Bad kid karma ruins Buddhist picture :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Nation:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The little boy spotted the pile of colored sand and couldn’t resist. Slipping under a protective rope, he danced all over the sand, ruining the carefully crafted picture.
Never mind that it was the creation of Tibetan monks who had spent two days on the floor of Union Station, meticulously pouring the sand into an intricate design as an expression of their Buddhist faith.
They were more than halfway done with the design — called a mandala — on Tuesday when they ended their work for the day and left. The little boy showed up later with his mother, who was taking a package to a post office in the hall.
”He did a little tap dance on it, completely destroying it,” said Lama Chuck Stanford.
The monks saw the destruction Wednesday.
”No problem,” said Geshe Lobsang Sumdup, leader of the group. ”We have three days more.”
Go, Geshe! The point of doing sand paintings is that they are ephemeral. The leader’s response suggests he’s got that in mind. The reporter doesn’t quite get it.