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Maṇḍala
Maṇḍala (Skt., ‘circle’; Chin., man-ta-lao; Jap. and Korean, mandara; Tib., dkyil.ʾkhor). A symbolic pictorial representation of the universe, originating in India but prominent in Tibetan Buddhism. It is visualized in the context of Tantric ritual. Although maṇḍalas are commonly found on scrolls or as wall-paintings, for important rituals the maṇḍala is traced onto consecrated ground using coloured powders which may be erased upon termination of the ritual. In meditation, they can be visualized without external representation.
All maṇḍalas follow a precise symbolic format. In Hinduism, maṇḍalas are described in great detail in the Tantras and Āgamas. For example, the Pañcarātra text, Lakṣmi Tantra (37.3–19), describes a maṇḍala of nine lotuses. In liturgy (pūjā) a maṇḍala is the place where a deity is invoked by mantra. The placing of mantras upon the maṇḍala (nyāsa) gives it life, and the maṇḍala is then regarded, like mantra, as the deity itself (and not a mere representation of the deity). A maṇḍala is also visualized (dhyāna) by the yogin who aims at merging with the deity. Visualization is accompanied by mantra repetition and the practice of mudrā for the control of mind, speech, and body. See also CAKRA; YANTRA. |
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JOHN BOWKER. "Maṇḍala." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Maṇḍala." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Maala.html JOHN BOWKER. "Maṇḍala." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Maala.html |
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maṇḍala
maṇḍala (Skt.). A sacred circle or circular diagram (also occasionally oblong as in Japan) having mystical significance. Maṇḍalas are most commonly found in tantric Buddhism, where they are believed to represent the body, speech, and mind of a Buddha, and are used for initiatory, meditational, and other purposes. Maṇḍalas are said to exist in several planes of reality: the intrinsically existent maṇḍala (svabhāva-maṇḍala), not accessible to ordinary beings, which is the actual configuration of the qualities of enlightenment (bodhi); the meditational maṇḍala (samādhi-maṇḍala) as visualized by a tantric practitioner, and the representational maṇḍala which is the maṇḍala as depicted with colours and so forth. Maṇḍalas are also subdivided according to whether they are Body Maṇḍalas which embody the body-form of the deities or aspects of enlightenment, Speech Maṇḍalas which represent the speech aspect with seed-syllables (bīja-mantra), or Mind Maṇḍalas which represent the mind aspect with symbols such as lotuses, vajras, or wheels.
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "maṇḍala." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "maṇḍala." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-maala.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "maṇḍala." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-maala.html |
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mandala
mandala , [Skt.,=circular, round] a concentric diagram having spiritual and ritual significance in Hindu and Buddhist Tantrism. The mandala may have derived from the circular stupa and the ritual of walking around the stupa in a circle. The mandala is seen as a microcosm embodying the various divine powers at work in the universe, and it serves as a collection point for the gods and universal forces. Numbers of deities have specific positions in the diagram, and the symbolism and structure of the mandala are highly elaborated. The mandala symbolizes the totality of existence, inner or outer. Mandalas are used in meditation, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism and Japanese tantric Buddhism (see Kukai ). Similar ritual drawings have been found in the sand paintings of Native North Americans and in other traditions.
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"mandala." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mandala." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-mandala.html "mandala." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-mandala.html |
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mandala
man·da·la / ˈmandələ; ˈmən-/ • n. a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. ∎ Psychoanalysis such a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer's search for completeness and self-unity. DERIVATIVES: mandalic / manˈdalik; ˌmən-/ adj. |
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"mandala." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mandala." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mandala.html "mandala." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mandala.html |
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mandala
mandala a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism; in psychoanalysis, such a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer's search for completeness and self-unity. The word comes from Sanskrit maṇḍala ‘disc’.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "mandala." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "mandala." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-mandala.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "mandala." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-mandala.html |
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mandala
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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "mandala." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES STEVENS CURL. "mandala." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-mandala.html JAMES STEVENS CURL. "mandala." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-mandala.html |
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