Ritual

Mandala diagram. Nepal, c. 1700.
Gouache on cloth.
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The nine circuits of the Sri Yantra are also associated with fortythree
presiding deities, nine classes of yoginis (female yogis), sound
syllables or mantras, and gestures or mudras, each having a
distinct characteristic and explicit symbolic function. During
the performance of rituals, identity is sought between these various
aspects in order to create a cosmic link through a visual equivalent
which projects the whole of existence. Most yantras, if not all, have
a similar symbolic meaning, though some are specifically applied
to a particular creative force portrayed in a particular deity or
mantra. The Sri Yantra is distinguished from the rest since it
projects 'All'. Its diverse symbolism may be understood conceptually
by careful analysis, and its kine-visual aesthetic of
symmetry and proportion may be experienced at once, but its
subtle meaning and the power it manifests cannot be grasped
instantly. Its understanding grows gradually, till one identifies and
enters into its circumference to grasp the wholeness it enshrines.
For this reason, perhaps, it has been accurately described as 'the vast
dense mass of consciousness [leading to] bliss' (Yogini Hridaya).
Bearing witness to the truth of Andre Malraux's 'every
masterpiece is a purification of the world', the Sri Yantra, in its
formal content, is a visual masterpiece of abstraction, and must
have been created through revelation rather than by human
ingenuity and craft.
Whereas a yantra is a linear form, a mandala especially of the
classical Tibetan tradition, is a composition of complex patterns
and diverse iconographic images. Though there are countless
variations and configurations of mandalas, in most of them the
formal structure, comprising few elemental forms, remains
constant. The predominant shape is the circle, or concentric circles,
enclosing a square, which is sometimes divided into four triangles;
this basic composition is itself contained within a square of four
gates. Painted in fine brush-strokes between the spaces in hot reds,
evanescent emeralds, soft terracottas and pearly whites, are
labyrinthine designs, serene and static images of deities in
meditative postures or terrific deities spewing out aureoles of
smoke and flame. Lacy intertwining floral patterns on the outer
rim of the circle very often encircle celestial palaces, fortresses built
round the four portals, many-armed deities curled about by
celestial fires and swirls of clouds, all with symbolic meaning. The
centre of the mandala projects the cosmic zone; it may be
represented by a ring of lotus as the seat of the Vajrasattva,
embodiment of the supreme wisdom, immersed in union with his
Sakti in a fathomless ocean of joy.