MANDALA -THE BOOMING ART

 MANDALA - THE BOOMING ART

INTRODUCTION

Mandalas are Buddhist devotional images often deemed a diagram or symbol of an ideal universe. Mandalas come in many forms. Often, they are painted on scrolls and taken with travellers over long distances across the Eurasian continent.

A mandala is a symbol of the universe in its ideal form, and its creation signifies the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy. It can also be used as an aid to meditation, helping the meditator to envision how to achieve the perfect self.

Mandalas were created in the service of one of the world's great religions, Buddhism. They were produced in Tibet, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, and Indonesia and date from the 4th century to present. Now they are created throughout the world, including New York City.
A special sand mandala painting is a gift to New York City from the Tibetan Buddhist monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery as a tolken of healing and goodwill following the terrorist act against the city on September 11, 2001. The construction of the mandala begins with a ceremony in which the monks consecrate the site and call forth forces of goodness through chants, meditation, and music. Then, over the course of ten days, the monks will pour millions of grains of colored sand from traditional metal funnels (chak-purs), purifying and healing the space and its inhabitants in the process. Shortly after its completion the monks will dismantle the mandala to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists and disperse the sand in order to share its blessing.

We often associate the word mandala with the circular designs that have repeating colours, shapes, and patterns radiating from the canter. Mandalas can be precise, carefully measured, geometric, and perfectly symmetrical, or in contrast, free flowing, organic, and asymmetrical. Mandalas are often drawn in circles but they can also be drawn in squares.

MEANING

Mandala is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates to mean “circle” or “canter.”

The literal meaning word Mandala means circle, and circle mandalas are also one of the most commonly available form of mandalas. Circles have very powerful significance in countless religions and traditions, primarily Hinduism and Buddhism. We first saw their emergence in regions across the Himalaya and India, where people used the artistic expression of mandalas to form symbolic relationships between the universe and the spirit.
Ancient Hindu scriptures depict mandalas as a period of creativity, of powerful existence, and a symbol of deeper connection with the self and the universe at large. In modern day, mandalas have become a popular symbol of meditation, which aids in enhancing focus, silencing thoughts while meditating, combatting stress and anxiety, appreciating the beauty of nature, and forming a greater connection with oneself.

TRADITIONAL MEANINGS ACROSS CULTURES

 Most of the mandala patterns and designs that have risen to popularity in the modern world trace their roots back to Tibetan Buddhist cultures, where spiritual significance represents the purity and sacredness of existence, as highlighted by the Buddha. These mandalas can be described as highly complex paintings with captivating detail vibrantly rich colours that depict the cosmological traditions of Hindus and Buddhists.

In Hinduism, mandalas are a tool to view the spiritual universe, and represent the cycle of occurrence, reoccurrence and existence. Many of these designs are symbolic of Hindu deities, such as Ganesha, Saraswati and others.
Carl Jung, a popular Swiss psychoanalyst, was the first to introduce mandala to western thinkers and scholars after becoming fascinated by the therapeutic powers. He believed that mandalas where symbolic of the psychological and spiritual self, and they lead to greater awareness of life and spirit.

This ancient Eastern art is an extremely popular expression that helps countless individuals regain their focus, their confidence, and their concentration by forming a deeper connection with their real self. Modern consumerism has associated mandalas with the bohemian lifestyle, thus marking its emergence in home décor, fashion, accessories, beauty and other aspects of our life. These beautiful designs can be used to brighten up our home and help us achieve our goals of greater personal growth.

HISTORY OF MANDALA

Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in the region now known as Nepal. Though there is no confirmed date of his birth, historians believe it to be around 560 B.C. It is understood that Gautama left his kingdom after becoming aware of human suffering, where he sought to attain enlightenment through meditation and thoughtful action. He began to preach his philosophy across parts of India, where he gained devout followers and eventually established the first sangha, Buddhist community of monks.

As these Buddhist monks travelled the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and West, they brought Buddhism to other lands. They carried mandalas with them and brought the practice of painting these spiritual compositions to other parts of Asia, appearing in regions such as Tibet, China, and Japan by the 4th century. Though rooted in Buddhism, mandalas soon became present in Hinduism and other religious practices. Painters of the spiritual craft were often pious laymen, who were commissioned by a patron. They worked seated on the floor with a painting propped in their laps or in front of their crossed legs.

SACRED MANDALA

One of the richest visual objects in Tibetan Buddhism is the mandala. A mandala is a symbolic picture of the universe. It can be a painting on a wall or scroll, created in coloured sands on a table, or a visualisation in the mind of a very skilled adept.

The mandala represents an imaginary palace that is contemplated during meditation. Each object in the palace has significance, representing an aspect of wisdom or reminding the meditator of a guiding principle. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing.

The Tibetan mandala (like the example in this article, which was created in Manchester by monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery near Lhasa in Tibet) contains deities, with the principal deity in the centre of the pattern. The deities who reside in the palace embody philosophical views and serve as role models.

HOW TO DRAW MANDALAS

1.      Draw a circle on a piece of paper using a compass or drawing around a round object such as a small plate or a mug. Find the centre of the mandala and draw a horizontal and vertical line through the center. You can keep slicing the circle into pies depending on how many points you want to add to the mandala.

Fig 1: Basic shape of Mandala

2.      Once you have divided the circle into 8 parts in this case (but you can slice the circle into more parts for more detailed designs) you draw a smaller center circle and more circles outside of it which does not necessarily need to be circular. They can be straight lines joining together with equal distance from the centre. You can add as many inner circles as you like depending on the design you choose to draw. Within each different layer or circle, you can also add other shapes such as petals, squares, hearts or whatever shape comes into your mind.

3.      Continue drawing motifs in bigger and bigger circles as you work towards the outside circle of the mandala. You can use different shapes such as flowers, geometric shapes, spirals, smaller circles, triangles, birds and so on. The shapes should be repeated though to keep it consistent as you introduce new shapes and lines to each part of the mandala. Introducing more lines and shapes within the mandala becomes more important at the outer circles of the mandala as there is more space to fill. Below to the left is a completed mandala where you can see it was divided into 8 equal parts initially with an inner smaller circle. The design that grew from the center on the left mandala was based on petals and line patterns going through certain parts of the mandala. Notice on the right-hand mandala smaller circles have been used as main shapes for the design. The circles and lines that you started off with can later be erased if you choose to add different shapes - but they are useful as a guide when you start drawing the mandala.

SYMBOLISM IN MANDALAS

Within their intricate circular patterns, you can find common symbols throughout mandalas. Traditionally, they include the presence of Buddha’s mind in an abstract form, most commonly represented as a wheel, tree, flower, or jewel. The center is a dot, which is a symbol considered free of dimensions. It is interpreted as the starting point, the beginning of contemplation, and devotion to the divine. From there, the dot is surrounded by lines and geometrical patterns that symbolize the universe, encompassed by the outer circle which represents the cyclical nature of life. Some common symbols within the mandala include:

·        Wheel with eight spokes

The circular nature of a wheel works as an artistic representation of a perfect universe. The eight spokes represent the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, a summary of practices that lead to liberation and rebirth.

·        Bell

Bells represent an openness and emptying of the mind to allow the entrance of wisdom and clarity.

·        Triangle

When facing upward, triangles represent action and energy, and when facing downward, they represent creativity and the pursuit of knowledge.

·        Lotus flower

A sacred symbol in Buddhism, the symmetry of a lotus depicts balance. As a lotus reaches up from underwater into the light, so too does a human reaching for spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

·        Sun

A popular basis for modern mandala patterns, suns tend to represent the universe, often carrying meanings related to life and energy.

BASIC TYPES OF MANDALAS

There are different types of mandalas depending on how they are used. Here are brief explanations of what different types of mandalas are used in Buddhism.

Outer Mandalas

The outer mandala represents the universe or world-system. These type of mandalas are basically used for the offerings. We offer a mandala to a spiritual master asking him or vows, knowledge. Offering outer mandala is a standard practice in Buddhism for thanking people.

Teaching Mandalas

There is another type called Teaching Mandala. The teaching mandalas are symbolic. Each shape, line, and colour in teaching mandala represents different aspects of Buddhism. A monk learns to create mandalas while taking his monastic education. The teaching mandala can be understood as a colourful, mental map that describes the Himalayan culture.

Healing Mandalas

A Healing Mandala is more intuitive than a teaching mandala. Healing mandala are made for the purpose of meditation, deliver certain wisdom. The healing mandala can be used for focusing and concentrating.

CONCLUSION

Mandalas are used for a variety of religious traditions, meditation, and modern contexts. The traditional Tibetan mandala, found in Buddhism, depicts the enlightened state of Buddha through sand art. Patterns are formed on the ground using metal and a small tube to create the exact texture and organization of the grains. Creating this can take weeks, and shortly after it’s complete, it is destroyed to align with the Buddhist belief that nothing is permanent.

As it relates to modern context, mandalas are used in a variety of ways. In yoga, mandalas represent the same ancient ideals; signifying a sacred space to shut away external influences. Often, mandalas are positioned around the studio and sometimes even drawn during meditation periods. Similarly, mandala art is used in healing circles, a practice that derives from Native Americans. The circles are often associated with the restoration of the body, mind, and heart.

Mandalas have also been found in dream catchers as a means to protect the individual sleeping. A popular item in Western cultures, you can easily identify the shape and patterns of a mandala within most dream catchers.

A spiritual symbol in Asian art, mandalas have since become a popular, meditative element for a variety of different cultures. In Hindu and Buddhist cultures in particular, mandalas and thangkas serve as a representation of the universe and a guide on the path to enlightenment. We’ve since seen the geometric design appear in yoga studios, dream catchers, healing circles, and other meditative practices. The habit of creating and collecting mandalas is a transformative practice that is intended to restore inner peace and wisdom within.

By 

Ms.M.Darneshree

Assistant Professor, Dpt of Interior Design and Decor