The Great Mandala

I noticed in last week's local Laguna Beach paper that a group of Tibetan monks were here to create a sand mandala. Always having loved that old Peter Paul and Mary song "The Great Mandala", I ventured over to the church where they were working to see what this was all about. As I sat there and watched, the words from that song filled my head:

Take your place on The Great Mandala,

As it moves through your brief moment of time.

The monks worked without discussion or guidance as the shapes and colors took form - they were into their own thoughts and rhythms as the sand was shaken onto the design. And in the brief moment of time that I was there I began to feel a calm connection to what obviously had been known to them forever; and again, the words from the song:

And it's been going on for ten thousand years!

So take a deep breath, feel and experience all that is around you, and understand that what you do today forever becomes a of the vibrations of the universe. Be kind, respect others, do what's right, and above all treat others the way you want to be treated. That's what came to me as I watched this amazing display of discipline and craftsmanship.

This week's message challenges you to know where you want to go, and how you want to get there.

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” Confucius

Where are you going today, and how are you planning to get there?? Most would say the key to success is based largely on a positive attitude. This comes from believing in yourself, and being prepared intellectually and physically, and then having the courage to give it your all so that when you’re done you have no regrets. Many would call this self-motivation, others might say it’s stick-to-it-tiveness; but really it’s a matter of pride. Being proud of yourself, what you do, how you do it and the effect it has on others. So, whatever it is you’re involved in today – know why you’re doing it, understand how it needs to be done, take your time doing it right, and then finish and present it as if it were a gift to someone you love. Wherever you go today, whatever you’re doing today, however it needs to be done – go there with all your heart.

Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC) was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the ‘Spring and Autumn’ Period. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Stay well!