Peace and Joy in letting go - The Kalachakra Mandala

Be happy in the moment; that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

Mother Teresa

In 2004 I was in Barcelona, on a trip away, with my Mum. Whist there we were privileged to watch a group of Buddhist monks, from the monastery of Namgyal, India, working silently, diligently, and peacefully on creating the world’s largest mandala out of coloured sand. These monks were installed on Barcelona’s Rambla de Santa Mónica, for 5 weeks between June and July 2004, constructing The Kalachakra Mandala, a mandala for World Peace. Mandala means circle in Sanskrit and is the symbolic and archetypal representation of the universe according to ancient Buddhist cosmological tradition.

The Kalachakra Mandala

Taken from an information leaflet I picked up whilst there, The Kalachakra Mandala means ‘wheel of time’. The leaflet reads:

Impermanence

After working and dedicating their time to creating this impressive mandala, the monks, on completion, meditated on its meaning and then threw the coloured sand of the mandala into the sea, off the coast of Barcelona.

Returning the work to nature is important as is the mindful act of the work and the focus and dedication the monks show. I remember being really struck at the time that after all their hard work, daily over 5 weeks, they would throw this beautiful, effortful work into the sea. Once I understood I could see freedom, beauty, and peace in this act – graceful and selfless. Giving ‘peace’ to the earth and world, through the depiction in the mandala, their meditation and work.

Diligence, focus and joy

What a lesson in mindfulness, focus, dedication, and joy. I am still amazed at what I saw, the scale of the work, how peacefully they got on with the act of doing and the knowledge that they would then just let it go - the work would flow away. They would be left with the satisfaction of doing a good job, the experience of creation and of working together on a common goal, full of purpose and meaning.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Since 2004 the world has embraced mindfulness and has come to understand that being present and ‘in the moment’ is good for us and our mental wellbeing. If we could all find joy and peace in our work, enjoy working diligently with focus and compassion, and then let go of the outcome, not holding on, resenting, or worrying – I believe people would be happier and the world more at peace. I don’t see this as easy, just inspiring and something to contemplate and work towards. As the Kalachakra mandala depicts, finding a path to wisdom and compassion is needed for World Peace. Mindfulness and the ability to focus and be present is a pathway to personal happiness, compassion, and peace.

This is the real secret of life – to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realise it is play.

Alan W. Watts

We cannot control the future, we have the freedom to walk away and let go and we can work with joy, focus and dedication if we so choose, by concentrating on one task at a time and being present, in each moment. Can you find more joy in your work by slowing down and concentrating on completing one task (or part of a task) at a time? Can you see opportunity for compassion, wisdom, and connection to others in what you do? Can you fill your tasks and duties with happiness and a sense of peace? If not, why not? Listen to your feelings and responses – is there something you need to let go of, change, or do?

Have you tried meditation? Finding time to be still and turn your thoughts inwards in meditation is truly healing, slows you down and brings peace and calm. Learn about guided meditations here.