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Sacred Rituals: Creating Labyrinths, Sand Paintings, and Other Traditional Arts
Sacred Rituals Creating Labyrinths Sand Paintings and Other Traditional Arts Author:Belinda Recio, Eileen London In Sacred Rituals, London and Recio invite us to encounter the sacred through fourteen different spiritual traditions. From altar making to zen gardens, they show us how even the simplest of acts, such as folding an origami crane, can help us to become fully present in each moment. The authors convince us that when we are truly present in what w... more »e are doing, we can experience what ancient Greek philosophers called temenos, a sanctuary in which we feel our connection with spirit. Filled with advice and anecdotes on building and walking a labyrinth, creating a sand painting in the Tibetan tradition, finding inspiration in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, making a mandala, and other sacred arts, Sacred Rituals provides useful tools for connecting with our inner selves, each other, and the sacred. This beautifully illustrated book presents traditional arts from faiths both familiar and obscure and describes them in simple, rich prose and beautiful full-color illustrations. From the Introduction: "The two aspects of ritual-heart and hand, or intention and action-work together to focus our minds on the implications of what we are doing. By acting out our intentions, we feel them more completely-in body, mind, and soul. When Tibetan Buddhist monks take days to create an exquisite mandala of colored sand and then scatter it upon completion, they are acting out an intention to accept the impermanence of all things. How much more heartfelt is the realization of impermanence after one sweeps up a work of art that took days to create! Likewise, when a Japanese tea master pays attention to every detail associated with preparing and serving tea, he enacts the greatness of little things and the sacredness of simple acts in ways that demand his complete presence and participation."« less