Mandala

A mandala, from the Sanskrit for circle, is a sacred diagram of Hindu and Buddhist tradition: a picture of the universe arranged around a centre. Monks use it as a map for meditation, moving in thought from the outer rings towards the middle. Today many people also draw or colour mandalas as a slow, focused practice.

Word: Sanskrit for circle
Traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism
Used for: meditation and ritual

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What it means

A mandala is a whole world in one circle. In Hindu and Buddhist tantric practice it is a consecrated space with a deity or a buddha at its centre, and the person meditating travels inward, ring by ring, towards that centre. The outer rings guard the way; the centre is what the practice is for.

Most traditional mandalas show a square palace inside a circle, with four gates facing the four directions. The square holds the order of the world, the circle around it holds the whole, and in meditation you enter, in thought, through one of the gates.

How it is made

Mandalas are painted on cloth or paper, cast in bronze, built in stone or laid out on prepared ground with coloured threads and powders. Tibetan monks make them from coloured sand over many days, then sweep the sand away: a lesson in impermanence.

In the twentieth century the psychologist Carl Jung drew mandalas himself and helped bring the word into Western thought, which is why it now also means any circular design with a strong centre.

At home

People hang a mandala where the eye can rest: above a meditation corner, opposite a reading chair, in a hallway passed several times a day. Others keep a notebook of their own, drawn with a compass and filled in slowly over an evening.

Choosing one

A traditional mandala holds the figures and symbols of one particular practice; a decorative one keeps the circle and the centre without them. Both give the eye a place to return to. Keep printed and painted pieces out of strong sun.

A small practice

Sit facing the mandala at arm's length.
Rest your eyes on the outer edge, then move slowly inward, one ring with each breath.
Stay with the centre for a minute before you look away.

In the library

Lotus47 pieces

Buddha313 pieces

Om45 pieces

Flower of life33 pieces

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of a mandala?

In Hindu and Buddhist practice it supports meditation and ritual: a map of the universe with a sacred centre. At home many people use it simply as a point of focus.