Mandala

Originating from a trip to India, artist GAO Ling was introduced to the Mandala – a pattern based on circles that have existed in nature since ancient times.

Mandalas exist in all forms of life phenomena. It is the cosmic circle we call the Earth, the Sun and the Moon, and the circle of friends, family and community. 

A metaphor in the Upanishads describes the spiritual philosophy of India: the lines of the spider emanate from a central point, connect and converge to the center – just as life flows from one point to all things and then returns to its origin. According to Tibetan Buddhism, the mandala is a “model of the perfect universe”. The elaborate shape of its outer edge contrasts sharply with the quiet and serene throne room, suggesting the constant movement and change of the universe.

The kaleidoscope is a good representation of this pattern. The symmetrical pattern emanates outward from a central point, refracts in a circle, and returns to its origin. Turning the kaleidoscope, we see that no matter how many lines and patterns appear and disappear, they remain one.

This is the mandala model: infinite expansion and growth from a central point, and then back to the original point. The patterns found in mandalas can help us find the true essence of life, our own center – our understanding of ourselves as an integral participant in the whole of life and the universe.