In this particular mandala, the central deity is surrounded by an outer circle divided into 8 quadrants. These contain the Eight precious symbols of Buddhism, described below:
Beginning at the top is the Endless Knot (Skt. Shrivatsa; Tib. Dpal be'u). The Endles Knot overlaps without a beginning or an end, symbolizing the Buddha's endless wisdom and compassion.
The next symbol in the clockwise direction is the Victory Banner (Skt. Dhvaja; Tib. Rgyal mtshan) As the battle-standard of military supremacy the victory banner was adopted by early Buddhism as an emblem of the Buddha's victorious enlightenment and his vanquishing of the armies of Mara, whose demonic warriors bore the dhvaja as an emblem. The hosts of Mara personify hindrances and defilements, and in Tibetan Buddhism the victory banner is said to symbolise the overcoming of these defilements.
Next is depicted the conch shell (Skt. Shankha; Tib. Dung dkar) Vedic brahamanism and later Buddhism adopted the conch as a symbol of religious sovereignity and an emblem which fearlessly proclaimed the truth of the dharma. It is also the symbol of the Buddha's deep and resonant voice.
Next is shown the pair of golden fishes (Skt. Suvarnamatsya; Tib. Gser nya) these symbolize happiness, as they have complete freedom in the water. They also represent fertility and abundance as they multiply very rapidly. Here the two golden fishes are shown touching nose to nose; in Hinduism this symbolizes the female sexual organ or yoni.
Next is shown the Parasol (Skt. Chattra; Tib. Gdugs) The parasol or umbrella is a traditional symbol of both protection and royalty. Its shadow protects from the blazing heat of the sun, and the coolness of its shade symbolizes protection from the heat of suffering, desire, obstacles, illnesses and harmful forces. The Tibetan version of the Parasol was adopted from its royal Indian and Chinese prototypes, and fashioned from a wooden, spoked frame with a domed silk cover and hanging silk pendants or valances. As both spiritual and secular leaders, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama frequently display both the silk parasol and peacock-feather parasol in their ceremonial processions.
Next is shown the treasure vase. (Skt. Nidhana kumbha; Tib. Gter gyi bum pa) The Tibetan treasure vase is represented as an ornate golden vase with lotus-petal motifs radiating around its various sections, and a single flaming jewel protruding from its upper opening. As the divine vase of inexhaustible treasures it possesses the quality of spontaneous manifestation: however much is removed from it the vase remains perpetually full. Wealth vases, sealed with precious and sacred substances, are commonly placed upon altars and on mountain passes, or buried at water springs, where their presence attracts wealth and brings harmony to the environment.
Next shown is the Lotus (Skt. Padma; Tib. Pad ma) The lotus is the symbol of absolute purity; it grows from the dark watery mire but is untainted or unstained by it. As the seed of the lotus grows from the water and not from the earth's soil, it is a symbol of divine or spontaneous generation.
The last symbol displayed is the Wheel (Skt. Chakra; Tib. 'khor lo). Buddhism adopted the wheel as a symbol of the Buddha's teachings and as an emblem of the chakravartin or 'wheel turner', identifying the wheel as the dharmachakra or 'wheel of law'. The Tibetan term for dharmachakra (Tib. Chos kyi 'khor lo) literally means the 'wheel of transformation' or spiritual change. The wheel's swift motion symbolizes the rapid spiritual transformation revealed in the Buddha's teachings, and as a weapon of change it represents the overcoming of all obstacles and illusions. Buddha's first discourse at the Deer park in Sarnath is known as 'the first turning of the wheel of dharma'. His subsequent discourses at Rajghir and Shravasti are known as the 'second and third turnings of the wheel of dharma'.
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This description by Nitin Kumar, Executive Editor, Exotic India.
References:
Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.
Chakraverty, Anjan. Sacred Buddhist Painting. New Delhi: Roli Books, 1998
Fisher, Robert E. Art of Tibet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
Getty, Alice. The Gods of Northern Buddhism. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1978.
Leidy, Denise Patry, and Thurman, Robert A.F. Mandala: The Architecture of Enlightenment. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
Pal, Pratapaditya. Art of Tibet. Los Angeles: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1990.
Rhie, Marylin M. & Thurman, Robert A.F. Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996.
The word mandala is derived from the root manda, which means essence, to which the suffix la, meaning container, has been added. Thus, one obvious connotation of mandala is that it is a container of essence. As an image, a mandala may symbolize both the mind and the body of the Buddha, but images of deities are not necessary. They may be presented either as a wheel, a tree, or a jewel, or in any other symbolic manifestation.
The origin of the mandala is the center, a dot. It is a symbol apparently free of dimensions. It means a 'seed', 'sperm', 'drop', the salient starting point. It is the gathering center in which the outside energies are drawn, and in the act of drawing the forces, the devotee's own energies unfold and are also drawn. Thus it represents the outer and inner spaces. Its purpose is to remove the object-subject dichotomy. In the process, the mandala is consecrated to a deity.
Construction of a Mandala
Before a monk is permitted to work on constructing a mandala he must undergo a long period of technical artistic training and memorization, learning how to draw all the various symbols and studying related philosophical concepts. At the Namgyal monastery (the personal monastery of the Dalai lama), for example, this period is three years.
In the early stages of painting, the monks sit on the outer part of the unpainted mandala base, always facing the center. For larger sized Mandalas, when the mandala is about halfway completed, the monks then stand on the floor, bending forward to apply the colors.
Traditionally, the mandala is divided into four quadrants and one monk is assigned to each. At the point where the monks stand to apply the colors, an assistant joins each of the four. Working co-operatively, the assistants help by filling in areas of color while the primary four monks outline the other details.
The monks memorize each detail of the mandala as part of their monastery's training program. It is important to note that the mandala is explicitly based on the Scriptural texts. At the end of each work session, the monks dedicate any artistic or spiritual merit accumulated from this activity to the benefit of others. This practice prevails in the execution of all ritual arts.
There is good reason for the extreme degree of care and attention that the monks put into their work: they are actually imparting the Buddha's teachings. Since the mandala contains instructions by the Buddha for attaining enlightenment, the purity of their motivation and the perfection of their work allows viewers the maximum benefit.
Each detail in all four quadrants of the mandala faces the center, so that it is facing the resident deity of the mandala. Thus, from the perspective of both the monks and the viewers standing around the mandala, the details in the quadrant closest to the viewer appear upside down, while those in the most distant quadrant appear right side up.
Generally, each monk keeps to his quadrant while painting the square palace. When they are painting the concentric circles, they work in tandem, moving all around the mandala. They wait until an entire cyclic phase or layer is completed before moving outward together. This ensures that balance is maintained, and that no quadrant of the mandala grows faster than another.
The preparation of a mandala is an artistic endeavor, but at the same time it is an act of worship. In this form of worship concepts and form are created in which the deepest intuitions are crystallized and expressed as spiritual art. The design, which is usually meditated upon, is a continuum of spatial experiences, the essence of which precedes its existence, which means that the concept precedes the form.
The mandala appears as a series of concentric circles. Each mandala has its own resident deity housed in the square structure situated concentrically within these circles. Its perfect square shape indicates that the absolute space of wisdom is without aberration. This square structure has four elaborate gates. These four doors symbolize the bringing together of the four boundless thoughts namely loving kindness, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity. Each of these gateways is adorned with bells, garlands and other decorative items. This square form defines the architecture of the mandala described as a four-sided palace or temple. A palace because it is the residence of the presiding deity of the mandala, a temple because it contains the essence of the Buddha.
The resident deity of this mandala is Bhaishajyaguru, the medicine Buddha. There are usually considered to be eight brother Medicine Buddhas, one of whom is Shakyamuni Buddha, who transformed himself into a blue Buddha, sending out healing rays of light.
He wears the monastic robe, and is seated with the legs crossed. His left hand, lying in his lap in 'meditation' mudra, holds a bowl containing medicine nuts, while the right, hand in 'charity' mudra, holds the branch of the myrobalan, a medicinal plant found in India and other tropical countries.
He sits on a moon disk on lotus petals.
The Bhaishajyaguru sutra (written before the sixth century) makes this Buddha far more than a healer of either the body or the spirit. He is conceived, rather, as a supreme and cosmic figure who illuminates the entire world and possesses infinite knowledge. It is also interesting to note that the sutra places considerable importance on the worship of the healing Buddha's image. The worshipper should "bathe, and with a pure mind try to be friendly to all beings. After this he is to circumambulate the image with music " The Chinese translation further states that " if one makes an image of this Buddha, or if one recites the text of the sutra, he will escape from the nine ways of death"
The visualization and concretization of the mandala concept is one of the most significant contributions of Buddhism to religious psychology. Mandalas are seen as sacred places which, by their very presence in the world, remind a viewer of the immanence of sanctity in the universe and its potential in himself. In the context of the Buddhist path the purpose of a mandala is to put an end to human suffering, to attain enlightenment and to attain a correct view of Reality. It is a means to discover divinity by the realization that it resides within one's own self.
Of Related Interest:
Article: The Buddhist Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art
Sterling Silver Jewelry: Coral Mandala
Thangka Painting: Kalachakra Mandala
Book: Symbols of Art, Religion and Philosophy
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