What is a mandala? Bashny.Net

Mandala is a description of how the immaterial and material reality in all aspects of our life: the so-called celestial circles of Earth, Sun and moon. Also, it describes the conceptual circles of family, friends and community.


Mandala symbolizes the sphere of living deities, the pure land of the Buddhas. In principle, the mandala is a geometric symbol of complex structure, which is interpreted as a model of the universe, the "map space". A typical form — the outer circle, the inscribed square, which is inscribed in the inner circle, which is often segmented, or has the shape of a Lotus. The outer circle — the universe, the inner circle measurement of the deities, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. The square between them is oriented to the cardinal.


The mandala has been used in many religious traditions. Hildegard von bingen, a Christian nun in the 12th century, created many beautiful mandalas to Express her visions and beliefs. B North and South America, the Indians created a mandala in the sand. The Aztec calendar, as a time-keeping device and a religious expression of ancient Aztecs, were also performed in the form of a mandala. In Asia, the Taoist "Yin-Yang" refers to the interdependence. The Tibetan mandala is often very difficult illustrations of religious significance that are used for meditation. The Navajo Indians and Tibetan monks create mandala of sand to demonstrate the impermanence of life. In ancient Tibet, the monks create a complex mandala with colored sand made of crushed semiprecious stones. It was part of their spiritual practice. This tradition continues in our days. The monks travel around the world, drawing mandalas, learning different cultures and educate people about the culture of Tibet.


The creation of a sand mandala requires many hours and days. Each mandala contains many symbols, which have perfectly reproduced each time you create a mandala. When the mandala is finished, the monks gather colorful ceremony and sing. Then sweep their mandala into a jar and pour them in the nearby pond as a blessing. This action symbolizes the endless cycle of life.

Source: /users/155