And we’re live! The monks are here right now working on their Tibetan sand mandala. You can see the exquisite gridwork that they’re laying down, the first step in creating a highly detailed mandala. Also pictured: colored sand and instruments.

This is a very special opportunity to see the monks — from a monastery in South India — creating a mandala. They’ll be working through Sunday. Upon completion the mandala will be destroyed, an important lesson of Buddhism (nothing is permanent).