Amethist Mandala
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Mandala
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.
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