Editing Mandala (section)

==Hinduism==
[[File:Vishnu Mandala.jpg|thumb|Mandala of [[Vishnu]]|left]]

In Hinduism, a basic mandala, also called a ''[[yantra]]'', takes the form of a square with four gates containing a circle with a [[Bindu (symbol)|centre point]]. Each gate is in the general shape of a T.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/mandala.html |title=Kheper,''The Buddhist Mandala – Sacred Geometry and Art'' |access-date=2010-05-08 |archive-date=2011-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514052538/http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/mandala.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mandalas often have [[Rotational symmetry|radial]] [[Formal balance|balance]].<ref name=SaylorIntroPDF>{{cite web|last=www.sbctc.edu (adapted)|title=Module 4: The Artistic Principles|url=http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Module-4.pdf|publisher=Saylor.org|access-date=2 April 2012|archive-date=20 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120041943/http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Module-4.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

A ''[[yantra]]'' is similar to a mandala, usually smaller and using a more limited colour palette. It may be a two- or three-dimensional geometric composition used in ''[[sadhana]]s'', puja or meditative rituals, and may incorporate a [[mantra]] into its design. It is considered to represent the abode of the deity. Each ''yantra'' is unique and calls the deity into the presence of the practitioner through the elaborate symbolic geometric designs. According to one scholar, "Yantras function as revelatory symbols of cosmic truths and as instructional charts of the spiritual aspect of human experience"<ref>[[Madhu Khanna|Khanna Madhu]], ''Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity''. Thames and Hudson, 1979, p. 12.</ref>

Many situate ''yantras'' as central focus points for Hindu tantric practice. ''Yantras'' are not representations, but are lived, experiential, [[Nonduality (spirituality)|nondual]] realities. As Khanna describes:
{{blockquote|
Despite its cosmic meanings a ''yantra'' is a reality lived. Because of the relationship that exists in the [[Tantra]]s between the outer world (the macrocosm) and man's inner world (the microcosm), every symbol in a ''yantra'' is ambivalently resonant in inner–outer synthesis, and is associated with the subtle body and aspects of human consciousness.<ref>Khanna, Madhu, ''Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity''. Thames and Hudson, 1979, pp. 12-22</ref>}}

The term 'mandala' appears in the [[Rigveda]] as the name of the sections of the work, and [[Vedic rituals]] use mandalas such as the [[Navagraha]] mandala to this day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Handbook to the Study of the Rigveda: Part II-The Seventh Mandala of the Rig Veda |url=http://indianculture.gov.in/rarebooks/handbook-study-rigveda-part-ii-seventh-mandala-rig-veda |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=INDIAN CULTURE |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015191108/https://indianculture.gov.in/rarebooks/handbook-study-rigveda-part-ii-seventh-mandala-rig-veda |url-status=live }}</ref>

For each tantric tradition, its mandala is the most important visual form. Abhinavagupta in his ''Tantrāloka'' textually describes the four key mandalas of the Trika tradition, which were translated, decoded and illustrated by [[Christian de Vietri]] in his book ''Trika Maṇḍala Prakāśa''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=de Vietri |first=Christian |title=Trika Maṇḍala Prakāśa: Illuminating the mandalas of Abhinavagupta's Tantrāloka |date=2024-10-09 |publisher=The Magnetic Citadel Press |isbn=978-1763555310 |location=Perth, Australia |language=English, Sanskrit}}</ref>