Pilgrims visiting Itsukushima Shrine Miyajima JapanPilgrims visiting Itsukushima ShrineItsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" torii gate. It is in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures.

The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto god of seas and storms, and brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu (tutelary deity of the Imperial Household).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima_Shrine

Mandala

November 01, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

Se si è fortunati, durante un viaggio in Ladakh, può capitare di assistere alla creazione, da parte dei monaci, di un Mandala di sabbia.

Il Mandala (dal Sanscrito cerchio / ciclo) a prima vista sembra una composizione artistica, è disegnato con sabbie colorate ed è molto elaborato, con forme geometriche ripetute, e colpisce gli occhi prima che la mente.

Ma è soprattutto un simbolo spirituale che rappresenta, nel Buddhismo, l'universo, o meglio il processo di formazione dell'universo dal suo centro. Assume anche un forte significato rituale: la sua costruzione rappresenta uno spazio sacro dove è facilitata la meditazione e la concentrazione, e di conseguenza il distacco dal mondo materiale. 

Però lo scopo finale della creazione di un Mandala di sabbia è la sua distruzione. Formato da milioni di granelli di sabbia colorata, necessita di molto tempo per essere completato, ma inesorabilmente verrà distrutto poco dopo la sua ultimazione. Perchè?

La distruzione del Mandala rappresenta il centro della filosofia buddhista: l'impermanenza di tutte le cose. Tutte le cose di questo mondo, non importa quanto siano belle o con che intenzioni vengano fatte, sono per loro natura sempre a rischio di essere spazzate vie in un istante. Ma la forza distruttrice è anche forza che dà la vita, la morte porta sempre con se anche il rinnovamento della vita.  

 


 

Un Mandala nelle prime fasi della sua creazione, da parte dei monaci del monastero di Diskit, in Ladakh:

 

Monks working on mandala in Diskit monastery Ladakh IndiaMonks working on mandala in Diskit monasteryA mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. In common use, "mandala" has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.

The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T.

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

From Wikipedia

Monk working on mandala in Diskit Gompa LadakhMonk working on mandala in Diskit GompaMandala (Sanskrit Maṇḍala, 'circle') is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often exhibit radial balance. The term appears in the Rigveda as the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in other religions and philosophies, particularly Buddhism.

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

From Wikipedia

 


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