Welcome to the magical world of mandalas.
I want to share with you a little bit of the meaning behind this powerful and transformational symbol and I invite you to sit back,
Relax,
Contemplate a mandala if you can,
Or simply keep symmetrical circular shapes in mind while listening to this talk.
But before we get into that,
I need to be upfront with you and let you know that there are no words available in our vocabulary that can truly describe the essence of a mandala.
If you have ever felt drawn in by a mandala but couldn't describe what you were feeling,
You know exactly what I mean.
If I could choose a few words to describe this feeling,
It would probably be bliss,
Wholeness,
Or peace.
But these are not enough.
Swiss psychiatrist and mystic Carl Jung said that the mandala is a representation of the self,
The totality of who we are and the ultimate integration of all conflicting parts of our psyche.
It is an archetype of wholeness.
He saw the mandala as an essential part of our individuation process and said that whenever we start seeing mandalas in dreams or visions or have a spontaneous impulse to draw one,
It means that a new awareness into our own essence is emerging.
It is a sign of personal and spiritual evolution.
He said,
Quote,
I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self,
I had attained what was for me the ultimate.
In his book,
A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose,
Eckhart Tolle says that our ego tries to add labels and concepts to describe who we are,
Giving us a false and fleeting sense of identity.
He teaches that the greatness of who we truly are,
The greatness of our self,
Can only be experienced and felt in the present moment.
And that we actually do ourselves a disservice by trying to describe who we are in words,
As no words will ever be capable of encompassing the greatness of who we are.
So as the mandala is a representation of the self,
I realize that I'm attempting to describe something that can't be described and can only be experienced and felt in the present moment.
Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning circle,
Also referred to as sacred circle or magic circle.
And it can be traced back to ancient civilizations when mandala drawings were found in caves.
It is a symbol of great significance for various religions around the world,
Specially emphasized in Buddhism and Hinduism,
Where it's seen as a spiritual symbol of wholeness and totality.
Mandalas are vibrational portals which connect us to higher spiritual realms,
At the same time that it invites us to take a deep dive into our own soul.
It calms the mind,
Brings serenity,
Helps us access our unconscious mind and radiate healing energies out into the room and the world.
From the center,
The sacred geometry patterns evolve and multiply into the infinite.
Therefore,
We can associate the mandala with the connection not only to our higher self,
But also to everything that surrounds us and to the divine.
The symmetrical pattern mimics nature and helps to bring order into our minds,
Centering us and allowing life to restore its natural state of perfect balance called homeostasis,
Giving us a feeling of bliss,
Order and inner peace.
Part of the reason why we are subconsciously attracted to mandalas is due to our bodies and soul's natural instinct towards restoring homeostasis.
We feel drawn in because it reminds us of what it feels like to be in balance again.
All of a sudden life makes sense,
We calm down and feel a deep sense of belonging,
As we feel deeply connected to the whole.
We restore our faith in life itself and its cycles.
Here's another quote from Carl Jung from his book Man and His Symbols.
The Navajo Indians try,
By means of mandala-structured sand paintings,
To bring a sick person back into harmony within himself and with the cosmos,
And thereby restore his health.
In Eastern civilizations,
Similar pictures are used to consolidate the inner being,
Or to enable one to plunge deep into meditation.
The contemplation of a mandala is meant to bring inner peace,
A feeling that life has again found its meaning in order.
Mandalas are the integration of the feminine symbol of futility represented in the circle and the male principle of a perfect orderly structure.
Circles are containers of life from which all that exists grows,
As found in seeds,
Embryos and cells.
If you look around you,
You'll see that mandalas are everywhere,
In our eyes,
In flowers,
In plants,
In ripples in the water,
In the shape of ancient structures,
In the shape of the earth,
The sun,
The moon and the entire solar system.
It is also found in sacred circles,
Healing circles,
In the vibration of water,
Sound and crystals.
Our chakras are circular energy centers along our spine and beyond.
In astrology,
We study the zodiacal belt,
Which form a complete 360 degree circle in the heavens and can also be associated to the ouroboros,
Which is a snake biting its own tail,
Representing infinity in life cycles.
We also study the part of fortune which has a circular shape as the integration point between the sun,
The moon and our rising sign,
Which are key parts to our personality and often conflicting.
Eckhart Tolle sees that our highest purpose is found in the space between two thoughts.
Rudolf Steiner describes the human soul as being composed of three parts,
Our thinking which relates to the past,
Our feeling which relates to the present and our will which relates to the future.
He teaches that most human illnesses are unconsciously self-inflicted and they stem from an imbalance in the soul.
According to him,
The heart and the world of feeling represent the point of balance between our thinking and our will and it is through moments of deep presence experienced in meditation,
Contemplation or in the arts that we will find our true healing.
So now I invite you to immerse yourself into the space between two thoughts.
Indulge in the world of feeling in the present moment and let go of the need to think or conceptualize your experience with mandalas.
The mandala is an energetic portal and a mirror to your soul.
If you sit with it in presence,
Be it through painting,
Drawing or simply through contemplation,
It will transform you.
My invitation is for you to enjoy this magical journey in the present moment and allow your soul to be touched and transformed by each mandala you contemplate.
Namaste.
