The word mandala is of Hindu origin also used in Buddhist practice. In Tibetan Buddhism it has developed into sand mandala pattern. Mandala generally speaking is a term for any geometric symbol that represents the cosmic energy metaphysically or symbolically. Mandala is Sanskrit for circle, polygon, community, connection. Various forms of Mandala design is also used as an aid to meditation and trance induction.
The Psychoanalyst Carl Jung observed the mandala designs as a manifestation of the unconscious self. He used mandala designs to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality. The Sri Yantra in lotus formation is considered most sacred of the mandalas. The lotus Sri Yantra mandala is considered sacred not only because it transcends the darkness of the water and mud where its roots are, but also because of its perfectly symmetrical mandala. In Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism the mandala usually depicts a landscape of the Buddha land or the enlightened vision of a Buddha.
The visualization and concretion of the mandala concept is one of the most significant contributions of Buddhism to religious psychology. Mandalas are seen as sacred places which, by their very presence in the world, remind a viewer of the immanence of sanctity in the universe and its potential in his or her self. In the context of the Buddhist path the purpose of a mandala is to put an end to human suffering, to attain enlightenment and to attain a correct view of Reality. It is a means to discover divinity by the realization that it resides within one's own self.
The Kalachakra Mandala for instance, contains 722 deities portrayed within the complex structure and geometry of the mandala itself. Other smaller mandalas, like the one attributed to Vajrabhairava contain sufficiently fewer deities and require less geometry, but still take several days to complete. Like all mandalas, these are meant as two-dimensional representations of what is supposed to be a three-dimensional environment.
The Sri Yantra or Shree Yantra which is considered prime most among all the mandalas is a complex multi triangular cosmic grid. Sri Yantra mandala is formed by nine interlocking triangles surrounding the center point. Together the nine triangles are interlaced in such a way as to form 43 smaller triangles in a web symbolic of the entire cosmos or a womb symbolic of creation. Sri Yantra mandala is also used as a good luck symbol and believed to usher in good luck and prosperity.
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