What is Mandala?
Although the mandala form (and the term ‘mandala’)
is most often associated with Tibetan Buddhist art, there are
innumerable instances of it in every culture. The rose windows and
labyrinths of medieval Christianity, the domed mosques and Sufi whirling
dervishes of Islam, the temples of the Hindus, the sand paintings of
the North American Indians, as well as the pyramids of Ancient Egypt and
Central and South America, are all based on the same form, with its
multiple symmetries radiating from a central point.
This is far from surprising, given the prevalence of the circle – and
of radial symmetry – at every level of the natural world, from galaxies
and solar systems, down through trees, flowers and fruits, jellyfish,
spider’s webs and shells, rock crystals and snowflakes to
micro-organisms, cells and subatomic particles. The recurring cycles of
day and night, the seasons and the months of the year, as well as
organic life cycles, reflect a similar pattern.
In
essence, then, the mandala form is a visual expression of this
universal ordering principle of nature, one of the ways in which
humanity has sought to relate to and sum up the awesome universe of
which we are a part. Mandalas are – sometimes literally – cosmic
diagrams, attempts to represent the essential elements of the macrocosm
in an ordered, coherent manner. (Derived from the Sanskrit words for
‘essence’ and ‘container’, the word mandala clearly reflects this vocation.
Traditional belief systems have viewed the macrocosm beyond us as a
reflection of the microcosm within us, so, by the same logic, the mandala
has also been understood as a means of presenting the apparent chaos
within our minds in an orderly way. On one level, Tibetan Buddhist
mandalas are intended as symbolic depictions of the various emotions and
energies inside the human being.
This microcosmic interpretation of the mandala
was first introduced into western thought by CG Jung. He adapted it to
fit the more individualistic trends in western psychology, using the
many mandalas created by his psychiatric patients as an aid to understanding their mental states. Today, the creation of mandalas is widely used in psychotherapy and personal development work. Such mandalas
are viewed as a concise and innately ordering form in which to express
personal beliefs and feelings, and thus to reach a deeper understanding
and harmony of the self.
The fact that all the components of a mandala
must be organised around a central point means that it provides a clear
diagrammatic representation of the self, and inevitably brings some
sense of unity to its various components, however disparate. This
harmonising, centring quality is the key to the function of the mandala in Tibetan Buddhism. The process of creating mandalas
and the subsequent contemplation of them are first and foremost two
equally valid forms of meditation – and both work through centring.
On the one hand, the concentric design, which is always created by
working outwards from the centre, reminds the intellect that the
universe, in all its diversity, is ultimately one, joined at the source.
It also symbolises the fact that the spiritual quest is a journey back
from the circumference that is the outside world, to the centre that is
the space within ourselves. On the other hand, allowing the eyes to
become lost in such a compelling and satisfying visual form, in which
they are drawn back again and again towards the centre, the still point
where all movement ceases, helps the meditator to calm the mind and fall
into a silent and peaceful space.
Herein lies the powerful appeal of the mandala
form – the pleasure the eye (and the mind) derives from gazing at such a
perfectly resolved and centred structure. It intimates a sense of
underlying order and harmony in an often chaotic world, and the eye,
enthralled by its intricacy, can dance endlessly around and across the
rhythmical patterns of the surface, knowing that it will be held safely
within the magic circle of the design.
Let us not get too comfortable, however. It is a humbling thought that some of the most beautiful and elaborate of all mandalas
are those created out of coloured sand by Tibetan Buddhist monks – only
to be destroyed afterwards, as a symbolic reminder of the impermanence
of all specific life forms.
