Jytte Hansen, Albertslund, Denmark
I have made en little sequence about Tibetan Buddhism, especially the mandala:
MANDALA
Mandala is Sanskrit for circle, polygon, community, connection.
The Mandala is a symbol of man or woman in the world, a support for the meditating person.
The mandala is often illustrated as a palace with four gates, facing the four corners of the Earth.
The Mandala shown here is connected with the Buddha Vajrasattva, who symbolises the original
crystalline purity.
In the centre is a lotus blossom with eight petals, resting on a bed of jewels.
In the next place are the walls of the palace with gates towards the four corners of the earth.
The gates are guarded by four angry doorkeepers.
Before the meditating person arrives at the gates, she must, however, pass the four outer
circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus
circle.
Here are the four circles, symbolising the enlightenment, which the meditating person must gain,
before she can enter the illuminated palace:
fire of wisdom: the outermost circle consists of the purifying fire
vajra circle: the diamond circle expresses strength and fearlessness
tombs: there are eight tombs, which symbolises the eight states of consciousness*, which the
person must go beyond
lotus circle: expresses the open state of devotion, that is necessary to enter the palace
*consciousness of seeing, consciousness of hearing, consciousness of tasting, consciousness of
smelling, consciousness of the body, consciousness of thinking, consciousness of the I, basic
consciousness
The symbol of Buddha lives in the centre, surrounded by eight Buddhas for meditation -
symbolic deities: four male and four female. These figures, facing the corners of the earth form
together a lotus flower.
| Colour | Element | Means of Transport |
|---|
| | | |
|---|
| Centre: Vairocana | White | Ether | Lion |
|---|
| West: Amitabha | Red | Fire | Peacock |
|---|
| East: Aksobhya | Blue | Water | Elephant |
|---|
| South: Ratnasambhava | Yellow | Earth | Horse |
|---|
| North: Amoghasiddhi | Green | Air | Mythical Bird |
|---|
| Byname |
|---|
| Southwest: Mamaki | The Peculiar |
|---|
| Northwest: Pandaravasini | The Lady with the White Clothing |
|---|
| Southeast: Locana | Buddha's Eye |
|---|
| Northeast: Tara | The Saviouress (she has a likeness with Mary in Christianity) |
|---|
| Mamaki | Amitabha | Pandaravasini |
| Ratnasambhava | Vairocana | Amoghasiddhi |
| Locana | Aksobhya | Tara |
Diamond: the indestructible diamond, clear, yet showing all colours, becomes a symbol of the
nature of the mind
Bell: the female part of the Tantric polarity: the symbol of emptiness - the boundless openness,
giving room for wisdom
Vajra: the male part of the Tantric polarity: the symbol of effective means and Buddha's active
compassion with the meditating person. Originally it was the thunderbolt of the god Indra, later
it came to represent the diamond
Dharma Wheel: the eight hubs are a symbol of the Eightfold Path*, leading to perfection
Lotus: symbol of the teaching of Buddha. The plant standing with the roots in the mud, yet raising its blossom towards the light. You can be like it
*
1. right belief
2. right resolution
3. right speech
4. right action
5. right living
6. right effort
7. right thinking
8. peace of mind through meditation
The original Buddhism very early divided into to schools:
Theravada and Mahayana
Theravada means "the tradition of the elderly", but is also ironically called Hinayana "the little
vessel" by the followers of Mahayana. According to the Theravada Buddhism, the individual
can itself work its way forward to freedom from the suffering in the world. The followers of the Theravada Buddhism live in Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Theravada is therefore also called the Southern Buddhism.
Mahayana means "the big vessel". According to the Mahayana Buddhism a universal love leads to freedom from the sufferings of the world. The Buddhist begins to arouse the wish in herself to release all beings from suffering. The supporters of the Mahayana Buddhism live in Tibet, China, Korea and Japan. Mahayana is therefore also called the Northern Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism is a branch of the Mahayana Buddhism. According
to the legend, the founder Padmasambhava was born in a lake in a lotus blossom. The
Padmasambhava Lake is considered to have the clearest blue colour of all the lakes in the
world and to hold strong healing power. One of the means of the Tibetan Buddhists to gain
freedom is meditation on sublime thoughts and pictures. Such a picture is the mandala.
Aksobhya
Amitabha
Amoghasiddhi
Bell
- Bell and vajra
- wisdom and means
- Boddhisattva
- In the earlier Buddhism the name for noble human beings, that let themselves be born again and
again to save all living beings from suffering, renouncing self to be released from rebirth.
- Buddha
- The title Siddharta Gautama got, when he reached the perfect enlightenment. In everyday talk it
is used as the name of the founder of Buddhism
- Buddhas for meditation
- Vairocana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddi
- Buddhist schools
- see Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana
- Chakra
- psychic centres of energy along the spine
- Circles
- tombs, lotus circle, vajra circle, wisdom circle
Corners of the earth
- Dhyani Buddhas
- see Buddhas for meditation
Diamond
Dharma wheel
- Doorkeeper
- guards the gates of the mandala palace, so that only the rightful disciples can get through
- East
- the mandala is oriented towards East, the seat of Aksobhya
- Female Buddhas
- Locana, Mamaki, Pandaravasini, Tara
- Guru
- spiritual guide
- Hinayana
- "the little vessel" - ironical for the Theravada Buddhism
- Lama
- the Tibetan name for guru
Locana
Lotus
Lotus circle
Mahayana
Mamaki
Mandala
- Mara
- the awesome goddess of the underworld
- North
- seat of Amoghasiddhi
- Northeast
- seat of Tara
- Northwest
- seat of Pandaravasini
Padmasambhava
Pandaravasini
Ratnasambhava
- South
- seat of Ratnasambhava
- Southeast
- seat of Locana
- Southwest
- seat of Mamaki
- Symbols
- diamond, wheel, bell, lotus, vajra
- Tantra
- The writings of the Tibetan Buddhism, giving advanced, often cryptic directions of
advanced yoga and meditation
- Tantric Buddhism
- see Tibetan Buddhism
Tara
Theravada
Thunderbolt
Tibetan Buddhism
Tombs
Vairocana
Vajra
Vajra Circle
- Vajrasattva
- Buddha, representing the original crystalline unity of the mind. The mandala, depicted
here is dedicated to Vajrasattva. He is the essence of the five male Buddhas for meditation
- Vajrayana
- see Tibetan Buddhism
- West
- seat of Amitabha
Wheel
Wisdom circle
- Yab-yum
- the unification of a male and a female deity (originally: father-mother), means also the
unity of clearness and emptiness, also symbolised by vajra and bell
- Yidam
- god for meditation, here Vairocana
This text is of course far from giving an exhaustive picture of Buddhism. Will only give some
background information to the understanding of the mandala.
If you like, you can write to me from here:
Jytte Hansen
jtthnsn@gmail.com
If you have been inspired to explore the mandala further, I have found some addresses:
Early Tibetan Mandalas
Exploring the Mandala
1996. Latest updated 19th October 2012