Tibetan Monks Forgive Boy For Ruining Sand Sculpture
A boy in Kansas danced on a sand scultpure that monks spent two days building.
May 25, 2007 — -- A two-year-old boy in Kansas City was just having fun when he stomped on a sand sculpture, but he was unknowingly destroying a delicate piece of art, created by a group of Tibetan monks for Kansas City's Union Station.
Over two painstaking days, sitting with their legs crossed, the monks created a sculpture of colored sand, called a mandala, meticulously placing each individual grain and never expecting anyone to tamper with it.
The little boy snuck right under the rope surrounding the sand and started stomping as though the sculpture was his own personal sandbox.
Security cameras showed the boys mother grabbing him by the arm and leading him off the sculpture and out of camera view.
Although most people would have been furious, the Tibetan monks believe that if you want others to be happy, you should practice compassion.
Without anger or malice, they began rebuilding their sand.
The monks are on a yearlong tour of the United States and Canada to raise money for their monastery; the original in Tibet was destroyed by the Chinese.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
