A Mandala of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

This simple, elegant mandala reveals the essential elements of this geometric meditation guide. The meditation deity at its center is Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Radiating out from him in the cardinal directions, four buddhas occupy the open petals of a lotus, which is itself surrounded by a ring of gold vajras (stylized thunderbolts). The entire array sits at the apex of four triangles, each comprising a quadrant of the Avalokiteshvara’s cubic palace. At the edges of the palace are four doors in each cardinal direction, and beyond them a semicircular formation in matching color signals that the cubic palace sits atop a crossed vajra, its structure hidden by the edifice. Banners and offerings project from each edge of the palace, so that we can simultaneously see ground plan and elevation.