◉ It can take days to weeks to complete a mandala. Once completed, the mandala is consecrated in a special ceremony.
◉ The mandala might then be conserved in permanence or deliberately destroyed in a ritualistic way.
- The different elements are removed in a specific order and the colours are mixed together creating a gray cross which is then swept into a pot.
- The sand is then ceremonially poured into the water and released back into nature. In this way, the positive and healing energies of the mandala are spread throughout the world.
◉ The conserved mandalas remain enduring objects of contemplation. Those that are destroyed serve as reminders that "nothing is permanent" - a fundamental belief in Buddhism.