Mandala

/ˈmændələ/ noun

Definition

A geometric circular design or pattern used in Hindu and Buddhist art and meditation that represents the universe.

Etymology

From Sanskrit mandala, meaning 'circle' or 'disk.' The root man- means 'mind' and -dala means 'container' or 'possession.' Mandalas were used as meditation tools and cosmic diagrams in Buddhism and Hinduism, spreading to Western psychology and art in the 20th century.

Kelly Says

Swiss psychologist Carl Jung was obsessed with mandalas, believing they represented the unconscious mind's search for wholeness—and decades later, brain scans showed people's brains light up symmetrically when viewing them.

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