All About Mandalas!

A mandala being created

Mandalas! They're elaborate. They're beautiful and elegant. They make excellent decoration, phone backgrounds or cases, T-Shirt designs and even tattoos. In fact, mandala tattoos are becoming so popular, I know a few of the artists at the shop I go to have references on hand because everyone and their mother wants one! But...what exactly are they? Aside from a pretty, symmetrical design? Where did they come from? Do they mean anything? And what's with them getting so popular all of  the sudden?

 What does the word "Mandala" actually mean?

Before we can understand anything more about them, we must first take a look at what the word itself actually means, so that the symbolism, background, and uses can be better understood. The word "mandala" (pronounced exactly how it's spelled, man-da-la) itself is a Sanskrit (classical Indian language, in fact, it's the language that many concepts in Buddhism, as well as Yoga are named from!) word that can be translated pretty much to mean 'circle', which isn't particularly surprising considering the fact that the design itself is circular with many other geometric shapes and figures. Some suggest that the etymology (a word which means 'the study of origin,' basically) of the word "mandala" suggests that the word means not just simply 'circle' but also a 'container of essence,' according to religionfacts.com. Mandalas are highly important in Tantric (Tibetan) Buddhism and Hindu religions and the Tantric word for 'mandala' is 'Kyilkor' which translates to 'that which encircles a center'. Despite common conception, not all mandalas are round, however the vast majority of them are.

Like the words 'yoga' or 'guru', 'mandala' has become so widespread and popular in our culture, however few know where it actually comes from.

Where do mandalas come from?

The 'Five Deity Mandala' from Tibet, painted in the 17th century. 

Mandalas have extensive religious background and, as I mentioned in the paragraph just above, come from the Tantric, or Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu religions, but are also used in Jainism and have recently been accepted by Western cultures and religions and pagans, and is becoming more and more widespread. The earliest traces are found in India and have been dated all the way back to the first century B.C.E according to the asiasociety.org, and traveled along the Silk Road as early as the Third Century B.C.E The original painters of the mandalas were all religiously minded and some had to go through rituals and initiation rites before painting. The standard position for painting the mandalas were with the artists seated on the floor with the painting either in their lap or in front of them, with their legs crossed.

How are the mandalas created?

Mandalas can be painted on wood, stone, or canvas. They can be woven into tapestries, drawn onto paper, or even made from sand, or built into architecture. The process of creating a mandala was originally meant to be a type of sacred ritual, proceeded by a lengthy period of artistic, philosophical and religious study. In a traditional Buddhist monastery, this process lasts roughly three years, according to religiousfacts.org. In these traditional monasteries four monks work together on the same mandala, which is constructed from the middle outward. Traditionally with the placement of the dot in the middle the mandala would be dedicated to a specific deity. Mandalas are supposed to be based on scriptures. Sand mandalas, upon completion, are deliberately destroyed, usually they'll pour the sand into a river to distribute the positive energies.

Are there different types of mandalas?

Absolutely! There are tons of different mandalas that all have different meanings and purposes. There are 'outer mandalas' and 'inner mandalas' as well as secret and Nature-of-Reality mandalas.

What do mandalas symbolize?

This is a bit more of a tricky question to answer, seeing that different types of imagery that may be included, different colors and the different types of mandalas all have different meanings however mandalas as an entire group are generally accepted to be symbols of wholeness, images that remind us of our relationship with infinity. They're representative of the universe but also the structure of life, but also can represent physical structures such as the earth, sun, and moon, and friends, families and communities. Outer mandalas are usually external objects like flowers or water, inner mandalas are aspects of the body. Secret mandalas are about bliss and awareness and nature-of-reality is typically non-physical things. They're also symbolic of palaces where different deities can 'live'.

How are mandalas used?

This one is a bit trickier to answer because they have different actual uses according to different religions, however it's pretty widely accepted that they're meant to be used as symbols for concentration and meditation as well as personal healing. They'e meant to help transform regular, everyday minds into enlightened minds. Certain mandalas (outer mandalas, typically) are meant to be offered. Offering mandalas are symbolic of giving the universe in order to receive it. The offering of mandalas is said to build up positive energy. In many cases mandalas are used to help an individual develop a dialogue with a deity represented at the center of the mandala, according to ancient.eu. The design of a mandala is meant to be aesthetically pleasing and symmetric to absorb your attention. Focus on the mandala and let it absorb your attention to help meditate.

Mandalas in Modern Western Culture 

Mandalas still hold much of the same importance in religions as they did at the time that they first began being created, however they're making their rounds into our
modern culture. Many yoga studios have mandalas specific to the practice of yoga posted around the studios to help shut away outside noise and to aid people in calming their minds. The concepts of the mandala is also seen in some native american cultures, like on their medicine wheels. Mandalas are also making an appearance in the increasingly popular adult coloring books that everyone seems to be buying lately. Some people believe that if you set your intention and meditate while coloring you can awaken the energies infused within the mandalas.

Are mandalas anti-Christian?

This is a huge and ongoing debate. It seems everyone feels extremely strongly, one way or another. There are tons of websites, similar to this one  or forums, stating that Satan himself loves when individuals interact with mandala designs, warning Christians to stay far, far away from the beautiful designs.

“When completed, a mandala becomes a sacred area that serves as a receptacle for deities and a collection point of universal forces. By mentally entering a mandala and proceeding to its center, a person is symbolically guided through the cosmos to the essence of reality. By constructing a mandala, a monk ritually participates in the Buddha’s teachings.”(ReligionFacts.com)

Many people who feel that mandalas are strongly anti-Christian are those who feel the same way about yoga, claiming that it opens the door to demons. They claim that although no 'good' Christian would knowingly stare at a mandala and meditate with it, coloring one, hanging one in the home or getting it tattooed on your body gets you to absent mindedly focus on it which could unknowingly open you up to demons. Many religious 'experts' are comparing the use of mandalas in decoration, clothing, and tattoos to using upside down crosses, pentagrams or swastikas, saying that you wouldn't want to get that because people are aware of the meaning behind those images, however since people are more unaware of the meaning and purpose behind mandalas, these images 'sneak' into our lives more easily.
Some people feel that these mandalas becoming popular, images of Hindu gods and goddesses and yoga and meditation becoming more popular in western society is due to a subtle campaign being run by Tibetan Buddhists to plant the seeds of their religion in our society in order to "gain control of our nation's spiritual destiny and advance the Buddhization of America" (-.aprophetsreward.com). Some feel that the completion of a mandala design, as a tattoo, a drawing, a decoration or as a print on a T-shirt, claims the region where it lies and then summons the energy or deity that, that particular mandala is dedicated to, to take up residence in the 'mandala palace'.
Others' only issue with the mandala designs are their strong background in Buddhism, which some feel is an "atheist" belief, that instead consults many deities. They argue that for these eastern religious practices to become popular in our western culture, they have been re-branded, so to speak, and are being passed off as neutral activities and images, however they truly aren't at their core, a-religious.
However in modern times, people have developed 'christian' mandalas and they can be found in newer stained glass windows, and other places where christian art would be displayed. Some more progressive churches go so far as to encourage Buddhist practices to help people become more in touch with God, according to christianitytoday.com.
While I am not well-versed in Christianity to be able to say weather or not I think that mandalas go against the religion or are 'anti-christian', however it is my personal and humble opinion that I do not think a truly christian mandala could exist. The reason these designs ever came about is because of religion, and you cannot erase that. That's like saying you can have a non-christian Jesus. The purpose of a mandala isn't to bring one's self closer to a deity, but to help them with the realization that there is no self to bring. It would make sense to me that if you're trying to bring yourself closer to Christ you would use things that are typical and traditional and special to the Christian religion.

In closing

I learned quite a lot about mandalas that I had no idea about while I was doing research to make this post, and there is still a ton more to be learned. This post really only scratches the surface. But I hope you guys learned just as much from reading it as I did from researching and writing, and I hope this helps you guys understand where these popular designs have come from. I just wanted to try and put some easy-to-digest information all in once place, because there wasn't really a reader-friendly website that had information about them all in one place. Enjoy!