Mandala: A Ritual of the mind
A Mandala, in Sanskrit, refers to a circle. A mandala consists of geometrical shapes put together in a very precise and abstract manner to represent a higher notion. It starts with a circle in the middle(which is the crux, the axis mundi) and is drawn out to squares and other shapes, extended symmetrically along with the canvas.
A mandala is an emblem of external and internal representations. Externally, a Mandala is a paramount entity of the cosmic universe. Every macro and micro particle in the universe is made up of circular shape and belongs to the universe. Internally, It represents the order of the mind, a visualization of what is in the mind, and its connection to the universe.
Mandalas can be observed predominantly in Hinduism and Buddhism. One can visit temples and palaces in India and just gaze at ceilings and pillars to find a huge Mandala. These are merely external representations.
When I asked, my friend, an artist, what making a mandala means to her, she said “Making such organized shapes in concentric circles with great detail and symmetry calms me”.
Mandalas have extensive use in Psychology. It is well used as a treatment method to relax minds. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, father of analytical psychology, explored the psychological effects of mandalas while studying Eastern religion. According to Jung,
“In such cases, it is easy to see how the severe pattern imposed by a circular image of this kind compensates the disorder of the psychic state– namely through the construction of a central point to which everything is related, or by a concentric arrangement of the disordered multiplicity and of contradictory and irreconcilable elements. This is evidently an attempt at self-healing on the part of Nature, which does not spring from conscious reflection but from an instinctive impulse.”
Internally, Mandala making is a deep reflection of the artist’s inner image, their thoughts, experience, and perception, drawn on any canvas with meticulous intricacy. Mandalas, in ancient times, were also drawn with basic items like flowers, leaves, and sand.
Sand Mandalas: A Buddhist Ritual
Imagine spending more than 30 hours painstakingly detailing an elaborate piece of art, finally perfecting the work, then destroying it merely hours later.
Mandalas are used as a means of meditation tool in Buddhism for healing purposes. A group of monks meditate and create a mandala over a period of time, anywhere between 7 to 20 days, with colored sand.
The whole mandala in itself is not just an art, but the process of making it is a ritual in Buddhism. Every Mandala has a purpose. Largely, It is for healing and medicinal purpose, compassion, creating awareness of Buddhism, and so on.
It takes 15–20 years of practice for any monk to learn this mural because of its complexity. Sand Mandalas are usually Holographic figures visualized in their mind. Much thought and calculations are imagined for transforming it into a 2-dimensional art on the floor or canvas. Since pieces can take many hours to create, it is a test of the body as well as a meditation of the mind. This thought is not just a single Monk’s interpretation, rather a collective thought of all the monks working on the mural. Usually, the deity of purpose (say medicine Buddha) is made in the circle located in the center. This varies according to the purpose of the Mandala which can also depict stories of Buddhism mythology, Sometimes even those of Kalachakra, their philosophy, etc.
At first, a place is picked out by the Head monk or one of them under him, usually, a few feet in size, which is well cleaned, and basic geometrical outlines are drawn in white sand, which serves as a blueprint while mantras are being chanted by other monks. The sand used is crushed from granites, which are dyed with colors. The sand can hinder precision as it is very light and has a tendency to fly randomly. Hence parameters such as direction, wind, and light are considered while selecting the place. The monks even wear masks so that their breath doesn’t disturb even the tiniest precision.
The whole process is accompanied by the monks meditating with the purpose in the mind. It is the power of this mediation that calls the deity to reside in the Mandala and serve its purpose. The purpose of the mandala is as strong as the meditation of those who make it. The amount of concentration they put in, is intense and for a longer period of time as long it takes to complete the mural.
With the blueprint as the base, Monks start off with the Mandala, by first making the axis Mundi, where the main deity is called upon to reside in the geometry with their power of meditation and chants. And hence, there is always a central deity that you will find.
The tool used is a brass/copper funnel, which is filled with colored sand and is stroked continuously so that the sand flows uniformly and precisely. Muscle and breathing control is important to achieve an even line.
The profound philosophy behind creating a mandala is also to convey the most important concept of Buddhism i.e impermanence (अनित्य in Sanskrit), which means “All that exists is transient, evanescent, inconstant”. This is specified at the end of the ritual. After the mural is done, It is probably kept at most for a day, and then is destroyed. The destroying too is done in a specific manner by drawing concentric arcs from outside spiraling towards the inside, a total amalgamation of colors. Some of its essence is given to the people, some to the monks, and the rest of them are dissolved in rivers and oceans so that the blessings are scattered across geography to the whole world.
It is personally very calming and awe-inspiring for me to watch the whole process. Practicing drawing mandalas can also help fight stress and give you immense concentration and order in life.
Let me know your comments in the below section. :)
Thank you.
P.S For those of you who watch ‘The house of cards’, In Season 3 Episode 7, the recent chaotic events in the White House, and also between Claire and Frank, is a metaphor to the process of the mandala creation by the monks who have come to the White House for the same. To specify that, In the end, nothing is permanent, that the turbulence going on is not permanent no matter how chaotic it looks.
