Magical
Mystical Mandalas
By Sarah Frutig, Mandalas by Marjorie Kaye
“There is something about circles the Beloved loves.”
--Hafiz (a popular 13th century Persian poet)
“The Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round.”
--Oglala Dakota Indian Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk)
Our lives are framed by the circular path of the Sun as it rises, sets and rises again throughout all our days on the round globe we call Earth. All the planets are circular as are their orbits; the seasons circle in a predictable pattern from year to year, and each life’s journey follows a circular path from childhood to childhood.
Many indigenous living spaces incorporate the circular form into their dwelling place designs. Look at the circular dome shaped lavuus and goathes of the Saami people of Scandinavia, the igloos of the Arctic’s Inuit or the tepees of the American Plains Indians.
Native American cultures have a history of using the circular form in their ceremonies, such as those done around a Medicine Wheel or ‘sacred hoop’ constructed of a circular pattern of stones surrounding a center stone. This structure is used for ritual, healing and teaching.
Circles are found wherever we look in the natural world--from flowers, birds’ nests and snowflakes to the rippling circles radiating out from a pebble dropped into a pond and to the whirling winds of cyclones. Even the irises of our own eyes are circular. Each cell in our body is a living mandala.
Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning “essence” and is also translated as “circle” or “completion.” The term was used to denote the book segments of the sacred Rig Veda text. The Vedas were the books of the ancient seers of India, and the term "Vedas"’ has a relation both to vision and wisdom. Since the circular form automatically draws attention to its center, it has been used for reflection, concentration and calming since prehistoric times. A circle is the purest, simplest and most encompassing shape, and is a universal symbol of integration, harmony and transformation.
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, mandalas are formed into sand paintings for healing of the earth and all sentient beings. They are called ‘dul-tson-kyil-khor,’ which translates as “mandala of colored powders,” and they represent the universe. The act of constructing them is extremely sacred, but they are destroyed soon after completion, being swept up first from the outside and then into the center, as not only a reminder of life’s impermanence but also as a testament to the belief that everything returns to the heart center at the time of old age and death.
Mandalas can be found outside of Eastern culture. The ancient Maypole rites of Spring and Midsummer that are found in most Germanic countries can be described as dancing mandalas; at the center is a painted pole decorated with flowers, flags and garlands around which people dance, always moving inward. The Gothic stained glass windows of many churches contain mandalas. Another Gothic expression of the mandala can be seen in the labyrinth, a form which contains a circular walking path for prayerful contemplation as one enters into and out of its center.
There are many ways to interact with mandalas. They can be contemplated, colored or created from scratch, and all such activities will have a beneficial effect on one’s body, mind and spirit. Mandalas can help us cultivate inner peace and by so doing they can help us radiate peace out into the world just as a candle flame is surrounded by a circular halo of light.
Purify your inner vision by contemplating the sacred geometrical patterns of the Earth and the universe. Dance with the rhythm of the natural circles and cycles of life. Shine your light out into the world by learning the lessons of the magical mystical mandala. Practice with this ancient healing tool, and you’ll see that “What goes around comes around.”