Imbolc 1998 Newsletter Mandalas as a Tool for Meditation

"Mandala" is from the Sanskrit for circle. A Mandala is a complex circular design, intended to draw the eye inward to its centre. Mandalas are used by many different groups of people as a way of focusing attention and gaining insight. Buddhists, Hindus, Incas and mathematicians all use the power of the Mandala to convey a message and impart some form of wisdom. The mandelbrot set (see picture above) has recently been made famous by advanced computer programs allowing visitors to the set a rare insight into this theory which is actually quite old. By making your own Mandala you are able to internalise the concepts which you have painted or drawn on it. If you focus your attention each aspect while you are constructing it, by the time you have finished it, the whole picture will have been absorbed into your subconscious. By using the Mandala as a tool for meditation you can focus your mind and allow clear visions and understanding to flow. The Mandala is usually constructed within a boundary (sometimes a circle, sometimes a square, or temple structure), and within the circle are the features that are to be meditated on. If you are interested to know more, there should be many books about Mandalas at your local library in the Buddhist section, as they are the exponents of the most famous types of Mandalas (especially the transient sand Mandalas used in various initiation rites). Alternatively there are many fine examples on the net, and a good site to visit is:

http://www.abgoodwin.com/mandala/ccweb.shtml