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There is an architecture of order inherent in the Universe, and this order is illustrated in the graceful precision of the mandala. We live our entire lives surrounded by this all-pervasive order, this invisible mandala so broad and transparent that we are almost entirely unaware of it. In essence this mandala is the world itself, referring to evertything that is within the range of human awareness and influence. When we look at a mandala we are looking at the totality of existence—the past, present and future—within the context of the continual universal flow that encompasses all things. When we gaze into the mandala we are looking north, south, east and west, beyond the mountains and below the sea. Foxholes and bird's nests are within our vision, as are the clouds above and the mossy stones below. It is everything that we know, and everything we do not know. It is the absolute, the ultimate, the infinite. And in the center of it all, at the middle-point of the swirling abundance of life with all its myriad facets and perspectives, is you.
The most basic description of the world that thinking humans first knew was the circle. The circle was the horizon, which hovered in the distance as the immutable and immovable limit to their lives. No matter where they traveled, how far or how fast they moved, out there was the circle, ever unattainable. They struggled and survived by virtue of their relationship with the world, by knowing where was water and where game, where was shelter from the storm and where the berry bushes grew. Each of these essential elements of their lives was a feature of the circle that surrounded them. Ancient humans understood that circle to be the whole of their world—everything within the world was within the circle, and so the circle was, in a very real sense, the world and all that lived within it.
This is of course still true today, but taken utterly for granted. We move through our lives needing to know where to find the grocery, the bank, our workplace, our home. Everything within the awareness of Humankind, both ancient and modern, lies within the horizon-circle which moves with you wherever you go. You may be standing on the beach in Miami, hop on a plane to Paris, take a train to Bangladesh and walk the mountain paths to the highlands of Tibet and your circle will never leave you. Wherever you are, you are the center, and around you is the rest of the world, arranged in its natural, beautiful form. Inherent within that arrangement are inscribed the four cardinal points, the four directions of before and behind, to one side and the other, that later came to be described as the four points of the compass. Of course, the horizon-circle of modern humans has expanded exponentially—perhaps infinitely—due to the advances of technology. No longer do the mountain ranges or the sea define the limits of the land, but rather it is a cartography of galactic clusters and sparkling nebulae that surrounds us. And yet the circle still encompasses it all.
So we have established the circle, we have an infinite variety of elements within that circle, we have the cardinal directions, and we have a fixed, central point. We have, thanks to the splendid consistency of the Universe, a mandala. Your entire life is a mandala, and, as I stated before, in the center of it all sits you. It is very important to realize how crucial this is. A mandala without a central point is nothing more than wallpaper. Your life-mandala without you is nothing but geography—without the centerstone of your existence, this architecture of spirit would crumble. You are the crucial essence of your mandala, your world, your life. This is a very powerful position, and one that few people realize. It is the lack of awareness of this fact that causes so many people to feel dislocated in their lives and disconnected from the Universe in which, whether they realize it or not, they are an integral part.
From the Sanskrit we get the concept of the bindu, or point, which is to say the center, the seed, the source from which all life is born. It is the beginning of all things, and the end. It is without dimension, yet it is the focal point around which the entire Universe flows. From this seed are born the infinite varieties of existence, the infinite variations of form. This bindu, this point of origin, is precisely what we are. We are, each of us, the bindu center of our own life-mandala.
Sit back some time, your eyes closed, your mind at rest, and gently visualize yourself as a point in space, a glowing ember of awareness. Be first well aware of yourself within the circle of your mind, then slowly spread this circle outward, in all directions at once, like a gradual flow of water filling the room about you, eventually covering the world and all that lies beyond. Your circle flows on, through valleys, through skies, through distant galaxies, unto the very edges of the Universe. Every element within that circle of awareness is a part of your life, of your mandala, and as such is linked together by a web of subtle influence and effect.
Everything around you is in a very real way connected to you, and this concept is not limited only to physical reality. Your thoughts and beliefs, and those of others you may not even know, are as important in making up the total pattern of your life-mandala as are the people and places in your day-to-day activities. This combination of all the elements of your life—the physical and the mental, the concrete and the imaginary, even the actual and the potential—are connected in a universally established pattern of interaction that can be visualized in the sublime serenity of the mandala. Thus, what appears disjointed is actually connected, what appears chaotic is harmonious... a soothing, continuous flow. And it is all held together by the immutable center, the focal point for all the world, the bindu that is you.
The mandala as art form translates one's position in the Cosmos into a two-dimensional image that shows precisely where one is, physically as well as spiritually. Since time immemorial the spirit of the mandala has offered comfort and stability to the human psyche, and so it will always be. For it is not of the mandala itself, but rather in its interaction with the human mind that this incredible resonance is found. Every mandala says to the viewer, "You are here," and presents a circle of infinite awareness where everything is ordered and at peace. This pattern of all-encompassing serenity is precisely the true state of our existence. Every time you look at a mandala, take a moment to gaze deeply into the center, the bindu, the seed. That is you. And everything else is the world, your world. This tapestry of magic and motion is your spiritual architecture, the ever-fluxing shape of your life. Notice how delicately it all revolves around you, the essential center of everything. And know in your heart, with absolute certainty, that you are a creature of beauty and grace, and that your true value to the Universe is as infinite as space itself.
November 1, 2002
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