mandala

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablereligion

   A round, symmetrical pattern with a center point, used in Hindu and Buddhist traditions as a symbol of the universe and an aid to meditation.

   Grammar: Has a plural: monks painted several mandalas.

   Patterns

   • a mandala of something
   • meditate on a mandala

   Monks spent days making a sand mandala in the temple hall.

   He hung a colorful mandala on the wall above his meditation cushion.

   The museum displays a Tibetan mandala painted on cloth.

2. 2nouncountable

   Any circular design with repeating patterns, drawn or colored as art or a relaxing activity.

   Grammar: In this modern sense it usually refers to coloring or art, not religion.

   Patterns

   • color a mandala
   • draw a mandala

   The children colored a mandala with felt-tip pens.

   She sketches a mandala whenever she wants to calm down.

Word forms

Common combinations

sand mandala

The sand mandala was swept away after the ceremony.

draw a mandala

We learned how to draw a mandala with a compass.

color a mandala

Adults now color a mandala to relieve stress.

Tibetan mandala

A Tibetan mandala often shows a deity at its center.

mandala pattern

The tiles formed a mandala pattern around the fountain.

Synonyms and how they differ

yantra

A yantra is a specific Hindu diagram used in worship, whereas mandala is the wider and better-known term.

rosette

A rosette is just a rose-shaped circular decoration, with none of the spiritual meaning of a mandala.

circle design

Circle design is a plain description, while mandala suggests a detailed, symbolic pattern.

Word family

mandalic adjective

relating to or shaped like a mandala

mandalas noun

plural form meaning several such designs

Commonly confused: mandala or mandolin?

Practice

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