fascinating mandala

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandalaspri/964672089/

I did a search on Flickr for "Mandalas" and this one came up. I create mandalas myself and I find the materials used to create this mandala are amazing! I am not sure what they are using but I would guess it is beans, shells and seeds. Imagine the patience and vision it took to create this!
When I make mandalas I follow the basic principle that the joy is in the process, not the finished product. When Tibetan monks make mandalas out of sand it takes them hours if not days to finish and they are created on the floor and made out of colored sand. The monks meditate on their mandala and then sweep the sand up into a pile and let the wind carry it away. This forces the artist to concentrate on the process not the finished product. When I make mandalas, I always give them away when I am done so as to keep that philosophy intact. I have made dozens of mandalas and I don't own one of them. It's all about the process! I find that this is a valuable lesson for me on "letting go"