Mandalas Rituals

The stone fence surrounds the whole stopa to restrict the outside world from the sacred burial mound. The dome shape of the stopa represents the mountain of the world. The toranas are large stone pillars that are placed in the cardinal points of the stone fence, north, east, south, and west. Directly on top of the stupa sits the harmika. This harmika is a rectangle shape stone fence that represents an area of the gods. In the center of this harmika extends the yasti, a pole like structure protruding towards the universe representing the axis of the universe. There are three chatras that are pierced through the yasti. The chatras are stone discs that represent the union of the earth and the “heavenly paradise” (Kleiner, p. 15). The stupas are walked around in a clockwise manner by Buddhists because that is the same movement of the earth around the sun. This is known as circumambulation. The theory of circumambulation is that it “brings the devotee into harmony with the cosmos” (p. 15). This is the standard blueprint to which all stupas are constructed, thus allowing the Buddhists to circumambulate the structure.

The rituals of the Nacirema culture are very unique when it comes to the different forms of beliefs and remedies. According to the article, “The fundamental belief underlying the whole system of the Nacirema appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is

In the article Body Ritual among the Nacirema, the author, Horace Miner, discusses the various types of strange rituals the tribe of Nacirema performs. The main reason for these rituals is that these people believe that the natural human body is unattractive according to their established standards. The article is solely focused on the rituals and traditions that the Nacirema go through on a daily basis. Their primary focus is centered around appearances and health instead of their economy. The Nacirema believe that by going through these rituals, it would help avoid diseases and to improve the “ugliness” associated with their bodies. A huge portion of their daily time is devoted towards this aspect of life. The Nacirema people have specialists

Horace Miner wrote an Anthropology paper called Body Ritual among the Nacirema in 1956 and, on a surface level, this paper seemed to be about the culture of the Nacirema. Truthfully this paper was criticizing American’s tendency to write other cultures off as primitive or unsophisticated when said cultures deviate from what Americans consider normal.

Living and being an example of the ritual in my everyday life is of my highest priorities. My commitment to this fraternity is unquestionable; I have attended four PIKE University events despite only being a member for a little over a year. I attend these events to better myself, my fraternity, and my community. I know that I can best represent the undergraduate members of our fraternity through the lessons and experiences I gained at PIKE University events. Attendance at these events provides exposure to multiple chapters and the trials and tribulations they face as well as the success stories. I can take their concerns and formulate plans to solve them, all the while using the principles and interest of the International Fraternity as

The Elements of the Masked Dancer The Tibetan Ritual Deer Mask Dance is a rarity to most other dances. As most dances, the stage starts out pitch black dark and the spotlight turns directly onto the dancer. This performance is

The beliefs and symbols illustrated in my mandala are positioned in a way that they connect to each other. The first Hindu belief is Brahman. I put the symbol of Brahman on the bottom of the mandala to show that it “controls” and “connects” to the other four beliefs. Next, the belief of multiple gods will be placed on the right side of Brahman because he is one of the many gods that the Hindus believe in. On the other side of Brahman will be Dharma because they both have to do with balancing society and the universe. On top of Dharma will be Karma. I will put it in this position because Dharma affects your Karma. If you follow rules then your Karma will be good, and if you don't follow the rules then your Karma won't be as good. Lastly, Samsara will be placed next to Karma and Dharma. Samsara would be placed next to these beliefs because your Karma is what you will receive or be like in your next life. Dharma connects to Samsara because the release called Moksha will be achieved if you follow certain spiritual and ritual practices to have a good relation and personal experience with Gods. There are many other ways that all these beliefs connect to each other, but the ways I just talked about relate to the illustrations I have drawn on the mandala.

Rituals are part of our everyday life in modern society, to mark the beginning of life, such as a wedding, baby shower, or a baptism; to mark the ending of life, such as a funeral, or a bachelor party; and rituals can celebrate life, such as birthdays, graduations or promotions. Rituals are filled with meaning and are satisfying, so how does the ritual of daily prayer create a challenge for Muslims? According to Islam, Muslims are ordered to pray five times per day, and while that seems simple, it becomes a challenge when the order to pray is accompanied with five different set times throughout the day. We will look at the ritual of daily prayer, and how modern Muslim societies within the United States are trying to accommodate this ritual

Mandalas are from Tibet of more than two centuries ago. It is a creative pattern of explanation within a circle. Many ancient and recent Native Americans Tribes believe in using this type of spiritual practices/forms in their own ways and inventions of using the same kind of ideas. Mandalas express the idea of life and your own life. It helps users to develop a complete understanding of themselves. As teenagers, I believe that this was an important activity to help each other understand the symbol and words that describe ourselves and our peers. It was an amazing activity to look at yourself as other perspectives around the world. What we see, and what we experience is not all there are. Mandalas help anyone develop a good understanding of

Throughout Siddhartha’s lifetime he is in search for inner peace and a feeling of satisfaction that he believes will come from one of two things; teachings or experiences. As a young man he successfully grasped the rituals of the Om, fasting and being self-disciplined which were taught to him. These practices did not fulfill his desire to be at peace, leading him to go and find the secret to obtaining such a characteristic. In his journey he comes across many worthy teachers and learns their rituals that claim to bring a person to their spiritual awakening, yet this is not the case in Siddhartha’s eyes. Understanding that life cannot solely be taught by wise men who already have a sense of the world, he finds truth to finding oneself and the comprehending the universe within the exposure to new people, places and ways of life as well. With both components coming together it is possible for people to help others realize who

I have not ever in my life viewed a painting made out of sand, that looked like it was actually painted. This piece has truly affected the way I view the world. It makes me have a little more passionate connection with my own religion. The important message that is shown to me in this painting is that we should not take anything for granted, especially our religion. If the monks can travel across the world to show a piece of their religion, we should be able to get out of bed and support our religion as well. This piece definitely reaffirms a religious belief. I think the same affect it had on me, it could possibly happen to other believers. Everyone perceives art differently, so there is no certainty that people will be fascinated by it like I was. This mandala relates to my life because like the monks, I am a religious person. Along with being religious the piece also shows the universe, but on a different level than we usually see it. The artists decided to work the way they did because the message is more powerful this way. It sends the message that I stated before of how they have some much passion for their religion. I am not sure why the monks had to come from the Drepung Loseling Monastery, but I am positive that serves a purpose as well. Everything that evolved around this painting had a purpose. I believe it was to show the universe as the monks see it. This piece is extremely different from other art that

There is a spiritual component regarding indigenous lands. This land “is very important for indigenous peoples, and the major centers for spirituality are located in indigenous territories.” Specifically in Guatemala, the indigenous rituals are performed in sacred places sometimes “to maintain a link to nature, for the use of land, for natural phenomena, as a way of thanksgiving for the produce received during a specific season, or generally for giving people the opportunity to live, that is, the gift of life.” We do not want to infringe on these precious rituals; thus, we must communicate with the Maya people to ensure we are not disrupting this sacred land. In addition to the spiritual component of the land, there is also the Mayan calendar

When I sat down to begin drawing this mandala, I continued with the “pre-ritual” that I described previously of lighting incense, turning on purple lights, and putting on a record. I chose Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy for the inspiration of Mandala #4. I suppose I chose this album because I wasn’t in the best mood that day, and was feeling very overwhelmed with stress, so I picked an album that I knew would put me in a positive mindset. Before I drew my mandala that day, I was in a very frantic state of mind because I was feeling worried and unprepared for my chemistry exam I had the following day. This mandala is unique in that it has many more sharp, layered points that radiate outward. I used various diamond and triangular shapes, with very little use of circles. This may indicate my emotions of uneasiness and slight anxiety, and not feeling very balanced or complete (Fincher, 22). My feeling of stress also shine through in the articulate, bold line work throughout the Mandala. I went over each of the lines multiple times, making them darker and thicker. The shapes and colors in the design remind of a succulent plant with the green and purple colors, and pointed petal-like figures. Perhaps this is indicating that I need to become more in-tune with nature, since that is something I value in order to keep a happy, and positive state of

“If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice.” This quote means that if you want something, you have to sacrifice things along the way or you will not reach your goal. This quote pushes me to be the best form of me. I strive

Cultural influence spurs from the Middle Eastern religious practice of Buddhist Meditation. The geometric Square Shape- Western perspective- religions like Christianity and Judaism celebrate beliefs as a congregation where spiritual practice is a communal activity. Hence the square rectangular spaces for gathering.