Official Social Network of The Theosophical Society in America
Creating a Personal Mandala
THEOSOPHY AND THE ARTS PROGRAM - 6 WEEKS
Music, Dance, and Theosophy - Juliana Cesano & Dan Smolla
Myth: A Once and Future Map to the Inner Landscape - John Algeo
Theosophy’s Influence on Visual Artists - Pam Lowrie
Mystical Poetry and Theosophy - Dan Smolla
Creating a Personal Mandala - Pam Lowrie
Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch - Marilyn Johnston
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Creating a Personal Mandala - Pam Lowrie
Pam Lowrie’s program focused on the healing aspect of the Mandala. Often in spiritual talk we are quick to suspect the ego as a sort of enemy to be combated. Artistic practices like creating a Mandala remind us that holistically integrating the ego in a spiritual context is both more realistic, more helpful, and perhaps more wise.
The word "Mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a Mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds. In the context of Mandala, Carl Jung had this to say about the ego and the human condition: "I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. ... I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point--namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the Mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation. ... I knew that in finding the Mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate." - C. G. Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Download handout: Translating Personal Mandala Symbols into Words
Proposed activities
Many people might shy away from this class/activity because they say they have no artistic talent. But creating a Mandala really has very little, if anything, to do with aesthetics or the artistic merit of the creation. Rather the Mandala is an excellent way to get to know your own deeper self; artistic talent or preparation is not necessary to create a Mandala that will be very helpful in illustrating to you your inner path. It might be helpful to emphasize, repeatedly, that people will NOT be judged on the artistic nature of their Mandala!
a) The group facilitator can walk the group through the creation of a Mandala using the directions on the second half of the Mandala handout, or using any of the links at this site.
It is a good idea to have some spiritual music playing in the background while the group creates.
b) After everyone in the group has finished creating a personal Mandala, each person should then interpret his/her own Mandala using the directions on the first half of the Mandala handout.
c) Everyone should interpret his/her Mandala according to the guidelines from the handout.
Discussion questions
(For general discussion questions on Theosophy and the Arts click here)
1) Describe how you felt before you started making your Mandala; how you felt while you were making the Mandala, and how you felt after completing it (before you interpreted it.)
2) Did anything about the process surprise you? —Not the final product or the interpretation—but just the process.
3) Did the interpretation seem accurate to you, did it ring true?
4) Is there an insight you learned about yourself that you can share with the group?
5) Would you create another Mandala in the future or recommend this activity to someone else? Why or why not?
6) It has been said that the process of creating a Mandala works toward integrating the ego in a spiritual way rather than trying to transcend it. What is the difference between these two approaches? Which do you think is more wise and why?
7) Creating a Mandala can encourage insights into your psyche. How is having insights into your psyche relevant to spiritual growth?
Resources:
(For general resources on Arts and Music click here)
Books
- Cornell, Judith, Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, 291.37 COR M
- Dahlke, Rüdiger, Mandalas of the World: A Meditating & Painting Guide, 291.37 DAH MW
- Fincher, Susanne F., Creating Mandalas: For Insight, Healing, and Self-expression, 291.3 FIN CM
- Hall, Manly Palmer, Meditation Symbols in Eastern & Western Mysticism: Mysteries of the Mandala, 145 HA MS
- Jung, C. G., Mandala Symbolism, 150.1954 JUN MS
- Rudhyar, Dane, An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and Its 360 Symbolic Phases, 133.5 RUD AM
- Tucci, Giuseppe, The Theory and Practice of the Mandala: With Special Reference to the Modern Psychology, of the Subconscious, H294.5511 TUC TP 1961
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Cornell, Judith, Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, AR 4753-2
- Mullin, Glenn H, Entering the Tantric Mandala: A day of Meditation, Instruction, and Transformation, CDA 0051-2
Videorecordings
(VR: videocassette, DVD: Digital Video Disc)
- Cornell, Judith, Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing: A Documentary Interview, DVD 0121
- McGee, Martin, Mandala: World of the Mystic Circle, VR 1187
- Samaya Foundation, Kalachakra Sand Mandala Compilation, VR 0587
Music, Dance, and Theosophy - Juliana Cesano & Dan Smolla
Myth: A Once and Future Map to the Inner Landscape - John Algeo
Theosophy’s Influence on Visual Artists - Pam Lowrie
Mystical Poetry and Theosophy - Dan Smolla
Creating a Personal Mandala - Pam Lowrie
Theosophical Principles in the Healing Art of Therapeutic Touch - Marilyn Johnston
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creating a Personal Mandala - Pam Lowrie
Pam Lowrie’s program focused on the healing aspect of the Mandala. Often in spiritual talk we are quick to suspect the ego as a sort of enemy to be combated. Artistic practices like creating a Mandala remind us that holistically integrating the ego in a spiritual context is both more realistic, more helpful, and perhaps more wise.
The word "Mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a Mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds. In the context of Mandala, Carl Jung had this to say about the ego and the human condition: "I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. ... I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point--namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the Mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation. ... I knew that in finding the Mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate." - C. G. Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Download handout: Translating Personal Mandala Symbols into Words
Proposed activities
Many people might shy away from this class/activity because they say they have no artistic talent. But creating a Mandala really has very little, if anything, to do with aesthetics or the artistic merit of the creation. Rather the Mandala is an excellent way to get to know your own deeper self; artistic talent or preparation is not necessary to create a Mandala that will be very helpful in illustrating to you your inner path. It might be helpful to emphasize, repeatedly, that people will NOT be judged on the artistic nature of their Mandala!
a) The group facilitator can walk the group through the creation of a Mandala using the directions on the second half of the Mandala handout, or using any of the links at this site.
It is a good idea to have some spiritual music playing in the background while the group creates.
b) After everyone in the group has finished creating a personal Mandala, each person should then interpret his/her own Mandala using the directions on the first half of the Mandala handout.
c) Everyone should interpret his/her Mandala according to the guidelines from the handout.
Discussion questions
(For general discussion questions on Theosophy and the Arts click here)
1) Describe how you felt before you started making your Mandala; how you felt while you were making the Mandala, and how you felt after completing it (before you interpreted it.)
2) Did anything about the process surprise you? —Not the final product or the interpretation—but just the process.
3) Did the interpretation seem accurate to you, did it ring true?
4) Is there an insight you learned about yourself that you can share with the group?
5) Would you create another Mandala in the future or recommend this activity to someone else? Why or why not?
6) It has been said that the process of creating a Mandala works toward integrating the ego in a spiritual way rather than trying to transcend it. What is the difference between these two approaches? Which do you think is more wise and why?
7) Creating a Mandala can encourage insights into your psyche. How is having insights into your psyche relevant to spiritual growth?
Resources:
(For general resources on Arts and Music click here)
Books
- Cornell, Judith, Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, 291.37 COR M
- Dahlke, Rüdiger, Mandalas of the World: A Meditating & Painting Guide, 291.37 DAH MW
- Fincher, Susanne F., Creating Mandalas: For Insight, Healing, and Self-expression, 291.3 FIN CM
- Hall, Manly Palmer, Meditation Symbols in Eastern & Western Mysticism: Mysteries of the Mandala, 145 HA MS
- Jung, C. G., Mandala Symbolism, 150.1954 JUN MS
- Rudhyar, Dane, An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and Its 360 Symbolic Phases, 133.5 RUD AM
- Tucci, Giuseppe, The Theory and Practice of the Mandala: With Special Reference to the Modern Psychology, of the Subconscious, H294.5511 TUC TP 1961
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Cornell, Judith, Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, AR 4753-2
- Mullin, Glenn H, Entering the Tantric Mandala: A day of Meditation, Instruction, and Transformation, CDA 0051-2
Videorecordings
(VR: videocassette, DVD: Digital Video Disc)
- Cornell, Judith, Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing: A Documentary Interview, DVD 0121
- McGee, Martin, Mandala: World of the Mystic Circle, VR 1187
- Samaya Foundation, Kalachakra Sand Mandala Compilation, VR 0587
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kindredspirit on -
Zentangles are a wonderful way to combine meditation and drawing. http://zentangle.com/index.php Also google "zentangle" and "zendala" for more examples. (please note that I'm not affiliated with Zentangle, I just like making Zentangles. You can get the gist of it by going through the site and the examples online.) Check out my page for an example too.
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Permalink Reply by Olcott Library on -
Thank you for the contribution. It looks very interesting!
Have a nice day
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