Mandalas
You may have noticed that everything an Indian
does is in a circle because the
power of the world always works
in circles and everything tries to be round.
The sky is round
and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball
and so are all the stars. The wind in its greatest
power whirls. Even
the seasons
form a great
circle in their changing, and always
come back again to where they
were. The life
of a man in a
circle from childhood
to childhood and
so it is in everything
where power
moves.
Black Elk
1863-1950
- Print out the
following Yantra Meditation by Dr. David Simon from
his book "The Wisdom of Healing". Then
click
here for the Yantra Mandala by Jonathan Quintin.
- Yantra Meditation
As you look at the yantra, allow your eyes to focus on
the center of it. This dot in the center is called the
Bindu. The Bindu represents the unity that underlies
all the diversity of the physical world.
Now allow your eyes to see the triangle that encloses
the Bindu. The downward- pointing triangle represents
the feminine creative power, the upward-facing
triangle represents the male energy.
Allow your vision to expand to include the circles
outside the triangles. They represent the cycles of
cosmic rhythms. Within the image of the circle lies
the notion that time has no beginning and no end. The
farthest region of space and the innermost nucleus of
an atom both pulsate with the same rhythmic energy of
creation. It is all reflected right here. It is all
reflected within you.
Notice the lotus petals outside the circle. Notice
that they are pointing outward as if opening. They
illustrate the unfolding of our understanding. The
lotus also represents the heart, the seat of the self.
When the heart opens, understanding comes.
The square at the outside of the yantra represents the
world of form, the material world that our senses show
us, the illusion of separateness, of well-defined
edges and boundaries.
And finally at the periphery of the figure are four
T-shaped portals, or gateways. Notice that they point
toward the interior of the yantra, the inner spaces of
life. They represent our earthly passage from the
external and material to the internal and sacred.
Now take a moment to gaze into the yantra, letting the
different shapes and patterns emerge naturally.
Now allow your eyes to be soft, held loosely in focus.
Your eyelids may droop a little. Perhaps your eyes
will even seem to cross. Look at the center of the
yantra. Now without moving your eyes, gradually expand
your field of vision. Begin to include the edges of
the page, now objects in the room. Continue expanding
your field of vision until you are taking in
information from greater than 180 degrees. Notice that
all this information was there all along, you just
became aware of it. Now slowly reverse by refocusing
back to the center of the yantra.
Yantra Meditation
by Dr. Simon used with permission.
Mandala Artwork by Jonathan Quintin used with
permission.
- To learn more about
Mandalas
click here.
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That
which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within
the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into
space
Kahlil Gibran
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