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About - Mandala
 The Mandala is a map, unlike any other. It contains forms and methods of expression that are uniquely Tibetan, arising within the cultural matrix of Buddhism and the arts of India and China. But it is the content that is timeless, for these circular patterns are none other than the template of life itself. They describe the basic architecture of the cosmos, the elemental patterns from which the world is created. And since every aspect of the universe, including both inert objects and living things, is made on the same basic model, this includes both our physical bodies and the illnesses and imbalances we suffer. The elements that comprise the mandala were already described thousands of years ago in ancient tantric texts that today are the basis of both Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine. Further, this “atomic diagram” is also an accurate map of the mind. All our strengths, our weaknesses, and our possibilities are contained herein. The axiom well-known to the ancients, “as above, so below,” echoes this simple truth. The template of the mind, of the body and the larger universe is one and the same. Even further, the mandala is an unequalled spiritual map and the doorway to an ever larger world and an ever deeper experience.
The Open Secret
 Transmitted from teacher to disciple over the course of millennia, the form and details of the mandala has been accurately and faithfully preserved. But as often happens, form can be preserved, but meaning lost. Thus, the explanation and discussion of mandalas might be made from the perspective of the dry, scholastic and intellectual. A love of details and discovery of unusual and odd artifacts is the domain of such research, but fails to penetrate to the essence. Or they may be the subject of the appreciator of the arts. The colors, textures, forms and so on excite endless enjoyment and emotional discovery. And though most Tibetan monks understand the theory and philosophy behind these designs, this is mere learning. If it goes not further than scholarly or artistic or dogmatic understanding, then all this fails to achieve the purpose and intent of the mandala. The true understanding of the principles behind the mandala comes alive on in the consciousness of those who have the wisdom to penetrate to the depths of these truths. The mandala is in fact, a teaching text, a book in which the whole of the universe-inner and outer-can be read. And it is also a path, a journey we can take towards our own wholeness. Without long meditation and spiritual practice, the secrets of the mandala could remain hidden. However, those who do understand the signs written within the mandalic vision can indeed communicate them and give them a direct experience of these truths.
Five Elements, Five Truths
At the very heart of the mandala is the 5-fold arrangement, representing the most basic building blocks of material, psychological and spiritual worlds. These five have corresponding color, shapes, emotions, qualities and correspond to the five elements that have been a centerpiece of the science of cultures as diverse as China, India, Persia, Greece and Rome. Importantly, they also correspond to the Five Wisdoms, the five ways in which our pure, stainless enlightened mind expresses itself. In the mandala picture, these five are always arranged in the same order and orientation. Below, white in color, in the Eastern Direction, is the element water, representing the force of liquidity, flow, connection and the wisdom that comes with connection, intimacy and love.
To the left, yellow in color, in the Southern Direction, is the element of earth, comprising the power of stability, structure and organization. This corresponds to the wisdom of ruler, of authority and leadership. At the top of the mandala, red in color, in the Western direction, is the energy of the fire element. This is pure energy, heat, radiation, combustion. This wisdom is associated with drive, focus, ambition-the heart of the warrior on all levels.
 To the right, green in color, in the Northern Direction, is the air element. Here is the power of movement, of motility, on all levels. It is the transmission of substance and information in the world, in our bodies and in our minds. It is the wisdom of creative thinking, invention, artistry and activity for the good of all. Finally, in the center is the blue field of the space element. In contact with all the other elements, it is the wisdom of balance, understanding, co-ordination. Its central position makes it the crucial touchstone for the integration of all the parts. It is really what allows wholeness and without it, fragmentation happens. With it, one comes to understand that the five are really of one essence. This is only a hint at the profound messages and knowledge contained in this singular arrangement of the mandalas geometry.
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