Mandala meaning (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Mandala:

Mandala is a structure of concentric designs that represent the fractal or repetitive composition of the universe and nature.

Mandala is a word of Sanskrit origin and means 'circle'; represents the unity, harmony and infinity of the universe by balancing the visual elements.

In Spanish, both the most common version with grave pronunciation (mandala) and the esdrújula pronunciation (mandala) are supported.

The use of repetitive geometric patterns is a characteristic of mandalas.

In eastern cultures, where the first records of design and use of mandalas are held, they aim to cease thought and mind, aspiring to achieve a meditative state.

Hindus were the first to use mandalas as a spiritual instrument, although they have become popular in the West for designs and uses attributed to Buddhism. However, the mandalas have not been exclusive to the East or to a particular religion, since similar geometric representations have been found in other cultures and with different uses that go beyond the spiritual.

Mandalas in Buddhism

In Tibet, the sand mandalas are known, which are complex representations made by Tibetan Buddhist monks as a spiritual exercise to learn lessons about detachment and universal flow. To make them, sand or crushed and naturally colored stones are used.

The mandala design is divided into four quadrants and a monk is in charge of each one. After days or weeks of completing the design (filling the spaces with the colored sand), the mandala is destroyed by the monks to represent the finiteness of all things. The sand is swept away, stored in a jar and thrown into a river so that it can re-integrate with nature, in the continuous flow of the cycle of life.

See also:

• Buddhism. Life cycle.

Mandalas in Taoism

Another example of a mandala in Eastern culture is the yin and yang symbol , where the extremes meet in a circle that represents the duality that exists in everything created, according to the principles of Taoism.

Taijitu, the name of the yin and yang symbol, is a type of mandala.

The feminine, the earth, the darkness and passivity are attributed to yin . While the yang represents the masculine, the sky, the light and the active. These two fundamental forces are complementary and necessary to maintain balance in the universe.

See also Yin yang .

Mandalas in Native American culture

Native Indians of the northern United States and southern Canada created the 'healing wheels', or 'medicine wheels'. The design of these mandalas contemplated a central stone circle that was connected to a larger circle through radii or dividing lines, made with the same element.

In addition, 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 in addition to being used for medicinal purposes, these wheels were a sacred place for initiation rituals.

The Aztecs, located in what is now Mesoamerica, also used mandalas. The best-known example is in his calendar, which obeys the basic principles of these representations, since it starts from a central circle from which other figures radiate repetitively.

Fragment of an Aztec calendar in the Museum of America, in Madrid (Spain).

In these mandalas, the celestial vault, the creation of man and the path that must be traveled during life to reach fullness were represented.

Mandalas as a therapeutic resource

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

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

Mandalas reveal information about their author's unconscious processes, according to psychologist Car Gustav Jung.

Today, the use of mandalas has become widespread as a therapeutic and anti-stress technique. It can be implemented in various ways:

• Creation of a mandala: the person starts with some basic guidelines and prepares to draw and color their mandala. The use of the geometric shapes and the chosen colors provides information to the therapist about certain emotional states. Coloring the mandala: like the previous case, attention is paid to the use of the colors used, but in this case it is based on a design prepared in advance. Visualize a mandala: the person is provided with an elaborated mandala and he must observe it for a few minutes, in order to induce a state of relaxation.

Any of the mentioned techniques can be done alone. In fact, in recent years, the use of notebooks to create or color mandalas has become popular, which accounts for the widespread use of this resource as an anti-stress tool.