The 2009 Tibetan Mandala Project--FAQs

"Mandala" is the Sanskrit term for circle and so, accordingly, most mandalas are circular in shape. Broadly defined, mandalas are complex geometric designs that are intended to symbolize both the universe and our interaction with it. Mandalas are a vital and ancient component of the human record.

Many cultures have constructed mandalas, including Tibetan, Hindu, Navajo and Chinese (the earliest known mandala comes to us from a cave at Dunhaung, China, 9th-10th century). Circular stained glass windows in Christian cathedrals, for example, are often considered to be mandalas.

Mandalas can be constructed out of sand, thread, glass and even butter, among other materials.

A Tibetan sand mandala may take several weeks to construct depending on the complexity of the chosen mandala and the number of artists working on it. Normally, for exhibition purposes, a mandala will require approximately one week.

Because public mandalas represent a sustained act of concentration on behalf of the artists, an opening ceremony is a kind of preliminary clearing of the mind that allows both the artists and the audience to develop the perspective that will most benefit everyone associated with the mandala.

The closing ceremony, when the mandala is destroyed, commemorates the dedication of the artists and the community who have supported the creation of the mandala, while reminding everyone of the essential impermanence of our lives and the respect and compassion for all living things that such impermanence implies.

There are many ways to "understand" a mandala. The great Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, wrote that mandalas, which he drew every day for several years, were an image of his "whole being- actively at work." Indeed, as the mandala unfolds and grows, and as the colored sand takes its harmonious and balanced shape, viewers of the mandala often identify similar feelings of harmony and balance within themselves.

As the first simple grains of sand fall on the table, we realize that the complex design of the mandala begins in utter simplicity; and we see that a long and complex journey begins with a single, first step. And of course, the patience and focus that allow this journey of the mandala to unfold in front of us are qualities that all of us can cultivate and use in our daily lives.