Tibetan Monks in Chapel Hill 2011

Several monks on a US tour made a stop in Chapel hill, NC.

The monks travel for over a year.
Before they can start their journey they present their plans to the Dalia Llama.

Here they are building a mandala (sand painting)
Mandalas are a meditation that shows how temporary we are.
After the intricate mandala is finished, a portion is bagged up for people in the audience, a portion taken to the closest water source and poured in. (they follow the legal amount)