the BMU but had never actually seen a Sand Mandala. "Brady, let's check it out" I said as we moseyed over to the table the monk was working on. I wasn't even thinking about what I had in my hand as I aimed the can of air spray right at the Sand Mandala to ask about it. It would have been an easy mistake to pull on the handle and set the air off. Thankfully my 14 year old son was conscious of the whole situation. I never had a clue until we were walking away and Brady mentioned what had just happened. "So that's why the monk was acting so weird", I thought out loud. If any of you ever watch "Family Guy", you'll understand how I felt like Peter Griffin at that moment.

Later as I thought about what I had just done, or worse yet, what could have happened, I laughed to myself at the idea of getting my ass kicked by a Tibetan Monk. But then again, I couldn't have blamed him. If you have the time, it really is worth a trip to the BMU to check out the Sand Mandala that is slowly taking shape. Just don't be waving around any cans of air spray when you do!