A mandala (, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. In the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Shinto it is used as a map representing deities, or especially in the case of Shinto, paradises, kami or actual shrines.
Hinduism
In Hinduism, a basic mandala, also called a
yantra, takes the form of a square with four gates containing a circle with a centre point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T.
Mandalas often have radial
Formal balance.
A yantra is similar to a mandala, usually smaller and using a more limited colour palette. It may be a two- or three-dimensional geometric composition used in , puja or meditative rituals, and may incorporate a mantra into its design. It is considered to represent the abode of the deity. Each yantra is unique and calls the deity into the presence of the practitioner through the elaborate symbolic geometric designs. According to one scholar, "Yantras function as revelatory symbols of cosmic truths and as instructional charts of the spiritual aspect of human experience"[Madhu Khanna, Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity. Thames and Hudson, 1979, p. 12.]
Many situate yantras as central focus points for Hindu tantric practice. Yantras are not representations, but are lived, experiential, nondual realities. As Khanna describes:
The term 'mandala' appears in the Rigveda as the name of the sections of the work, and Vedic rituals use mandalas such as the Navagraha mandala to this day.
For each tantric tradition, its mandala is the most important visual form. Abhinavagupta in his Tantrāloka textually describes the four key mandalas of the Trika tradition, which were translated, decoded and illustrated by Christian de Vietri in his book Trika Maṇḍala Prakāśa.
Buddhism
Vajrayana
In
Vajrayana Buddhism, mandalas have been developed also into
sandpainting. They are also a key part of Anuttarayoga Tantra meditation practices.
Visualisation of Vajrayana teachings
The man mandala can be shown to represent in visual form the core essence of the
Vajrayana teachings. The mandala represents the nature of the Pure Land, Enlightened mind.
An example of this type of mandala is Vajrabhairava mandala a silk tapestry woven with gilded paper depicting lavish elements like crowns and jewelry, which gives a three-dimensional effect to the piece.
Mount Meru
A mandala can also represent the entire universe, which is traditionally depicted with
Mount Meru as the
axis mundi in the center, surrounded by the continents.
[Mipham (2000) pp. 65,80] One example is the
Cosmological Mandala with Mount Meru, a
silk tapestry from the
Yuan dynasty that serves as a diagram of the Tibetan cosmology, which was given to China from Nepal and Tibet.
Wisdom and impermanence
In the mandala, the outer circle of fire usually symbolises wisdom. The ring of eight
represents the
Buddhist exhortation to be always mindful of death, and the impermanence with which
samsara is suffused: "such locations were utilized in order to confront and to realize the transient nature of life".
Described elsewhere: "within a flaming rainbow nimbus and encircled by a black ring of
, the major outer ring depicts the eight great charnel grounds, to emphasize the dangerous nature of human life".
Inside these rings lie the walls of the mandala palace itself, specifically a place populated by deities and Buddhas.
Five Buddhas
One well-known type of mandala is the mandala of the "Five Buddhas", archetypal Buddha forms embodying various aspects of enlightenment. Such Buddhas are depicted depending on the school of
Buddhism, and even the specific purpose of the mandala. A common mandala of this type is that of the Five Wisdom Buddhas (a.k.a. Five
Jinas), the Buddhas
Vairocana,
Aksobhya,
Ratnasambhava,
Amitabha and
Amoghasiddhi. When paired with another mandala depicting the Five Wisdom Kings, this forms the Mandala of the Two Realms.
Practice
Mandalas are commonly used by tantric Buddhists as an aid to meditation.
The mandala is "a support for the meditating person",
By visualizing "pure lands", one learns to understand experience itself as pure, and as the abode of enlightenment. The protection that we need, in this view, is from our own minds, as much as from external sources of confusion. In many tantric mandalas, this aspect of separation and protection from the outer samsaric world is depicted by "the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle".
As a meditation on impermanence (a central teaching of Buddhism), after days or weeks of creating the intricate pattern of a sand mandala, the sand is brushed together into a pile and spilled into a body of running water to spread the blessings of the mandala.
Per Kvaerne[Per Kvaerne 1975: p. 164] in his extended discussion of sahaja, discusses the relationship of sadhana interiority and exteriority in relation to mandala thus:
Offerings
A "mandala offering"
in
Tibetan Buddhism is a symbolic offering of the entire universe. Every intricate detail of these mandalas is fixed in the tradition and has specific symbolic meanings, often on more than one level.
Whereas the above mandala represents the pure surroundings of a Buddha, this mandala represents the universe. This type of mandala is used for the mandala-offerings, during which one symbolically offers the universe to the Buddhas or to one's teacher. Within Vajrayana practice, 100,000 of these mandala offerings (to create merit) can be part of the preliminary practices before a student even begins actual tantric practices.
Theravada Buddhism
Various Mandalas are described in many
Buddhist texts. Some of the examples of the
Theravada Buddhist Mandalas are:
-
Mandala of Eight Disciples of Buddha describing the Gautama Buddha at center and Eight great disciple in eight major directions.
-
Mandala of Buddhas is the mandala consisting of nine major Buddhas of the past and the present Gautama Buddha occupying the ten directions.
-
Mandala of Eight Devis includes the eight Devis occupying and protecting the eight corners of the Universe.
In Sigālovāda Sutta, Buddha describes the relationships of a common lay persons in Mandala style.
Shingon Buddhism
One Japanese branch of Mahayana Buddhism –
Shingon Buddhism – makes frequent use of mandalas in its rituals as well, though the actual mandalas differ. When Shingon's founder, Kūkai, returned from his training in China, he brought back two mandalas that became central to Shingon ritual: the
Womb Realm and the
Diamond Realm.
These two mandalas are engaged in the abhiseka initiation rituals for new Shingon students, more commonly known as the (結縁灌頂). A common feature of this ritual is to blindfold the new initiate and to have them throw a flower upon either mandala. Where the flower lands assists in the determination of which yidam the initiate should follow.
Nichiren Buddhism
The mandala in Nichiren Buddhism is a (文字曼陀羅), which is a paper
hanging scroll or wooden tablet whose inscription consists of
kanji and medieval-Sanskrit script representing elements of the Buddha's enlightenment, protective Buddhist deities, and certain Buddhist concepts. Called the
Gohonzon, it was originally inscribed by
Nichiren, the founder of this branch of Japanese Buddhism, during the late 13th Century. The
Gohonzon is the primary object of veneration in some Nichiren schools and the only one in others, which consider it to be the supreme object of worship as the embodiment of the supreme
Dharma and Nichiren's inner enlightenment. The seven characters Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, considered to be the name of the supreme Dharma, as well as the
invocation that believers chant, are written down the center of all Nichiren-sect
Gohonzons, whose appearance may otherwise vary depending on the particular school and other factors.
Pure Land Buddhism
Mandalas have sometimes been used in Pure Land Buddhism to graphically represent
, based on descriptions found in the
Larger Sutra and the
Contemplation Sutra. The most famous mandala in Japan is the
Taima mandala, dated to about 763 CE. The Taima mandala is based on the
Contemplation Sutra, but other similar mandalas have been made subsequently. Unlike mandalas used in
Vajrayana Buddhism, it is not used as an object of meditation or for esoteric ritual. Instead, it provides a visual representation of the Pure Land texts, and is used as a teaching aid.
Also in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, Shinran and his descendant, Rennyo, sought a way to create easily accessible objects of reverence for the lower-classes of Japanese society. Shinran designed a mandala using a hanging scroll, and the words of the nembutsu (念仏) written vertically. This style of mandala is still used by some Jodo Shinshu Buddhists in home altars, or butsudan.
Bodhimandala
Bodhimaṇḍala is a term in
Buddhism that means "circle of
Bodhi".
[Thurman, Robert. The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti: A Mahāyāna Scripture. 1992. p. 120]
Sand mandalas
are colorful mandalas made from sand that are ritualistically destroyed. They originated in India in the 8th–12th century but are now practiced in Tibetan Buddhism.
Each mandala is dedicated to specific deities. In Buddhism Deities represent states of the mind to be obtained on the path to enlightenment, the mandala itself is representative of the deity's palace which also represents the mind of the deity.
Each mandala is a pictorial representation of a
tantra. for the process of making Sand mandalas they are created by monks who have trained for three–five years in a monastery.
These sand mandalas are made to be destroyed to symbolize impermanence, the Buddhist belief that death is not the end, and that one's essence will always return to the elements. It is also related to the belief that one should not become attached to anything.
To create these mandalas, the monks first create a sketch,
then take colorful sand traditionally made from powdered stones and gems into copper funnels called Cornetts
and gently tap sand out of them to create the sand mandala. Each color represents attributes of deities. While making the mandalas the monks will pray and meditate, each grain of sand represents a blessing.
Monks will travel to demonstrate this art form to people, often in museums.
Western psychological interpretations
The re-introduction of mandalas into modern Western thought is largely credited to psychologist
Carl Jung. In his exploration of the unconscious through art, Jung observed the common appearance of a circle motif across religions and cultures. He hypothesized that the circle drawings reflected the mind's inner state at the moment of creation and were a kind of symbolic archetype in the collective unconscious. Familiarity with the philosophical writings of India prompted Jung to adopt the word "mandala" to describe these drawings created by himself and his patients. In his autobiography, Jung wrote:
Jung claimed that the urge to make mandalas emerges during moments of intense personal growth. He further hypothesized their appearance indicated a "profound re-balancing process" is underway in the psyche; the result of the process would be a more complex and better integrated personality.
American art therapist Joan Kellogg later created the MARI card test, a Projective test, based on Jung's work.
Transpersonal psychologist David Fontana proposed that the symbolic nature of a mandala may help one "to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises."
In architecture
Buddhist architecture often applied mandala as the blueprint or plan to design Buddhist structures, including
Buddhist temple and stupas. A notable example of mandala in architecture is the 9th century
Borobudur in Central Java, Indonesia. It is built as a large
stupa surrounded by smaller ones arranged on terraces formed as a
stepped pyramid, and when viewed from above, takes the form of a giant
Vajrayana mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind.
Other temples from the same period that also have mandala plans include
Sewu,
Plaosan and
Prambanan. Similar mandala designs are also observable in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.
File:AERIAL BOUDHA VIEW.tif|alt=Aerial view of the Boudhanath stupa resembles a mandala|Aerial view of the Boudhanath resembles a mandala
File:Borobudur Mandala.svg|Borobudur ground plan taking the form of a Mandala
File:2.পাহাড়পুর বৌদ্ধ বিহার.jpg|7th century buddhist monastery in Bangladesh. Somapura Mahavihara
In science
Circular diagrams are often used in
phylogenetics, especially for the graphical representation of phylogenetic relationships. Evolutionary trees often encompass numerous species that are conveniently shown on a circular tree, with images of the species shown on the periphery of a tree. Such diagrams have been called phylogenetic mandalas.
In art
Mandala as an art form first appeared in Buddhist art that were produced in India during the first century B.C.E.
These can also be seen in
Rangoli designs in Indian households.
In archaeology
One of the most intense archaeological discoveries in recent years that could redefine the history of eastern thought and tradition of mandala is the discovery of five giant mandalas in the valley of
Manipur, India, made with Google Earth imagery. Located in the paddy field in the west of
Imphal, the capital of Manipur, the Maklang geoglyph is perhaps the world's largest mandala built entirely of mud. The site wasn't discovered until 2013 as its whole structure could only be visible via Google Earth satellite imagery. The whole paddy field, locally known as
Bihu Loukon, is now protected and announced as historical monument and site by the government of Manipur in the same year. The site is situated 12 km aerial distance from
Kangla with the GPS coordinates of 24° 48' N and 93° 49' E. It covers a total area of around 224,161.45 square meters. This square mandala has four similar protruding rectangular ‘gates’ in the cardinal directions guarded each by similar but smaller rectangular ‘gates’ on the left and right. Within the square there is an eight petalled flower or rayed-star, recently called as Maklang ‘Star fort’ by the locals, in the centre covering a total area of around 50,836.66 square meters. The discovery of other five giant mandalas in the valley of Manipur is also made with Google Earth. The five giant mandalas, viz., Sekmai mandala, Heikakmapal mandala, Phurju twin mandalas and Sangolmang mandala are located on the western bank of the Iril River.
[Wangam, Somorjit (2018). World's Largest Mandalas from Manipur and Carl Jung's Archetype of the Self, p. 25-33. NeScholar, ed. Dr. R.K.Nimai Singh, Imphal. .] Another two fairly large mandala shaped geoglyph at Nongren and Keinou are also reported from Manipur valley, India, in 2019. They are named as Nongren mandala and Keinou mandala.
[Wangam, Somorjit (2019). Emerging The Lost Civilization of The Manipur Valley, p. 30-39. NeScholar, ed. Dr. R.K.Nimai Singh, Imphal. .]
In politics
The
Rajamandala (or
Raja-mandala; circle of states) was formulated by the
author
Kautilya in his work on politics, the
Arthashastra (written between 4th century BCE and 2nd century BCE). It describes circles of friendly and enemy states surrounding the king's state.
[Singh, Prof. Mahendra Prasad (2011). Indian Political Thought: Themes and Thinkers . Pearson Education India. . pp. 11-13.]
In historical, social and political sense, the term "mandala" is also employed to denote traditional Greater India (such as federation of kingdoms or vassalized states). It was adopted by 20th century Western historians from ancient Indian political discourse as a means of avoiding the term 'state' in the conventional sense. Not only did Southeast Asian polities not conform to Chinese and European views of a territorially defined state with fixed borders and a bureaucratic apparatus, but they diverged considerably in the opposite direction: the polity was defined by its centre rather than its boundaries, and it could be composed of numerous other tributary polities without undergoing administrative integration.
In contemporary use
Fashion designer Mandali Mendrilla designed an interactive art installation called Mandala of Desires (Blue Lotus Wish Tree) made in peace silk and eco friendly textile ink, displayed at the China Art Museum in Shanghai in November 2015. The pattern of the dress was based on the Goloka Yantra mandala, shaped as a lotus with eight petals. Visitors were invited to place a wish on the sculpture dress, which will be taken to India and offered to a genuine living
Wish Tree.
Gallery
File:元 緙絲 須彌山曼陀羅-Cosmological Mandala with Mount Meru MET DP276037.jpg| Cosmological mandala with Mount Meru, silk tapestry, China via The Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:元 緙絲大威德金剛曼陀羅-Vajrabhairava Mandala MET DT841.jpg| Vajrabhairava mandala, silk tapestry, China via The Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Sri Yantra 256bw.gif|A diagramic drawing of the Sri Yantra, showing the outside square, with four T-shaped gates, and the central circle
File:Vishnu Mandala.jpg|Vishnu Mandala(Traditionally found in Nepal)
File:Painted 19th century Tibetan mandala of the Naropa tradition, Vajrayogini stands in the center of two crossed red triangles, Rubin Museum of Art.jpg|Painted 19th century mandala of the Naropa tradition, Vajrayogini stands in the center of two crossed red triangles, Rubin Museum of Art
File:Medicine Buddha painted mandala with goddess Prajnaparamita in center, 19th century, Rubin.jpg|Painted Bhaisajyaguru mandala with the goddess Prajnaparamita in center, 19th century, Rubin Museum of Art
File:Mandala of the Six Chakravartins.JPG|Mandala of the Six
File:Vajravarahi Mandala.jpg|Vajravarahi mandala
File:Sankhitta Sangheyani Cosmography.jpg|Jain cosmological diagrams and text.
File:Mandala Golden Flower Jung.JPG|Mandala painted by a patient of Carl Jung
File:Mahavra 1900 art.jpg|Jain picture of Mahavira
File:Kalachakra mandala in a special glass pavilion.jpg|Kalachakra mandala in a special glass pavilion. Buddhist pilgrims bypass the pavilion in a clockwise direction three times. Buryatiya, July 16, 2019
File:Maitighar Mandala.jpg|Mandala in Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal
See also
-
Rangoli - art form originating from the Indian subcontinent
Citations
General sources
-
Brauen, M. (1997). The Mandala, Sacred circle in Tibetan Buddhism Serindia Press, London.
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Bucknell, Roderick & Stuart-Fox, Martin (1986). The Twilight Language: Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism. Curzon Press: London.
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Cammann, S. (1950). Suggested Origin of the Tibetan Mandala Paintings The Art Quarterly, Vol. 8, Detroit.
-
Cowen, Painton (2005). The Rose Window, London and New York, (offers the most complete overview of the evolution and meaning of the form, accompanied by hundreds of colour illustrations.)
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Crossman, Sylvie and Barou, Jean-Pierre (1995). Tibetan Mandala, Art & Practice The Wheel of Time, Konecky and Konecky.
-
Fontana, David (2005). "Meditating with Mandalas", Duncan Baird Publishers, London.
-
Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International.
-
Mipham, Sakyong Jamgön (2002) 2000 Seminary Transcripts Book 1 Vajradhatu Publications
-
Somorjit, Wangam (2018). "World's Largest Mandalas from Manipur and Carl Jung's Archetype of the Self", neScholar, vol.04, Issue 01, ed.Dr. R.K. Nimai Singh
-
Tucci, Giuseppe (1973). The Theory and Practice of the Mandala trans. Alan Houghton Brodrick, New York, Samuel Weisner.
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Vitali, Roberto (1990). Early Temples of Central Tibet London, Serindia Publications.
-
Wayman, Alex (1973). "Symbolism of the Mandala Palace" in The Buddhist Tantras Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass.
Further reading
-
Grotenhuis, Elizabeth Ten (1999). Japanese mandalas: representations of sacred geography, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press
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(see index)
External links
