The “Yamataka Mandala”, created in 1991 in Tibet by the monks of the Gyuto Tantric University, with its complex symbols and combination of primary colors that express the principles of wisdom and compassion, has played an important role in Buddhist culture. The Yamataka Mandala piece is mostly made in a circular pattern with repetition of shapes and bright colors. The Yamataka Mandala is a vivid work that emphasizes Tantric Buddhist philosophy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Yamataka mandala is a huge piece of sand measuring 96 x 96 inches. The process began with the monks creating "an outline of a geometric pattern" drawing on a wooden platform from memory. Then, using metal funnels and various tools, they poured, sprinkled, and arranged millions of grains of colored sand into a complex pattern” (artsmia.org.). Monks use a tool called chak-pur, which is a metal rod with a narrow point at the end to pour sand. Along the side of the rod there is a grooved surface to cause vibrations that cause the sand to flow out like a liquid. The sand is then placed along the design until it fills the line. Once the monks' work was finished, the Minneapolis Institute of Art worked for another four weeks to preserve the Mandala. One of the MIA instructors said: “They surrounded the Mandala with a tall, makeshift tent. Then, they sprayed resin through a hole in the top of the tent to harden the sand and make it stick." After that, it was ready to hang, the monks put an incredible amount of work and time into this work of art and used large amounts of sand to create such details. The Yamataka Mandala is filled with multiple symbols. The outermost circular ring represents the earthly world and shows eight cemeteries with images of suffering and decaying skeletons, floating limbs, animals searching for food, trees, mountains and burial mounds called Stupas. Inside the outermost ring is another circle with a rainbow pattern of bright primary colors. This illustrates the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Then there is a vajra ring which is called the thunderbolt of Indra, and finally a band of lotus petals, "which signifies spiritual purity and represents various deities" (Artmia.org). Subsequently, going towards the center, we encounter the four square walls. The employee at the Minneapolis Institute of Art said, "it's called Yamantaka Palace." The "palace" contains four gates with cardinal points filled with symbols including masked guardians, cloud-shaped umbrellas to represent royalty, and jeweled trees for good luck, wheels and deer for law. The Yamantaka Palace “is the realm of perfect enlightenment” (Artmia.org). These symbols are about human nature. Finally, the blue square in the center represents Yamantaka, the conqueror of death. All mandalas are a representation of the awakened mind of a Buddha. In fact, the Minneapolis Institute of Art's description states, "Tibetan Buddhists believe that there is a seed of enlightenment in the mind of each person contemplating a mandala." The Mandala was created to honor 1.2 million Tibetans who lost their lives due to political and religious persecution. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay I have never forgotten the first time I saw this work. I thought it was breathtaking to see such a huge piece, entirely handcrafted. I was so amazed at the craftsmanship put into the dai patterns.