The Mystical Mandala
A mandala (Sanskrit for “circle”)
is an artistic representation of higher thought and deeper meaning
given as a geometric symbol used in spiritual, emotional, or
psychological work to focus one's attention. The image first appears in
India via the Hindu text known as the Rig Veda c. 1500 - c. 500 BCE but has been used by cultures around the world in many different periods up to the present.
The details of the meaning of a given mandala depend on the individual
creating or observing the image, but mandalas in every culture serve,
more or less, the same purpose of centering an individual or community
on a given narrative in order to encourage introspection and, ultimately, an awareness of one's place and purpose in the world; this awareness then allows for peace of mind.
Mandalas appear in the art and architecture
– in one form or another – of various cultures around the world. In
various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing
attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool,
for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance
induction.
Mandalas are defined in many different ways, however, and are not limited to geometric shapes exclusively. Healing mandalas
are more intuitive than teaching mandalas, and they are made for the
purpose of meditation. Healing mandalas are intended to deliver wisdom,
evoke feelings of calm, and channel focus and concentration.
In the modern day, the most extensive, groundbreaking work on the
meaning and purpose of the mandala was pioneered by the iconic Swiss
psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung who devotes considerable time to the subject in a number of his works.
To Jung, the mandala was the key to self-understanding and
self-acceptance; by creating mandalas, one could come to know one's
self more completely, recognize unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, and
move closer to the center of one's actual being, leaving behind the
various illusions of the self which clouded and confined one's
psychological and spiritual vision. Jung's work
opened up the possibility for the secular uses of the mandala – though
he consistently emphasized its spiritual power and use – and
popularized the image in the West.
Whatever else the mandala may represent to an individual, it essentially reflects order – whether of the cosmos,
nation, community, or self. It is thought to be generating the image
from some higher source. This source does not necessarily have to be a
supernatural entity of any kind (it could be one's higher self).
In the present day, mandalas appear in significant numbers around the
world in both religious and secular contexts and have gained a
significant following among those who use the image to manage stress.
A mantra is traditionally a short sound, word or even phrase spoken in
Sanskrit and used for meditation purposes. It’s uttered in repetition to
help keep our mind and body focused on the moment. And since ancient
times, mantras have been considered sacred and to be calming sounds,
which is why you’ll often hear the most common “om” is used.
When you are looking at one object, it helps you with focus
and…emptying your mind. Gazing meditation is also known as trataka, or
yogic gazing. In Sanskrit, a classical language of Southeast Asia, the
word “trataka” means to look or to gaze.
You can find early mentions of trataka in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a
15th-century Sanskrit manual on yoga. A group of researchers who
studied the effects of yogic visual concentration on cognitive
performance in 2016 noted that Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists trataka as
one of six body-cleansing techniques to purify and prepare the body and
mind.
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