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The Tibetan word for "mandala," dkyil-‘khor , translates to "that which encircles a center." A mandala is a sacred geometric figure that represents the universe. When completed, a mandala becomes a sacred area for deities to gather and a collection point of universal forces. When meditating upon a mandala and proceeding to its center, a person is symbolically guided through the cosmos into reality. Lines are drawn through the center dot to the four corners. These lines are then used to construct a square "palace" with four gates. The quadrants also represent the four boundless thoughts: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathy and equanimity. In addition, they may also represent the four directions: south, north, east and west.
_Four Mandalas of the Vajravali Series, c. 1429–56, Central Tibet, Tsang (Ngor Monastery), Sakya order, Thangka, gouache on cotton, Kimbell Art Museum
3-D Mandalas
_Traditional 3D Kalachakra mandala
in the Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet.
_A modern 3D Kalachakra mandala
made by Arjia Rinpoche in the USA.
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Computerized 3-D Mandalas
_Students at Cornell University have created a three dimensional representation based off of an actual mandala. The model contains tens of thousands of objects.