Mandala meaning and use

What is a mandala?

Mandala is a structure of concentric designs, which means "circle" or "disk-shaped object" in Sanskrit. It is a geometric design that has great symbolism in Hindu and Buddhist cultures, representing the fractal or repetitive composition of the universe and the cosmos. This symbol has been extensively analyzed and studied in Asian spiritual art.

Mandala is a word of Sanskrit origin and means "circle"; it represents the unity, harmony, and infinity of the universe through balance.

The Hindus were the first to use mandalas as a spiritual tool, although in the West they have become popular for the designs and uses attributed to Buddhism, their uses go beyond the spiritual.

In Eastern cultures, from which the first records of the design and use of mandalas originate, these aim to end thinking and reasoning and strive for a state of meditation.

The history of mandalas

Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in the region now known as Nepal. Historians believe he was born around 560 BC. It is understood that Gautama left his kingdom after becoming aware of human suffering, where he sought to attain enlightenment through meditation and reflection. He began to preach his philosophy in parts of India, where he gained a loyal following and eventually founded the first Sangha, the Buddhist monastic community.

As these Buddhist monks traveled the Silk Road, they brought Buddhism to other countries through an ancient network of trade routes connecting East and West. They carried mandalas with them and introduced the practice of painting these spiritual compositions to other parts of Asia, which emerged in the 4th century in regions like Tibet, China, and Japan. Although rooted in Buddhism, mandalas soon found their way into Hinduism and other religious practices. Painters of the spiritual profession were often devout laypeople commissioned by a patron. They worked sitting on the ground with a painting on their lap.

Mandalas in Buddhism

This religion, primarily practiced in Asia, contains important symbols that partly date back to the time immediately after the death of the Buddha in the 4th century BC.

Examples of Buddhism symbols are:

• Dharma Wheel: Also known as Dharmachakra, it was used after the monarchy to represent the Eightfold Path that Buddha taught to attain enlightenment. Each of the eight spokes forms the path that leads away from suffering and towards Nirvana.
• Lotus Flower: The lotus flower is known for the longevity of its seeds, which can germinate up to ten centuries later. In Buddhism, its symbol is associated with the potential of the mind and humanity.
• Buddha's Eyes: Buddha's Eyes are often found on the outside of stupas, a type of Buddhist structure that houses religious relics. The symbol is associated with the omnipresent power of the Buddha. They are also known as "the eyes of wisdom" and indicate that one must follow the teachings of the Buddha to achieve Nirvana.

In Tibet, mandalas made of sand or crushed and naturally colored stones are known. These are complex representations created by Tibetan Buddhist monks as a spiritual practice to learn lessons about detachment and universal flow.

The design of the mandala is divided into four quadrants, each overseen by a monk. After days or weeks of completing the design (filling in the gaps with colored sand), the mandala is destroyed by the monks to represent the impermanence of all things. The sand is swept away, stored in a glass, and thrown into a river to reintegrate into nature in the continuous flow of the life cycle.

Mandalas in Taoism

A similar example of a mandala in Eastern culture is the Yin and Yang symbol, where the extremes come together in a circle that represents the duality that exists in the universe according to the principles of Taoism.

Yin means female, earth, darkness, and passivity. While Yang represents the male, the sky, light, and the active. These two fundamental forces complement each other and are necessary to maintain balance in the universe.

Mandalas in the culture of Native Americans

Indian tribes in the northern United States and southern Canada created the "healing wheels" or "medicine wheels." The design of these mandalas featured a central stone circle connected by radii or dividing lines made of the same element and consisting of the same element.

Additionally, the 4 cardinal points (North, South, East, and West), a color, the elements (Fire, Air, Earth, and Water), and their sacred animals and plants were taken into account. It is believed that these wheels were used not only for medical purposes but also served as a sacred place for initiation rituals.

The Aztecs in present-day Mesoamerica also used mandalas. The most famous example is the calendar, which follows the basic principles of these representations, as it starts from a central circle from which other figures are repeatedly radiated.

Types of Mandalas

There are different types of mandalas that occur in various cultures and are used for both artistic and spiritual purposes. Below are three main types of mandalas and how they are used.

1. Mandala of Teaching

Lehrmandalas are symbolic, and each shape, line, and color represents a different aspect of a philosophical or religious system. The student projects a visual symbolization of everything learned by creating their own mandala based on design and construction principles. Didactic mandalas serve their creators as mind maps.

2. Healing Mandala

Healing mandalas are more intuitive than teaching mandalas and serve meditation and balance. Healing mandalas are meant to convey wisdom and peace and evoke feelings of calm by channeling focus and concentration.

3. Sand Mandala

Sand mandalas have long been used by Buddhist monks and Navajo cultures as a traditional religious object. These designs use a variety of symbols made from colored sand that represent the impermanence of human life.

Mandalas as a therapeutic resource

The Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) studied mandala designs from various cultures for 20 years and found common characteristics: The fact that the design always radiates from the center is constrained by a geometric figure, which is usually a circle or a polygon, and the rest of the figures can be replaced by shapes that resemble them, such as flowers or crosses.

For the psychologist, these representations were an exteriorization of the collective unconscious, the expression of the totality of being, and could therefore be used as a therapeutic resource to work on the emotional aspects that were suppressed or unrecognized.

Nowadays, the use of mandalas as a therapeutic and anti-stress technique has become widespread. Shapes:

• Creation of a Mandala: The person starts from some basic guidelines and prepares to draw and color their mandala. The use of geometric shapes and the chosen colors provide the therapist with information about certain emotional states.
• Coloring the Mandala: As in the previous case, attention is paid to the use of the colors used. In this case, however, we start from a pre-created design.
• Visualization of the mandala: The person receives a mandala, which is observed for a few minutes to induce a state of relaxation.

Every one of the mentioned techniques can be carried out independently. In fact, in recent years, the use of notebooks for creating or coloring mandalas has become popular, which is responsible for the widespread use of this resource as an anti-stress tool.

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Basic shapes of mandala

Do you know the meaning of the mandalas according to their structure?

Since the word mandala means "circle," they have become a true stress therapy in recent years. Painting mandalas has several benefits for mental health by creating harmony, peace, and a perfect inner balance. But what is the reason for this?

The elements that form the structure of a mandala and their meanings are as follows:

The circle: refers in a special way to things that do not have a specific name and cannot be standardized. The central point of this circle represents the divine core or more precisely the self.

The horizontal line: This line separates and divides the upper part of the world from the lower part; a line that ultimately symbolizes the energy of maternal origin.

The vertical line is the line that is responsible for the union of the earthly world with the sacred world and symbolizes energy.

The Cross of the World: This image connects the substance of maternal origin with energy and forms a central point.

The spiral: A truly very common element in all mandalas, representing the development and dynamics of the inner process.

Mandala meaning in modern times

Now the boom of mandalas has emerged, but in reality, these representations have accompanied humanity since time immemorial. Their observation has contributed to many cultures being able to know, understand, and connect with the universe.

Paint mandalas to restore innate harmony and creativity

The geometric design of the mandalas conveys stability and balance. For this reason, painting mandalas is an activity that helps us restore our innate harmony and enhance our creativity. To create and paint mandalas, we need a relaxed space and let ourselves go. There are no strict rules for drawing, but each person can be guided by their own instinct when choosing the colors to use.

Design your break even more relaxing with mandalas!