To some of my readers who are accustomed to reading my blips and blurps on favorite restaurants, skimboarders and coffeehouses here at LagunaBeachBest, I’m betting that my ongoing coverage of the Tibetan Sand Mandala’s creation here in Laguna Beach was a bit of a joggle.

Fact is, though, as I’ve said from the very beginning of this blog, there is nothing more eclectic than Laguna Beach … thus, no better place for five Tibetan monks to design, methodically create and … as of this afternoon (Tuesday), methodically “dissolve” their mandala masterpiece. I’ve been fascinated from Day One. There was no way I could NOT go back daily to watch their progress. Over the week’s time, we became familiar faces to each other, and I loved seeing their distinctive personalities burble to the surface (particularly when our lovely Tibetan monks learned how to ocean kayak – See my photo gallery of the fun event)

Today’s finished masterpiece before “dissolution” began:

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While the preceding five days have been rather serene, meditative moments in the Congregational Church’s sanctuary, today’s final ceremony for the Tibetan Sand Mandala was a colorful riot of people, cameras, videos and photographers on ladders set against the placid movements, rhythmic chanting and smiling acceptance of five Tibetan monks.

Hundreds of people crowded in to watch the monks finish their Mandala … and then ceremonially destroy it. I’ve never seen – nor felt – anything like it in my life.

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I’ve taken hundreds of photos over the last five days. They reside in three galleries at my photo gallery, www.JustAddWaterPhotography.com – when you purchase prints from my gallery, I’ll be donating ALL of those proceeds to our Tibetan monks. They came to teach compassion and unity – let’s show them that we learned something. When you purchase, you choose the size of your prints and they are delivered directly to you via “regular” mail (like the old days) just a few days later. (Think upcoming holiday gifts, too!)

The three galleries for the Tibetan Monks are:

The monks learning to kayak

The monks creating the sand mandala

The finished sand mandala and the complete story (in photos and captions) of the Dissolution Ceremony as it began in the sanctuary and was completed at Thalia Beach in Laguna Beach.

I will truly miss our gentle and gracious monks. What a wonderful five days it’s been.

For those of you who missed them, the monks are traveling to Pasadena TONIGHT and will begin another Sand Mandala at 10:00 a.m. at the Pacific Asia Museum, 46 North Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena. (It’s what they do!) Thankfully, these Tibetan Sand Mandalas are now shared with a world of people rather than remaining cloistered in monasteries and nunneries as they once were. Imagine how many lives have been touched and changed by just this one troupe of five monks … I’ve never asked you to buy anything in my months and months of blog writing – but please do consider purchase of their photos in support and thanks to them.