What are mandalas?

Mandalas Galore

According to Wikipedia: Mandala is a Sanskrit word that means circle. In the Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions, their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the shape of a T. These mandalas, concentric diagrams, have spiritual and ritual significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism. The term is of Hindu origin and appears in the Rig Veda as the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in other Indian religions, particularly Buddhism. In the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism, mandalas have been developed into sandpainting. They are also a key part of anuttarayoga tantra meditation practices. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. According to David Fontana, its symbolic nature can help one to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises. The psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as a representation of the unconscious self,and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality. Mandalas may traditionally be used as a spiritual tool for meditation, but can also be treated as works of art. Artists of all kinds are intrigued by the endless creative possibilities that exist in these sacred circles, and mandala making has expanded into almost any artistic media imaginable. In this document youll find listed just a few of the thousands of links online to all things mandala. Enjoy!

Creating Mandalas
Creating Mandalas Videos:
1. How to Grow a Mandala (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g16B64myG-E) - a step by step, Youtube video on how to create a mandala. Beautiful and fun! 2. MANDALA: Manju Mandala (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxbj6ZdokM&NR=1) - a time lapse video of the creation of a mandala. Very cool. 3. Zendalas- How to Draw a Mandala Zentangle Style (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Nlz4XMxcs) -Youtube video showing how to make a mandala using the Zentange doodling style. 4. How to make an Ojo de Dios (http://www.ojos-de-dios.com/ojodirections.php) - Not a video, but step by step directions and photo illustrations for making an 8 sided, 12 inch ojo. 5. Lama Pema Tenzin : Mandala Creation Time Lapse (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MmfTDPT4NJY) - Time lapse video of the creation of a Buddhist mandala 6. How to Create a Digital Mandala (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9-UWyt6MKM) - Instructions on how to create a digital mandala with Photoshop. 7. Copy and Paste Faces on Mandala (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkqg_cYfCtM) - Further instructions building on the technique for making a digital mandalas above. 8. Create Mandalas by Combining Layers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_yvE1KlcK8) - More instructions on Using Photoshop to create mandalas. 9. How to Make a Wire Mandala (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BduUJAKDH5w) - How to make a wire mandala for jewelry, ornamentation, or meditation. Or just because you can. 10. Mandalas: How To Color A Mandala Coloring Page (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VLXHlmtVVkg) - Here you see an example how someone colored an Adult Mandala Coloring Page (just in case its been so long since you colored, you might have forgotten how ;-) ).

Mandala Coloring Pages:

11. Free Mandala Coloring Pages (http://www.30minutemandalas.com/3.html) get out those colored pencils! 12. Free Printable Mandala Coloring Pages (http://www.free-printable-mandala-coloring-pages.com/freemandalas-to-color.shtml) 75 more adult coloring projects. Many complex designs. 13. Amind Coloring Page (http://www.amind.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=freemandaladesign) some very unique designs. 14. Mandala Coloring Pages (http://www.coloringcastle.com/mandala_coloring_pages.html) - very detailed designs.

Tools for Creating Mandalas Online:

15. Moving Mandalas and Geometric Animations from Lightweaver (http://www.subtlebody-images.com/ moving/mandalas.html) Really fun to play with! Can be addictive though, beware. 16. Interactive Action Script Mandalas, Flash Art, and Music (http://www.subtlebody-images.com/action. script.mandalas/1.html#music) - Even more wonderfully addictive interactive tools. 17. Kaleidoscope Painter (http://www.permadi.com/kaleidoscope-painter/) - Simple and fun! 18. Mandala Maker (http://www.girlsgotech.org/mandala.asp) - Drag and drop simple shapes to create mandalas.

Multiple Mandala Media

When we think of mandalas we usually think of either sand paintings (see http://www.brwnpaperbag. com/2010/11/02/time-travel-tuesday-sand-mandalas/ for some beautiful examples) or paintings done with traditional media: paint, ink, paper, canvas, etc. In recent years we can add computer generated mandala paintings as well. But I have been amazed at some other unique and creative ways people have thought of to make mandalas and want to share some of these with you. 1. Virginia Fleck (http://virginiafleck.com/) makes mandalas from recycled plastic bags. You can visit her website and also read this interesting interview with her at HomeWorkshop.com (http://www.homeworkshop. com/2010/10/29/hidden-beauty-in-the-disposable/) 2. Ive found several sources of crochet mandalas. One is Nancys Crochet: Christmas Mandalas (http://crochetnuts-place.blogspot.com/2010/10/christmas-mandalas.html) and the other is Crochet with Raymond - Getting Some Mandala Action (http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/gettingsome-mandala-action/) 3. Ive found crystal mandalas in several forms: Julion Craft - Crystal Mandalas (http://julionr.blogspot. com/2010/10/crystal-mandalas.html) and A Blissful Existances Healing Crystal Webs on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=146311&id=100723860914) 4. Amy Swagman creates Birth Art Mandalas (http://themandalajourney.com/) - and while she uses traditional media, the subject of her mandalas is uncommen and the mandalas extraordinarily beautiful and unique. 5. Joe Mangrum creates Sand Mandalas on urban streets (http://www.joemangrum.com/artnews/sand-paintings/), something quite different from traditional Buddhist sand mandalas. 6. Clare Ultimo creates Word Mandalas (http://www.clareultimo.com/word-mandalas.php) combining images and words. 7. Ive found several quilters who make mandalas: Mandala quilt (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48276978@ N02/4424944219/?addedcomment=1#/) and Dream It Then Create It (http://jspcreate.blogspot. com/2010/06/back-to-quilting-finally.html) 8. Howard G. Charings photostream shows shamanism and ayahuasca art mandalas (http://www.flickr.com/ photos/hgcharing/3682749260 9. And then there are the (be aware there is some nudity on this page) Human Mandalas (http://www.livingbrush.com/guinnessrecord7-2006.html) and 7 Sisters Human Mandala (http://beeuniversal.org/?p=67) and (http://beeuniversal.org/?page_id=11) 10. One really unique medium for mandala is seen at Spicy Mandalas - Crafts Home - Falafel and the Bee (http://www.falafelandthebee.com/?p=4050). Im not sure what you do with these after they are finished, but they do seem a fun family project for a rainy day. 11. Several artists Ive found are creating exquisite mandalas on wood. One is at the Mandala Zone (http:// www.mandalazone.com/ashalia_Engravings.html) and the other on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ pages/Mandalas-de-Thais-Barbieux/165999770258?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=187839&id=165999770258 There are, Im sure, many other examples of unique and creative media used for mandala making. These are what Ive encountered so far. If you know of more, please email me (cloe@nwcreations.com) and Ill list them on my Mandalas by Atmara (http://www.facebook.com/mandalasbyatmara) Facebook page.

Mandala Meditation Movies

Many of us also create Mandala Videos and you will find downloadable versions of all my Mandala Meditation Movies at : http://www.nwcreations.com/art/freebies/freebies-access/mandala-meditation-videos Selctions include:

Fall Leaves Mandala Meditation Gratitude Mandala Meditation

What is Healing? Mandala Contemplation

Spring Flower Mandala Meditation

Mandala Meditation 1

Mandala Meditation 2

Mandala Meditation 3

Mandala Meditation 4

Peace Mandalas

Text and Artwork Atmara Rebecca Cloe & New World Creations http://www.nwcreations.com See me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mandalasbyatmara And on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/artworkforthesoul Follow me on Twitter @atmara