Mandala is a ritual or spiritual geometric configuration of symbols in Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism in India and represents deities. In the Japanese religion, Shintoism, Mandala means a map and represents actual shrines, kami or paradises. In Sanskrit Mandala means circle.
In today’s times, Mandala has become a generic term for any geometric pattern, chart or diagram to symbolically or metaphysically represent the cosmos. Mandala represents the cosmic diagram and a model or wholeness for the organizational structure of life. Our relation to infinite and that of the world is not limited to just within our bodies and minds are indicated by Mandala.
Most Mandalas have the basic form of a square containing a circle with a centre point and with 4 gates. The general shape of each gate is that of a T. Most often the Mandalas have a radial balance.
In Buddhism the term Mandala is used. The Rigveda has mention of the term Mandalas. Till date, terms like the Navagraha Mandala are used in Vedic rituals.
Attention of practitioners is focused upon by employing Mandalas in a number of spiritual traditions. Mandalas are mainly used a tool for spiritual guidance in the induction of trance and meditation.
Yantra is used in used in meditative rituals, pujas, sadhanas in a two or three dimensional geometric composition and could incorporate a mantra into its design.
There is a lot of similarity in Mandala and Yantra. Kautilya, the Indian author formulated the Raja-Mandala (circle of states) in his politics related work.
