MANDALA’S
History and design
The word "mandala" dates back to ancient times and is
from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely
translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a
simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen
as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a
cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the
infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within
our bodies and minds.
Describing both material and non-material realities, the
mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles
we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual
circles of friends, family, and community.
A mandala is a symbol of the universe in its ideal form, and its
creation signifies the transformation of a universe of suffering
into one of joy. It can also be used as an aid to meditation,
helping the meditator to envision how to achieve the perfect self.
Mandalas were created in the service of two of the world's most
interesting religions, Buddhism & Hinduism. They were produced
in Tibet, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, and Indonesia and
date from the 4th century to the present.
Now they are created throughout the world. . .
The Cosmic Mandala is encompassed by a flaming circle. At the center is a threefooted spiral symbolizing the first movement, surrounded by rotating wind which
condenses into basic elements, representing the states of aggregation. The
emerging forms of the elements are painted in the blue ring surrounding the center
and represents the all pervading condition, the source of all elements filling the
space of the Mandala. On it circles are drawn; looking like ellipses in their dynamic
intersection, they portray the orbits of celestial bodies, painted in all the colors of
the rainbow plus black and white and indicating the directions. These twelve
astrological circles of the upper sphere demonstrate the movements of sun, moon
and stars in the seasons.
CELTIC:
The most notable and best-loved feature of
the Celtic designs is, of course, the amazing
quality of line. Usually one unbroken line twirls
and spirals into a multitude of patterns and
figures. The repeated crossing of the line, over
itself, was believed to increase protection and
ward off evil. Perhaps it was hoped that evil
would lose its way in the maze of loops! In a
Celtic design called the “love knot”, the
continuous flow of a single line symbolizes the
path of true love, briefly wandering here and
there for a while, but always returning home
to the beginning. Other Mandala designs, such
as those on tombstones or Celtic crosses
symbolize the continuity of the cycles of life
and the connectedness of all living things.
The Christian tradition is abundant with
Mandalas, from halos to architectural oculi, to
rose windows. Then there is the marble paved
pattern on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral
in France, which is a Mandala design known as
a labyrinth. It has been the primary inspiration
for many labyrinths created in the last decade,
particularly in the United States. Made with
distinctive blue and white tiles laid in
quadrants, this 12-circuit labyrinth was used
for reflection and penance beginning in the
13th century. Amazingly, it is the same size and
shape as the rose window above it. Why this
was constructed in this way and the effect it
has on people is something still being
pondered today.
In Islam, most sacred art consists of
abstractions or geometric shapes, such as
squares inside circles. It is understood that God
is present in everything, so that a specific
representation of the Divine is not necessary
and is even considered blasphemous. As with
the Indian stupa, a holy mosque becomes a
Mandala with the dome representing the
heavens and lifting people’s hearts and minds
toward Allah.
In North America, the Navajo people produced
some of the most interesting Mandala
structures including sand paintings, dream
catchers, and medicine wheels. With the sand
paintings, their symbolism included animals
and forces of nature. The lore of the dream
catchers is also found in their customs,
traditions, and music.
Perhaps some of the best known Mandalas
today are the beautiful designs made of
powdered marble and semi-precious stones,
created by the Tibetan monks. The Tibetan
word for Mandala is kyil-kor, which means
“Center of the universe in which a fully
awakened being abides”. The truth of this
definition becomes evident as you create
Mandalas and share the experience with
others. The more connected you become, the
more aware and happy you are with yourself
and with your place in the world.
We can thank Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav
Jung for introducing the mandala to the
western world. From his experiences and those
of his patients, we have a broader definition
and a freer application of the mandala than
existed originally. Jung championed the
spontaneous mandala in contrast to the
preplanned, geometric mandalas that existed
previously in cultures around the world. Where
religious mandalas often have a specified
content and format, personal mandalas, such
as those fostered by Jung are unlimited in their
style, format and symbols. We knew that
mandalas represented the universe, but thanks
to Jung, we now know that they also represent
the universe of the Self. The mandalas we
produce for ourselves tend to be more Jungian
and organic in style than the ones found
elsewhere around the world.
THE MANDALA
Create a Mandala and feel your spirit!