Here the mandala is a series of concentric circles. In the outermost circle one finds a ring of fire, depicted here as a stylized scrollwork. This symbolizes the process of transformation which ordinary human beings have to undergo before entering the sacred territory within.
Next is depicted the eight cremation grounds arranged in a wide band. These represent the eight aggregates of human consciousness which tie man to the phenomenal world and to the cycle of birth and rebirth.
The next circle is made up of lotus petals, a symbol of purity and auspiciousness.
Finally there is a square structure housed concentrically inside these circles. Its perfect square shape indicates that the absolute space of wisdom is without aberration. This square form defines the architecture of the mandala described as a four-sided palace or temple. A palace because it is the residence of the presiding deity of the mandala, a temple because it contains the essence of the Buddha.
Finally entering the heart of the mandala we encounter the deity residing therein. Here we behold not one, but two deities, a male and a female, wrathful in appearance, and locked in a sexual embrace. Wrathful deities signify and embody all the inner afflictions which darken our thoughts, our words, and our deeds and which prohibit attainment of the Buddhist goal of full enlightenment. Traditionally, wrathful deities are understood to be aspects of benevolent principles, fearful only to those who perceive them as alien forces. When recognized as aspects of one's self and tamed by spiritual practice, they assume a purely benevolent guise. By meditating on these deities as concrete realizations of our own innermost thoughts, the practitioner can ultimately conquer these negative influences, and strive towards a radiating, positive existence.
The sexual imagery of course suggests the integrative process which lies at the heart of the mandala. Male and female elements are nothing but symbols of the countless pairs of opposites (e.g. love and hate; good and evil etc.) which one experiences in mundane existence. The initiate seeks to curtail his or her alienation, by accepting and enjoying all things as a seamless, interconnected field of experience. Sexual imagery can also be understood as a metaphor for enlightenment, with its qualities of satisfaction, bliss, unity and completion.
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