What is a Mandala? (RePost from June 2013)

 
Many people ask this question.  And, once a mandala is described, most people smile and say “Oh yes, right…..I used to do those when I was a kid.” 

The Sanskrit word Mandala means ‘circle’.  The mandala is often referred to as a ‘Sacred Circle’.  It is a symbol of wholeness and is complete within itself.  A mandala contains and depicts many things depending upon its origins and purpose.  Old established religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Jewish, Hinduism and even many indigenous cultures create beautiful, intricate circle mandalas shaped in crystal, glass, painted on wood, using stones or other art medium and even weaving their designs with colored thread.  We can see large glass mandalas imbedded in Church walls to catch the light, or gorgeous, intricate and richly colored depictions of the various gods and goddesses of the Hindu religious beliefs painted on walls or framed and often embroidered on cloth. 

Many of us are familiar with the beautiful colored sand mandalas created by the Tibetan Monks who work for many days and then allow the sand design to be blown away or scattered - a dissolving of the mandala - to demonstrate their belief in non-attachment and cultivate a willingness to let go.  Sand mandalas are also created by Native Americans and other Indigenous peoples to form a healing circle for an individual, family or tribe. (See above Huichol mandala weaving)

Through his self-analysis and his work with patients the great Psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, made many discoveries about the human psyche.  Particularly through discussion of dreams plus drawings, he was able to learn that symbols reside deep in our psyche, many of them being universal archetypes.  These dream-symbols often emerge as geometric forms such as circles or triangles.  Sometimes a mandala comes in the form of a square or rectangle.  They are often rich in color and when drawn, they can appear as scenes within a circle.

Perhaps you have seen the mandalas known as Yantras.  (See above green symbol for heart chakra) A Yantra is a very specific shape within a circle, usually geometric, such as triangle or square or a series of shapes, each one with its own meaning.  Sometimes it will include the symbol for a particular chakra, a subtle energy center located within the body.  The symbol will have a particular color and will translate into a sound, such as “Om”. 

The mandalas I teach about are mainly personal in nature and created for purposes of focusing on an important intention for ourselves or others.  Perhaps, they are being created to express an idea, feeling or experience that has much meaning for us.  They can also be used for personal healing. Whatever is asking to be expressed, the experience is always about self-discovery.  My own favorites are those I create to honor Mother Nature; trees, water, animal life. I love to create a mandala for each season and sometimes for special holidays or even a very personalized gift for someone.  It is always a joyful, satisfying, and surprising creative pastime. An ‘inner’ voyage one can take with only a pencil and your black paper.

“…When you do things from your soul, you feel a river
moving in you, a joy…” Rumi

♥♥♥