Mandala Monday – Mandalas in Nature – Guest Post by Epouna
Used in many cultures throughout history, mandalas represent one’s personal life journey. Sanskrit for circle, these pieces offer a center for cultural gods, to help guide the user on a path to reach total enlightenment. However, contrary to what many people believe, mandalas are not only used in religion, they are appreciated in nearly every aspect of nature as well.
One can actually view mandalas pretty much everywhere in nature. In trees, plants, vegetables, fruits and animals, any circumstance that allows you to enjoy circles that encompass other patterns provide a mandala to enjoy.
A prime example is the beautiful symmetry offered by a flower. Sunflowers have seedy centers with vibrant petals that radiate outward while the petals of an elegant rose gently fold over one another. This brings new meaning to the taking time to smell the flowers! There are many things in nature to enjoy when one pauses long enough to explore it.
Vegetables are another great example! Sure, you may not relish the thought of slicing an onion but if you take a moment to enjoy the endless supply of circles it offers, you may find yourself cooking with them more often. Other natural mandalas can be observed in brussel sprouts, lettuce and tomatoes. Have you ever taken the time to examine an orange as you peel it? What about a kiwi or a grapefruit? They all offer mandalas.
Want to observe some truly remarkable natural mandalas? Take a stroll through a forest! Tree trunks of any size and every age radiate outward from the center to symbolize the tree’s life cycle. Observe a few pine cones that have fallen on the forest’s floor, notice how the layers flow perfectly from one to another? Turn over a simple wild mushroom and enjoy the mandala that is created around the stem.
Pratheep P S, www.pratheep.com
A large variety of wildlife and sea life offer exceptional examples of mandalas in nature too. The intoxicating design of zebras and tigers are easy examples that most people would recognize but jellyfish, starfish and octopus are great ones as well. A fantastic example of sacred geometry can be seen looking at a killdeer’s eggs as they are often arranged in the nest with the smaller end positioned toward the center.
Nearly everywhere you look around the planet, you are presented with endless possibilities of natural mandalas. There are a never-ending supply of landscapes that capture mandalic geometry, offering energy and spirit. Grand Prismatic Spring boasts eye-catching colors, the Olympic Peninsula houses gorgeous rock formations and a three-dimensional mandala is granted when you explore the Tufa Towers found in the Mono Lake of California.
Grand Prismatic Spring
If you take the time to enjoy every part of nature, you will realize that mandalas are offered as gifts literally all around you. Each one provides its own journey that can help provide a quite meditative moment, allowing you to become one with the planet that offers you such captivating pieces of art. When you do recognize a mandala, you can then use it on your journey to find your center.
Article by Epouna
www.meaningofmandalas.com
Images from Wikimedia Commons
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