In buddhism, a mandala represents the nature of the Enlightened mind and is expressed through the art of sandpainting

1. A mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. In Buddhism, the mandala represents the nature of the Pure Land, Enlightened mind and is expressed through the art of sandpainting.

Video of construction and destruction of a sandpainting: https://youtu.be/10084L3Pqsc
Image credit (going clockwise starting top left):
-http://goo.gl/VHjv2S
-http://goo.gl/EKK2Jj
-http://goo.gl/GKXa63
-http://goo.gl/r6E0RE