Guy Lochhead, 06/10/12
“Mandala” means “circle” in Sanskrit. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the mandala is a form of devotional art in which super-intricate repetitive, illustrative patterns are very slowly formed into a circle with four “gates”. The act of creating a mandala is a way to spiritually focus. In Tibetan Buddhism, sand mandalas are slowly, slowly tapped out of special sand-pens, enjoyed, blessed and then destroyed in an act representing the transience of life. Beautiful and profound. I wish all art was as rich in aesthetics, time and meaning. I will definitely base art lessons around this.