Monks from the Gaden Ngari monastery in Mundgod, India, make a sand mandala at the Cozmic Cafe in Placerville CA, Jan 5, 2008.
It symbolizes a yearning after, and a striving for, the spiritual center; a mental and physical seeking, that is in turn reflected in the structure of many sacred edifices: temples, shrines, stupas. You will come across mandalas in all the cultures of the world without exception. They will be distinguished by differences in content, but the essence, purpose and principle will always be the same throughout. The principle of the mandala resides not in its external form, which is specific for every situation, but within the Center, the Source, from which the energy that shapes the form flows. A strikingly singular feature about all mandalas is the high degree of representational harmony of its component elements, symbolic of divine harmony, juxtaposed against the chaotic tangle of the material world.
A mandala is created from precious stones, colors, painted rice, colored pebbles or sand… We, for our part, create them using computer technology. But a mandala as a field structure need not be merely drawn. When you are in the presence of an enlightened person, you also come under the effect or his or her personal mandala, as a result of which you may arrive at an understanding of things that are not readily comprehended or accepted in the normal, familiar state.
Many different types or kinds of mandalas exist. Their meanings and significance may vary; however, the overriding principle of construction remains the same, and symbolizes the guiding role of reason, clarity and enlightenment. It has been ascertained and is known for a fact that a Mandala will inevitably lead the person who is using it to a discovery or discoveries, and to proper use of the source of one’s own personal energy. Designed in accordance with the principles of the movement of Light, the mandala harmonizes the space around itself, coming into tune with the higher planes or reality and resonating in consonance with them, becoming an energy field that arises out of the potential inherent throughout all space.
Whatever your response to mandalas, and to a specific Mandala in particular, whether you find they take your breath away as works of art, or as sacred objects worthy of veneration, each Mandala shall bestow upon you as many blessings as you are able to encompass. A single glance at a Mandala is sufficient in order to emerge out of the grip of your fears, to alleviate afflictions and drive away the everyday stresses of getting along within the material world -- thereby allowing the beholder to receive a huge healing charge of energy. Knowing this, the people of Tibet, of India, as well as of cultures where the knowledge of mandalas remains vital to this day, retain the tradition of giving expression to their veneration for these images, in order to reinforce the positive effect which mandalas are capable of exerting over their lives.
A mandala is not just an object of contemplation, but a specific type of encrypted, coded program of systematic meditative acts and processes. Thus, when practicing certain exercises, you will spend several minutes in contemplation of the mandala, concentrating your attention on its center. In order to make most effective use of the mandala, it is best to be in a tranquil setting, sitting comfortably and consciously relaxing your body. When your gaze focuses in on the center of the image, you begin to relax. After spending five or more minutes in contemplation of our mandalas, you find that calm begins to take over your consciousness, replacing the usual internal dialogues of the mind. After several sessions of relaxation using mandalas, you will discover that worry, upset, restlessness or fretfulness, as well as outside thoughts, no longer intrude and cannot penetrate into your consciousness. These practical exercises will lead to enormous changes in your body and awareness; necessarily, they shall take their further expression in the flowering of your creative gifts.