Yantras and Mandalas

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To scholars of Sanskrit, yantra is a word meaning 'instrument', and mandala is a word that means 'circle' -the supreme universal symbol. To the meditator, a yantra is a diagram that possesses the power to transform the consciousness of those who have been introduced to knowledge of what the yantras represent.

A mandala is essentially a type of yantra, the yantra being more specific to a particular deity, the mandala being more general. Both are diagrammatic in form, designed so that the focus of the meditator comes to rest on a central focal point, the bindu, which is said to represent the essence of being.

They can be astonishingly beautiful to look at, especially those of Tibetan Tantric Buddhists whose richly symbolic and gloriously designed mandalas have come to be prized by collectors as works of art.

There is another aspect of Tantric Buddhism that westerners find fascinating, mistaking it more often than not as an indulgence of the sexual appetites rather than a tool for meditation-maithuna, or ritual sexual intercourse. Those who practise it claim that it is a potent means of allowing kundalini energy the force awakened by meditation on the chakras {see below)-to be released, allowing the yogi to move on to meditating a higher chakra.

Before performing maithuna, the yogi performs certain rituals and recites the mantra given to him by his guru as well as other mantras that are part of the rituals. Maithuna must be carried out in the prescribed manner, the yogi having been taught exactly where and how he may touch his partner's body. It is the female who is active during maithuna, since its aim is the arousal of energy rather than the climax, at which moment the yogi consecrates his semen as a sacrificial offering.

The lotus blossom, the symbol of enlightenment, is widely used as part of the patterns, symbolizing the unfolding of creation. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma stood at the centre of a thousand-petalled lotus before creating the universe, and Buddhists believe that at the birth of the Buddha, a large lotus sprang from the earth, and Buddha stepped into its centre.

From there he gazed into the ten directions of space, once along each of the eight petals, once upwards and once downwards.

Mandalas and yantras may be drawn, painted or carved in stone. Some eastern mystics even meditate on yantras that they draw for themselves in the sand or earth. Such temporary ones often serve as teaching aids between master and pupils.