Multipurpose Room

What Is a Mandala?

A mandala is a unique form of painting in Esoteric Buddhism, originating in the 5^th and 6^th century India to pray to the buddha figures for rain, wealth, long life, and other practical benefits, and altars were prepared for this purpose. Over time, this developed into hanging scrolls and murals, which are now called mandalas.

In the 7^th century, the aim of creating mandalas evolved from seeking practical benefits to attaining buddhahood, i.e., to be awakened and become a buddha. This led to the development of all-encompassing mandalas where tathāgatas (buddhas), bodhisattvas, vidyārājas (wisdom kings, J. myo-o), celestial deities, and a whole variety of buddha figures assembled. One such mandala was the Womb (Matrix) Realm Mandala and another was the Diamond Realm Mandala. These two all-embracing mandalas were brought together as a pair and hence collectively called the Mandala of the Two Realms.

The central figure of the Mandala of the Two Realms is Mahāvairocana Tathāgata who is the supreme buddha in Esoteric Buddhism, the deification of cosmic truths, and the fundamental source of all that exists. In the Multipurpose Room, we will focus on some major buddha figures in each realm of the mandala and offer succinct explanations on their attributes and iconography that may be helpful for your insightful experiences of viewing the mandala.