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sechan19I was pointed in the direction of this article (from SFGate.com), about a little boy who did a tap dance on a partially completed sand mandala, by a good friend (who has his own very awesome blogsite that everyone should check out).
I wanted to post about this because I think it brings up an interesting concept - the notion of something being ruined. Click on the image to the right of the article to get a view of the boy's handiwork, and then tell me that's ruined. Granted, it's not what the monks who were creating the piece were going for (at least not yet), but it's certainly not "ruined." In fact, I think the result was completely beautiful, and highly illustrative of the wonders inherent to living within a chaotic system.
It also beautifully encapsulates the Buddhist concept of gyakuen; the idea that every stride taken in life - even those taken in the wrong direction - leads one toward enlightenment. Even anti-pilgrimage is pilgrimage. Even destruction is a kind of creation. Even those things we initially consider bad turn out to be good.
I wanted to post about this because I think it brings up an interesting concept - the notion of something being ruined. Click on the image to the right of the article to get a view of the boy's handiwork, and then tell me that's ruined. Granted, it's not what the monks who were creating the piece were going for (at least not yet), but it's certainly not "ruined." In fact, I think the result was completely beautiful, and highly illustrative of the wonders inherent to living within a chaotic system.
It also beautifully encapsulates the Buddhist concept of gyakuen; the idea that every stride taken in life - even those taken in the wrong direction - leads one toward enlightenment. Even anti-pilgrimage is pilgrimage. Even destruction is a kind of creation. Even those things we initially consider bad turn out to be good.
