Once the monks finished the Green Tara at the center of the mandala, they worked outward during the second and third days of their library residency. The expanding territory is laden with lines, shapes and characters that are rich in symbolism.
Rinpoche offered us a cheat sheet to help sort some of it out -- starting with the eight auspicious symbols that directly surround Green Tara. Here's a visual guide to what you see on Steamboat's mandala:
Clearly, Steamboat's enthusiastic sand painters have been watching the monks and gleaning some valuable lessons. The monks' attention to detail has wafted through the ether and landed in the imaginations of many community artists. As we work on the second edition of the Community Sand Painting, increasingly intricate designs continue to emerge.
