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Symbolism of the Buddhist mandala

Buddhism, which arose on an Indian basis, adopted the concept of “mandala” from Hinduism and passed it on to its later continuations, primarily to various variants of northern Buddhism ( Mahayana, Hinayana, Vajrayana, Tantrism) in Tibet, Central Asia, Mongolia, China, Japan.

Mandala is one of the main sacred symbols in Buddhist mythology; a ritual object embodying a symbol; as well as a geometric sign of extraordinary beauty and complex structure. The picturesque Buddhist mandalas demonstrate a two-dimensional way of conveying all the subtleties of the Buddhist worldview.

The most characteristic scheme of the mandala is an outer circle with a square inscribed in it; this square, in turn, is inscribed with an inner circle, the periphery of which is usually indicated in the form of an eight-petalled lotus or eight articulations segmenting this circle. The square is oriented to the cardinal points, which are also associated with the corresponding color of the square adjoining from the inside. (Thus, in a mandala in the Tibetan Lamaism system, north is green, east is white, south is yellow, west is red; the center corresponds to blue, although in this case the color is motivated primarily by the object depicted in the center.) In the middle of each of the sides square there are T-shaped gates, continuing outward, already outside the square with cruciform images, sometimes limited by small semicircles. In the center of the inner circle, a sacred object of worship is depicted - a deity, its attribute or symbol, metonymically used in the ritual, especially often vajra in different versions - single, double, triple, etc.

Mandala images, as a rule, are numerous, sometimes they are sought to be reproduced in as many copies as possible and placed in various places recognized as sacred, for example, in temples, on canvas, on sacrificial dishes. Mandalas are depicted picturesquely; are made of stone, wood, metal, clay, sand, dough, etc.

The most universal interpretation of the mandala is as a model of the Universe, a “map of the Cosmos”. The cosmological interpretation of the mandala suggests that the outer circle denotes the entire Universe in its entirety, outlines the boundary of the Universe, its limits in space, and also models the temporal structure of the Universe. In this outer ring, 12 symbolic elements are often depicted - nidan, expressing 12 correlated causes, links in the chain of "interdependent origination" that cause and ensure the continuity of the life stream. These 12 nidan on the mandala they model infinity and cyclicity, the “circle of time”, in which each unit is determined by the previous one and determines the next one. The isomorphism of the main parts of the mandala and the so-called Kalachakra- the "wheel of time", the highest and most secret of the four directions vajrayana, - also actualizes the temporal aspect of the mandala. Finally, the outer circle of the mandala generally correlates with the calendar and chronological schemes of northern Buddhism and all of Central and Southeast Asia ( rice. 25).

Rice. 25. Mandala.

In Tibet and Mongolia, the mandala is seen as the dwelling place of a deity or deities. The precedent for the descent of a deity took place, according to legend, in the 8th century, when Padmasambhava, the founder of Buddhist Tantrism, who is also credited with making the first mandala, who needed divine help, built a mandala and stood up for a seven-day prayer, after which the deity descended to the center of the mandala and performed that for which it was called. This motif of the deity's movement from top to bottom, from Heaven to Earth, to the center of the mandala introduces a vertical coordinate into the structure of the mandala, although this coordinate is discovered and actualized as the main one only during the ritual. Vertical movement, as well as its last, final stage - the deity in the center of the mandala, is associated with other symbols of the vertical structure of the World - the World Axis, the Tree of the World, a ritual structure.

Thus, the mandala is the "plan" of the Universe, reduced to its simplest structural principles, but it is also a means of communication with the deity: at the same time an ideogram of the Cosmos and an icon.

As experts note, the mandala, of course, has signs of a work of art, and sometimes develops into it. But unlike a purely artistic creation, the mandala belongs to religion.

In the Tibetan tradition, the mandala is closely associated with "sand painting", which, however, is also found among other peoples. In the past, in Tibet, mandalas were built from small semi-precious stones: turquoise, jasper, malachite, pearls, corals with their bright natural colors. Now most of the monasteries practicing tantric rituals create mandalas from uniform fine sand.

The structure and color scheme of sand mandalas, as well as the sequence of their construction, are described in special texts that the monks learn by heart. Thus, sand mandalas are created as part of tantric rituals. Before proceeding with the construction of the sand mandala, the monks conduct a series of preparatory rituals aimed at cleansing the platform, blessing the tools and colored sand. It is curious that the application of sand begins from the center to the periphery. The construction of a large mandala takes about ten days. While working on the mandala, the monks must constantly be in meditative concentration.

The mandala of an enlightened deity lives exactly as long as the corresponding ritual lasts. It is not left as an exhibit in a museum, as its main purpose is to serve as a basis for meditation practice. Once the practice is completed, the mandala must be destroyed. The destruction of the mandala is a special ritual, the meaning of which is to emphasize the impermanence of all Existing and the cyclical nature of Being. Before destroying the mandala, the monks must ask the enlightened deities who have been in the sand palace for all these days to return to their heavenly abodes.

Mandalas are cosmic diagrams of amazing complexity and beauty. The mandala shows the division of space into the four cardinal directions and the corresponding arrangement of deities, and the center is occupied by the main deity - Vairocana (lit. "shining"), the most important cosmic Buddha. An important role in the mandala is played by colors and various symbols that convey the elements of the World Order scheme.

The esoteric art of Buddhism focuses primarily on geometric order. The pantheon is built according to the type of geometric structure of the grid mandala or its sculptural analogy, which also follows a certain order.

In one mandala, reflecting the structure of the Universe, there can be up to a thousand images arranged in accordance with the rules of universal harmony. In essence, the entire system of Buddhist ideas about the universe can be conveyed in one mandala.

In their depiction of the spiritual cosmos, Buddhist mandalas adhere to the age-old composition of an open lotus, reminiscent of the multiplicity of manifestations of the Vedic Agni (Fire).

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Quite often, new members of the Harmonisarium ask the question "what is a mandala?".
In Sanskrit, a mandala is a circle, disk, wheel, sphere, ball, country, territory, society, and much more that can be described by these meanings. In Buddhism, a mandala is also the concept of the Buddhist world, the sphere of dwelling of deities, the Universe, and a number of ritual images and symbols.

I’ll make a reservation right away that our Friday Mandala does not have any religious character, it is rather a pleasant entertainment with a slight art-therapeutic effect. :)

The mandala is a circle inscribed in a square, which in turn is inscribed in a circle. The outer circle is the Universe, the inner circle is the dimension of deities, bodhisattvas (a being with an awakened consciousness), buddhas (enlightened).

The mandala has a center and four directions corresponding to the four cardinal directions. The square of the mandala, oriented to the cardinal points, has T-shaped exits on each side - the gates to the Universe. The field of the square is divided into four parts. The fifth part forms the center.

Each of the five parts has its own color: blue corresponds to the center, white to the east, yellow to the south, red to the west, green to the north.

One of the Buddhist rituals, the Kalachakra initiation, involves the creation of a mandala from colored sand or powder, accompanied by prayers.


The first action of the ritual, of course, is the prayer and blessing of colored sand, tools and a special table for building a mandala. Then the monks proceed to mark the surface of the table.

The central and diagonal lines are applied with a white thread, which must be woven by young girls and bought without bargaining. This thread is lowered into the white sand of fine grinding, then the monks pull it over the surface of the mandala, slightly lift it in the middle and release it. A white mark remains on the surface of the table. The remaining lines are applied with chalk, pencils and rulers. The monks create all complex decorative elements without preliminary drawing.

The direct formation of the intricate patterns of the mandala occurs with the help of a metal cone (chakpu) and a hard yak horn. In the cone, which has an uneven, ribbed surface in the middle part, the monks pour sand of the desired color.

Rubbing this surface with a yak horn or other hard material, the monks create a vibration, due to which the sand pours out in an even stream through a small hole. The flow of sand is controlled by the speed of friction and the degree of pressure on the chakpa.

Sand is specially prepared and placed in containers on the table. The color of some of the sand remains natural, but a fairly large amount of colored sand of various colors and shades is usually used, with the addition of ground spices, herbs, and minerals.

Sometimes not sand is used, but stone particles obtained by crushing and grinding. The size of the sand varies. Coarse-grained sand is used to fill the background, fine - to draw small details and patterns.

A sand mandala is usually created by two or four monks, starting from the center and gradually expanding the picture. Each circle - the level of the drawing - must be completed completely before the monks proceed to the next stage of work. At the same time, work should be carried out with concentration, without haste, but not too slowly.

In the process of meditation at the stage of creating a complex mosaic composition, the practitioner mentally reproduces in his mind everything that is depicted on the mandala, identifying himself with the deity depicted in its center.

Monks who are not directly involved in the creation of the mandala mosaic conduct various ceremonies, the meaning of which is to purify the space and accumulate positive potential. Usually these rituals are accompanied by singing and playing musical instruments.

The creation of a mandala can take several days. But when the mandala is completed - the process of meditation and knowledge of the divine is completed, the mandala must be destroyed. The meaning of this destruction is to demonstrate the idea of ​​the impermanence of everything that exists.

After regular prayers and appeals to the deities, one of the monks symbolically breaks open the entrances from all four corners of the world, after which the mosaic image is swept away with a special broom. Mixed grains of sand collected in a heap in the center of the table are poured into a ritual bowl.

The art of creating sand mosaics - mandalas - has been brought to perfection by Buddhist monks. Exquisite drawings and fine lines, together with improvised details, create a magical image of a perfect world. A world that must be destroyed. Maybe only in order to create a new mosaic - a mandala - in the same place after a while.

See how different, but always complex, mandalas are:

"Apparently, some groups of the lower tantra, the Buddha taught, being in the usual form of a monk, but in most cases he taught tantra, taking the form of the main deity of the mandala of the preached tantra."

Dalai Lama. From the book "The World of Tibetan Buddhism"



Circle, sphere, ball, orbit, wheel, ring, country, space, totality, collection are some of the meanings of the word "mandala" found in ancient Indian literature. In Buddhism, this word also means: a dish for offering in ritual practice; mystical diagram, a symbolic image of the Buddhist universe, the universe. The main meaning of the term "mandala" in esoteric Buddhism is a dimension, a world. The mandala is a symbolic image of the pure land of the buddhas, in other words, it is an image of the world of salvation.


Mandala as a mystical diagram, as a symbolic image of the Buddhist universe, is a circle inscribed in a square, which in turn is inscribed in a circle. The outer circle is the Universe, the inner circle is the dimension of deities, bodhisattvas, buddhas. Sometimes images of Buddhas and deities are replaced with images of their root symbols, syllables whose sounds express the dimensions of these deities. Buddhas, bodhisattvas and gods hold ritual paraphernalia; these objects, as well as the forms and postures of deities, symbolically express the enlightened activity of realized beings, their abilities. The place on the mandala of this or that bodhisattva also corresponds to his most pronounced ability. This ability - enlightened activity - is associated with one or another of the five wisdoms, symbolically expressed by color and location on the mandala. The five depicted buddhas or bodhisattvas symbolize the unity of the five wisdoms as aspects of spiritual Awakening. The mandala has a center and four directions corresponding to the cardinal directions. The square of the mandala, oriented to the cardinal points, has T-shaped exits on each side - the gates to the Universe. The field of the square is divided into four parts. The fifth part forms the center. Each of the five parts has its own color: blue corresponds to the center, white to the east, yellow to the south, red to the west, green to the north. Each color is also associated with one of the Dhyani Buddhas - the head of the family (genesis) to which the depicted creature belongs: blue corresponds to Vairocana, white to Akshobhya, yellow to Ratnasambhava, red to Amitabha, green to Amoghasiddha.


In the process of meditation at the stage of generation, the practitioner mentally reproduces in his mind everything that is depicted on the mandala, identifying himself with the deity depicted in its center.

Mandalas can be either two-dimensional, depicted on a plane, or three-dimensional, embossed. They are painted on fabric, sand, colored powders and made of metal, stone, wood. They can even be carved from butter, painting it in the appropriate ritual colors. Mandalas are often depicted on the floors, walls and ceilings of temples. Some of the mandalas are made from colored powders for certain ritual practices (for example, in the Kalachakra initiation). By the end of the ritual, the creation is destroyed.


In Buddhism and Hinduism, there are symbols that personify the universe - mandalas, the meaning of images in these complex ones is many-sided and mysterious. The mandala pattern is always symmetrical. It is a circle in which the center is expressed. Its most common form is the main circle in which the square is inscribed. Inside the square is another circle divided into segments (often in the form of a lotus flower). The mandala is decorated with various symmetrically arranged ornaments.

What are mandalas: the meaning of images

In translation from Sanskrit word mandala translates to "circle". Hindus and Buddhists paint it accompanied by certain sacred rituals. The walls of many eastern temples are covered with similar designs and are objects of worship. It is believed that sacred symbols contain positive energy, help to reveal the subconscious and the inner "I". So mandala in the East It is a kind of frozen prayer.

The one who draws mandalas depicts the essence of his soul at the moment:

  • the center of the mandala is the eye or pupil;
  • inner circle - enlightenment, nirvana;
  • outer circle - protection;
  • lotus is the flower of the mind.

Mandala images are used for meditation . Focusing on the ornaments of the picture contributes to the restructuring of consciousness, as a result of which certain abilities open up in a person. Mandala is, first of all, a holistic model of life, reminiscent of the connection between man and the cosmos. Sacred drawings help to look at oneself from the outside, to accept and resolve the protracted internal conflict.

Mandala: the meaning of symbols

In addition to the image of a lotus, a circle and a square, there are other symbols:

  • Triangle top up - purposefulness, strength; down - indecision, weakness.
  • A spiral rotating clockwise is the beginning; against - devastation, waste of strength.
  • Winding lines - experiences.
  • Cross - indecision, cross state.
  • The five-pointed star is freedom and self-confidence, protection of oneself.
  • Eye, pupil - to be aware of important events.
  • Heart - love, sensuality.
  • Lightning is a divine power that heals the soul.
  • The tree is the basis of the universe.
  • Animals are a sign of human behavior in the present period of life.
  • Birds - awareness of your soul, lightness.

The mandala drawn in a state of meditation will help analyze the state of your inner self, concentrate your mind, realize the freedom of being, the meaning of the symbols with which the drawing is filled will help analyze the sacred meaning of a person’s internal forces.

The meaning of flowers in the mandala

The same color in a sacred drawing has many meanings, and in combination with other colors, the meaning can change.

Red - a sign of energy, passion, life potential. A person who draws a mandala in red has goals and aspirations. The absence of red means anxiety, depression, loss of interest in life.

Yellow - creativity, optimism. Yellow color adorns the drawings of artists.

Blue - the color of serious personalities, calm and reasonable people. People who are hardy and strong in spirit are fond of blue color.

Green - updating not only yourself, but also others. Green color prevails in the mandalas of people whose profession is related to helping and treating people.

White - purity, protection,; a color that shields from negativity, helping thoughts remain bright.

Brown – practicality and stability, the desire for constancy and security.

Black - darkness, mystery, death. The presence of black indicates emptiness and self-denial.

The meaning of flowers in the mandala is deeply symbolic. Experienced psychologists have long used sacred drawings in their practice, helping to accurately determine the patient's internal state. People with mental disorders are invited to choose a mandala from several offered or draw it themselves.

The center of the drawing, the most important place of the mandala, the meaning of the images in the central part make up 90% of the meaning of the entire ornament. It is in the middle of the picture that the strongest gravitational movement, the path to which is slow and difficult.

The classic mandala is a symbolic image of the Universe as a pure land of Enlightened Beings (Buddhas), in the center of which is the sacred Mount Meru - the abode of the Creator, called Adi-Buddha, and all the worlds of Buddhist cosmology are displayed on the sides. This mystical diagram of the Worlds is a circle inscribed in a square, which, in turn, is inscribed in a circle.

The outer circle is the Universe, the inner circle is the world of deities, bodhisattvas, buddhas. Sometimes images of Buddhas and deities are replaced with images of their root symbols, syllables whose sounds express the dimensions of these deities. Buddhas, bodhisattvas and gods hold the enlightened activity of these beings, their abilities. This ability is associated with one or another of the five wisdoms, symbolically expressed by color and location on the mandala. The five depicted buddhas or bodhisattvas symbolize the unity of the five wisdoms as symbols of spiritual Awakening.

The mandala has a center and four directions corresponding to the cardinal directions. Dhyani Buddhas are located in the center and on each of the main sides of the mandala. The square of the mandala, oriented to the cardinal points, has T-shaped exits on each side - the gates to the Universe. The field of the square is divided into four parts. The fifth part forms the center.

The Kailash complex is a huge natural mandala. It has a center (top), associated with a giant world column, connecting our physical world with the skies of the spiritual world and its cosmic base - Adi-Buddha. The top of the mountain is the first body of the Buddha - svabhavikakaya. The Kailash Mandala also has a square (the base of the mountain), whose faces (walls) are oriented to the four cardinal points, and also have T-shaped exits (approaches) to their planes. These four Persons have their own color and their own energy element. They are also associated with one of the Dhyani Buddhas, manifesting the Second Body of the Buddha, the Dharmakaya.

Further from its center, a unique natural mandala is represented by eight mountains directly adjacent to Kailash. That is how many mountains are a kind of continuation of Kailash. In the south there are two shoulder-ridges of the inner mountain and Nandi. In the west, there are two ridge-shoulders, covering the Enclosed Valley at the Western Face of Kailash. In the north - Vajrapani, Chenrezig. To the east is the stone mirror of the Valley of Life and Death. They minifest the Third body of the Buddha - sambhogakaya.

These "shoulders" of Kailash form the eight Sacred Valleys:

  1. Eastern valley of the inner crust;
  2. Western valley of the inner crust;
  3. The valley between the western ridge of the inner crust and the Enclosed Valley at the Western Face of Kailash;
  4. Enclosed Valley at the Western Face of Kailash;
  5. Valley between Mount Vajrapani and Enclosed Valley;
  6. Valley at the North Face of Kailash;
  7. Symmetrical Valley;
  8. Mirror of the Valley of Life and Death.

The outer circle of the giant mandala is deep river valleys that encircle this fantastic complex. It is associated with the inhabited universe, and it is through it that the route of the outer crust passes. The fourth body of the Buddha, the Nirmanakaya, is “poured” here.

Note that the central part of the Kailash Mandala is an eight-petalled lotus, in the center of which is the sacred Kailash.

It is believed that the Kailash Mandala is a unique mirror-pyramidal complex that receives cosmic energy-information flows descending to the Earth, transforms them, and also radiates flows coming from the Earth. This is the most powerful receiving-transmitting space antenna, tuned, among other things, to the characteristic size of the Earth (the height is a multiple of the polar radius of the planet). It can be said that this is a matrix of the energy-information structure of the Universe and man, presented in stone, created by nature, which appears as its likeness or fractal (part). The holistic mechanism of the Universe, working on our planet!

In the Mandala of Kailash, the structure of our world is fully manifested. We can say that it is a projection of the structure of the multidimensional and infinite Universe in our three-dimensional world. The amazing value of this is that everything manifested is not made by hands, created by Nature itself, by the Creator himself millions of years ago, preserving the deep volume of unique universal information.

Kailash carries certain vibrations that allow you to activate the energy centers of a person, “tune and adjust” his dense and subtle bodies and significantly accelerate spiritual development.

If you take a look at the satellite image of the entire mountain knot of Kailash, you can easily see that it stands out sharply in its forms from the surrounding mountain formations. The Kailash knot looks like an intricate tie of mountain ranges of the same height. It is similar to the pattern that the Great Seal of the Eastern Sovereign leaves on hot sealing wax.

No matter how many millennia pass, the mandala of the Seal of the Creator is unchanged in time. Human civilizations have changed and will continue to change, but the Code of Laws of their life remains the same. The main thing in it is to follow the path of spiritual perfection in order to comprehend the Universal Wisdom and the evolution of one's Essence.

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