Mandalas

What is a Mandala? The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. It is loosely translated to mean "circle," however, a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

The Mandala Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

The Mandala in Nature From micro to macro The "circle with a center" pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy. On our planet, living things are made of cells and each cell has a nucleus -- all display circles with centers. The crystals that form ice, rocks, and mountains are made of atoms. Each atom is a mandala. Within the Milky Way galaxy is our solar system and within our solar system, is Earth. Each is a mandala that is part of a larger mandala. Flowers, the rings found in tree trunks and the spiraling outward and inward of a snail's shell all reflect the primal mandala pattern. Wherever a center is found radiating outward and inward, there is wholeness--a mandala.

A cross-cultural pattern In the Americas, Indians have created medicine wheels and sand mandalas. The circular Aztec calendar was both a timekeeping device and a religious expression of ancient Aztecs. In Asia, the Taoist "yin-yang" symbol represents opposition as well as interdependence. Tibetan mandalas are often highly intricate illustrations of religious significance that are used for meditation. The mandala pattern is used in many religious traditions. Hildegard von Bingen, a Christian nun in the 12th century, created many beautiful mandalas to express her visions and beliefs.

What type of balance is used here?

And here?

But, how do we begin a Mandala? Using a pencil, you begin by drawing a circle, then using radial balance, break the circle into equal sections. Sections can be made using geometric or organic lines Geometric lines being straight, angular, precise, looks man-made Organic lines being free-form, loose, natural- looking

Sections then need to be filled with additional patterns and designs being very careful to keep the entire circle well-balanced. Planet Earth is surrounded by 6 angels~Birth,Life,Death,Body,Mind,&Spirit~All connected, as we are...If every tear shed for this tragic day flowed freely, surely the river would have washed all of the hate from this world. The rainbow encircling our universe is a symbol of God's promise, & never ending love for us... A reminder to be kind to each other... Peace To All

Accepted Media You may use: colored pencil pencil ink (black only) Mixed media (a mix of the three above)

Requirements Your mandala must be: Neatly and precisely completed Show good radial balance Show good color choices---use a color scheme that enhances the mood which you want to convey Show control of the media used Completed and turned in by end of class on