concept
Sanskrit
Mandala
lit. “circle”
A geometric, often circular diagram used in Hindu and Buddhist meditation — and, in pop psychology, any symmetrical image of the self.
Origin
Mandalas map the cosmos and the path to enlightenment, with a centre, gates at the cardinal directions, and concentric symbolic layers. Tibetan monks famously construct elaborate sand mandalas grain by grain over weeks, then sweep them away to teach impermanence. Carl Jung in the 20th century saw mandalas as universal symbols of the integrated self and asked his patients to draw them.
Modern usage
Adult colouring books made the word ordinary English in the 2010s. Yoga studios, tattoos, design pattern libraries. The Buddhist and Hindu sense — a precise ritual instrument — is mostly lost in the pop version.
Tags
symbol
buddhism
meditation