May 21, 2020
Mandala… in recent years this has become a treat for me to process my spiritual journey. Once I witnessed a mandala being created as a grief ritual. A collection of objects from nature were brought into a studio, and as woman discussed her journey with cancer; she created a mandala out of the objects. The combination of the creating and the verbal expression of feelings was extremely powerful. At the end, when the woman felt complete, she was guided to dismantle the mandala; symbolizing the impermanence of things. I had often seen mandala created; however the dismantling was new for me… and startling. Even more so as I experienced it through this woman… who had just shared deeply through words and art her journey with cancer; and then had to express the understanding of impermanence to us witnessing.
Here is a definition I found about Mandala
“The meaning of mandala -- The meaning of the word mandala in Sanskrit is circle. Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe. The circular designs symbolizes the idea that life is never ending and everything is connected. The mandala also represents spiritual journey within the individual viewer. So the first level is understanding the unity in cosmos and secondly each individual must find their own place within it. It is sometimes drawn as a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is mainly used to aid in meditation and yoga. Mandalas have many uses apart from meditation as the the designs are meant to remove irritating thoughts and allow the creative mind to run free as well as relaxation. But ultimately people create and look at mandalas to center the body and mind.” — from Indimode
I have felt more freedom creating, since witnessing the woman create and dismantle her mandala. At times when I am working through things, I take out my treasure chest and create a mandala… knowing that it does not need to be perfect, or last forever; nor should it last forever. By dismantling, I am allowed to create something new. I offer some photos of some of my creations… that were for a brief time, and will continue to become something new and different.
May it be so…
Comentários