The art of creating mandalas, either in two or three dimensions, represents a highly refined Tibetan artistic tradition that traces its root to ancient India. Literally meaning a ‘circle’, a mandala is essentially a map of the human psyche in its transformed enlightened state. Typically composed of complex, perfectly symmetrical, geometrical patterns, the forms and primary colors of the mandala symbolize the perfected states of the meditator's own awareness, psycho-physical aggregates, elemental properties, and sensory and mental processes. Each aspect of the mandala thus has a deep psychological and spiritual symbolism.

Generally, the mandala is created on a square platform. First, the underlying grid of the mandala pattern is drawn on the base with exact geometrical precision. The monks then pour fine colored sand meticulously through a metal funnel onto and between the lines. Depending upon the properties of the diverse mandala designs, different grades of colored sand and corresponding funnel sizes are used to create the mandala, a process which usually takes several days for four or more monk artists. The result is an astonishingly beautiful artwork made entirely of fine colored sand. Once completed, the mandala is consecrated and utilized as the basis for meditative rituals after which it is dissolved. The example of mandala art given here belongs to the Ngor tradition of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Click here to see the sample search
[back to sample searches directory]