Teaching is reminiscent of the Buddhist mandalas. No two mandalas are identical, but all are beautiful and colorful works of art. All sand mandalas are created by hand with intricate details. Therefore, creating a mandala takes an enormous amount of patience, resolve and cooperation. A sand mandala can take several weeks to complete, which is why several monks will usually work on one project together.
After the mandala is completed and the ceremonies and public viewings are over, the mandala is intentionally destroyed by sweeping the sand to the side. This signifies the law of impermanence – that nothing lasts forever, and everything is in constant change.