The Mandala: Sacred Circle in Tibetan Buddhism
Boston, MA: Shambala Publications, 1997. Hardcover. Green paper boards with gold gilt lettering on spine and cover, green and color illustrated dust jacket with yellow lettering; 151 pp., bw and color illustrations throughout. G+/G (book sees minimal shelf wear at corners and spine, previous owner's nameplate on front page, all pages clear and intact - dust jacket sees light bending and wear at corners). Item #181816
ISBN: 9781570622960
"The mandala is the foremost symbol and allegory in Tantric Buddhism for man's relationship to the cosmos. For the Tantric pratitioner, mandalas serve as supports for meditation, for visualizatrion, and, ultimately, for the attainment of Buddhahood. They take a variety of forms, from simple geometric diagrams to more elaborate paintings on cloth, complicated patterns of colored sand, and large three-dimensional carved structures. After introducing the basic theory and practice of mandalas, Martin Brauen describes the main Tantric Buddhist worldview with the aid of computer-generated models. To provide a deeper understanding of the mandala's function, the rich and sacred symbolism of the famous Kalachakra mandala, in its various stages, is then philosophic, religious, and psychological aspects of the mandala is discussed in the final chapter. Several different approaches to the mystery of mandalas are presented, not with the intention of transmitting incontrovertable truths, but as a means for readers to develop their own understanding of the Tantric worldview." - dust jacket description.
OCLC: 35360530
Price: $75.00