Through work, I was able to be a part of an event celebrating the visit of a group of monks to New Hampshire. A lot of my family ended up tagging along and we had an amazing experience! These men have the most beautiful ways of thinking. Meeting them made me feel more enlightened and optimistic about life. I thought I'd post some of my photos from my day!
Throughout their visit, the monks created this mandala out of colored sand. It was so incredibly intricate! At the end of their visit, they dismantled it and poured the sand into the pond as a reminder that material things do not matter and the only thing permanent in life is impermanence.
A table of offerings was created in the room with the mandala around a photo of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
We participated in a stone painting activity. These two mean "peace" and "om".
They performed a Snow Lion dance in costume. I had some younger family members with me who seemed a little unsure of the costume, but it was very cool to see! the eyelids even blinked.
Some of my family, Chris, and myself.
A ceremony was held to dismantle the mandala. Afterwards, they chanted and led us down to the pond where they poured the sand into the water to bless the village.
As we were leaving, I saw one monk sitting alone on the hill. My favorite pictures from the day!
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The True Meaning of Life:
"We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, Something useful, with our lives. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Wow, what a great experience!
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