Impermanence
[Ephemeral Art]
This was a meditative practice in focus and patience, in letting go and worrying less. It doesn’t follow a particular tradition but it was born out of my fascination for kolams and mandalas, their significance and the process behind them.
Growing up I’ve always been fascinated by kolams especially when I visit India where grandmas and mums would wake up at the crack of dawn, sweep the front of their house and adorn the streets with these intricate patterns made of rice flour. Kolams, which means 'form and beauty', are seen as the meeting point between the internal and external, the human and the spirit world. The ephemeral nature of kolams, yet the daily ritual of creating them, speaks to the two concepts of change and continuity.
For generations Tibetan monks have a tradition of creating sand mandalas. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning 'container of essence'. It is believed that the mandala has a role of healing the community and the environment. And for the creator, it invites them to develop their minds potential and break down the barriers of normal life.
At the core of all of this is ‘impermanence’. Impermanence speaks to our essence carrying on beyond this lifetime and is a reminder to not get attached to things. The destruction of the sand mandala embodies this. As we return to the elements, so too does the sand mandala.
This was a meditative practice in focus and patience, in letting go and worrying less. It doesn’t follow a particular tradition but it was born out of my fascination for kolams and mandalas, their significance and the process behind them.
Growing up I’ve always been fascinated by kolams especially when I visit India where grandmas and mums would wake up at the crack of dawn, sweep the front of their house and adorn the streets with these intricate patterns made of rice flour. Kolams, which means 'form and beauty', are seen as the meeting point between the internal and external, the human and the spirit world. The ephemeral nature of kolams, yet the daily ritual of creating them, speaks to the two concepts of change and continuity.
For generations Tibetan monks have a tradition of creating sand mandalas. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning 'container of essence'. It is believed that the mandala has a role of healing the community and the environment. And for the creator, it invites them to develop their minds potential and break down the barriers of normal life.
At the core of all of this is ‘impermanence’. Impermanence speaks to our essence carrying on beyond this lifetime and is a reminder to not get attached to things. The destruction of the sand mandala embodies this. As we return to the elements, so too does the sand mandala.
©Rekha2023
