Mandalas
Links to Nature, History and Art.
http://www.artnetwork.com/Mandala/
The word - “mandala”
• originates for the
Hindu Sanskrit,
classical language
of India
• means
“CENTER” and
“CIRCLE
A mandala can be
described as any form
of circular geometric
design that contains
symbols of a person’s
inner self, guiding
principles, and overall
ideas about the world.
The significance of
objects within a mandala
are conveyed by shape,
size, and color; they can
be abstract designs or
specific images of
people, places, and
ideas that are central to a
person’s life.
A Mandala
• conveys a relationship
of the center to its
circumference
(surroundings)
• together they
represent wholeness
http://murraycreek.net/labyrinth/piscesgridrmandala4sm.gif
Mandala- The figure
• circular design in layers
radiating from the
center
• center symbolizes that
which is beyond our
understanding
• circumference reflects
its potential as well as
boundaries
http://murraycreek.net/labyrinth/piscesgridrmandala4sm.gif
Living Mandalas
(Examples in Nature)
• Planet Earth
• Solar system
• Cells in living
organisms
• Iris of the eye
• Snowflakes
• Bird’s nest
A Tibetan Buddhist Mandala:
• The mandala is a symbol of a man
or woman in the world, a support for
the meditating person.
• In the Center is the symbol of
Buddha
• Buddha is surrounded by lotus
blossom of eight petals on a bed of
jewels
• The mandala is illustrated as a
palace with four gates, facing the
four corners of the Earth
• The “walls of the palace” are
represented by four square colors
• The four gates are guarded by four
angry door keepers
• Four outer circles each representing
a layer of protection
http://www.jyh.dk/indengl.htm
Mandalas - An Art Form
• All mandalas have the following
characteristics:
–center
–cardinal points that are
contained in a circle
–some form of symmetry
• They can be simple or complex
Links in History
• Hindus
– Meditation
• European cathedrals
– Windows
• Aztec
– Stone Calendar
www.mexconnect.com/mex_/aztecsunstone.html
Making a Mandala
• Find images that express
aspects of YOU!
• Use a Pie Template to
Select Parts of Each Image.
• Mirror the pie shape
template
Objectives
• Learn about the basic history of Mandalas
• Create one mandala that is a about yourself and
one that is about something important to you
• Each mandala must have five or more layers
• The object selected for the center must mean
something to you or represent something about
you
• It must be difficult to get into the center
• Write a short paragraph describing your
mandala
Idea
Work
Sheet
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/lesson-plan/6041.html
Student Images
My Mandala By Brittany M.
“My Mandala is about the
some of the beautiful
features of earth. On the
outside is the ocean that
protects the butterflies and
tulip. The water gets lighter
in color as it moves into the
inside because the water is
becoming calmer. The stars
show how beautiful the night
is, and the diamonds are
there because the are found
on earth. The butterflies are
flying around the flower to
represent how it looks on
earth.”
http://www.pocanticohills.org/Tibet/bm.htm
My Mandala By Nathan
“This Mandala
indicates basketball
skills. This Mandala
is suppose to make
your basketball
skills better and
give you more luck.
It looks colorful, it
has a protective
layer and it has the
source of meditation
in the center.”
http://www.pocanticohills.org/Tibet/nf.htm
My Mandala By Veronica
“My Mandala is guarding my most
favorite and precious thing in the
world, a cat. The cat represents
my 1-year-old kitten that was
killed. The pyramids that protect
my kitten are there because I read
a book that said pyramids are
tombs that protect the dead. The
electricity outside the pyramids
keeps nosy people from disturbing
my kitten. The ocean is there to
protect the rest of my mandala.
The red sky near the ocean is the
sunset.”
http://www.pocanticohills.org/Tibet/vg.htm