Mandala Art

Last February 23, 2008 Dr. Teresa Gustilo-Villasor asked the class to draw a mandala. The Mandala Art activity I had was a soothing exercise as I spontaneously did my personal mandala with no idea of what the interpretations and meanings of shapes and colors were. I entitled my mandala, “That I May Be Your Heart Today.” After the activity, the class was guided to interpret the meaning of the shapes, colors and the animus-anima symbols. I learned from the lecture and notes that Jung's primary interest in symbols lay in their ability to transform and redirect our instinctive energy. The Self being essentially unknowable manifests in the form of a totality-symbol like circle or circuli or mandala, a play of light and shadow, the unity of opposites. The Sanskrit word mandala, literally means sacred ‘circle’ and ‘center’1, is derived from the root “manda” which means essence and the suffix “la” which means container, thus a “manda-la” is a container of essence.2 The Self remains as the center, the whole circumference and the totality which embraces both the conscious and unconscious. The symbol provides a glimpse as it gradually unfolds, allowing the Self to manifest, making the instinctive energy available for meaningful work and a productive life. Experiencing of the Self is an encounter with "God within us," a religious experience. While the activity was an artistic endeavor, I felt that it was also an act of reverence to God within me, within us, a special grace in that given time. I came up with several layers of concentric circles maybe implying the idea of eternity, infinity and completion that could be expressed or associated with Him. The circular shape of my mandala is a feminine archetypal symbol suggesting the idea of wholeness, unity and the womb. It also reminded me the idea of tree-ring dating where the age of trees are determined by growth rings. God in my life is like the oldest tree3 an unshakeable eternal God, towering strong whose roots delve deep into the heart of His love. The color orange in my mandala reminds me that all my successes or failures and experiences or learnings may deepen more my faith in God. It also promotes in me healing and recovery, tolerance and patience in order to relate with others positively. It allows me too to radiate friendship, sociability, cultural expansion, freedom, creativity and transformation. The color yellow or gold is associated with fire, which invites me to bring warmth and acknowledge God who sustains my life, our life. The color blue outer edging in the outer circle of my mandala is a soft and gentle color associated with the ocean, like God from whom life comes. All the colors I see in my mandala may suggest a vibrant universe living, renewing and creating and that all of creation is part of a harmonious whole where everything is interconnected and pulsating with life.4 May my mandala be my prayer to God that He will grant me the grace of compassion, the gift of courage and the spirit of strength that I may always be His heart for others, today and forever. May Jesus live in our hearts! AMEN!

1 Mandalas: Sacred Art and Geometry Source: http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/things/mandalas.htm
2 The Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art Article of the Month - September 2000 by Nitin Kumar Source: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/mandala/
3 The Guinness Book of World Records currently lists a 12,000 year old California redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) named "Eternal God" as the oldest tree on earth.
Source: http://www.bigcushion.com/blog/2004/11/eternal-god-oldest-tree-in-world.html
4 Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) Source: http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/dvess/ids/fap/hildegard.htm