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CNN Sunday Morning

Buddhist Monks Arrive in Washington D.C.

Aired February 10, 2002 - 11:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Since September 11, people around the world have shown their prayers and support for the U.S. Some of that support comes in some unique packages. CNN National Correspondent Bruce Morton shows us how one group took its good will for America to the nation's capitol.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are Buddhist monks, Tibetans, from the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Monastery in India. They are in Washington this day, January 11, to help heal the wounds America suffered on September 11, four months earlier.

They chant. They dance. But what they are really here to do is make a mandella, a sacred picture made with colored sand. This mandella will honor a Buddha who overcomes negatives. Eleven-year-old Natalie understands.

NATALIE: I start the prayer they wish (inaudible) and they wish to become like Buddha to be kind, sweet, caring, forgiving and smart, and all the other kind of feelings, perfections.

MORTON: The monks begin designing the mandella. Catherine recalls the music.

CATHERINE: You could tell the parts of life that are frightening, and not necessarily benevolent. But most of it became something that you felt was just this communal feeling that you could feel it all the way through your body. It was resounding.

MORTON: January 20th, the mandella is about half finished now, the brilliant colors, flowers, birds, maybe glory. Thousands of Americans have come to the Smithsonian's sacra gallery to watch and learn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an incredible moment in time. I love that what they're trying to do to try to heal and protect the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you see something like this, you see that it just puts it in perspective I think, that you're able to realize that it was an event. It's over, and you just move on with your life. MORTON: The mandella too is an event. It is January 27th now, maybe 30,000 have visited it, and today its life will end. They are going to the river to pour into the water the sand, which was the mandella.

Buddhists say everything comes to pass. Nothing comes to stay. But there is more symbolism. The sand goes into the river, into the oceans of the world, a way of sharing with the world the prayers, the words from this place and time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To sweep it away is (inaudible). It's magic that they can do that in three weeks, building a piece of art and then just sweep it away and let it go into the open water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The mandella has so much love coming from it, and I just connected with that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a gesture for sharing our prayers and healings with the whole world.

MORTON: So, they have come and gone. Where are they now? In Miami, where they've built a mandella, a ritual they will repeat in cities around the country. Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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