The Mandala of the Two Realms (Jp. 両界曼荼羅 Ryōkai mandara), also known as the Mandala of the Two Divisions (Jp. 両部曼荼羅 Ryōbu mandara), is a set of two mandalas depicting both the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Diamond Realm as well as the Five Wisdom Kings of the Womb Realm. The number of deities arranged around the cores varies, but may range as high as 414.
The Diamond Realm represents the unchanging cosmic principle of the Buddha, while the Womb Realm depicts the active, physical manifestation of Buddha in the natural world. The mandalas are thus considered a compact expression of the entirety of the Dharma in Mahayana Buddhism, and form the root of the Vajrayana teachings. Japanese Shingon temples, in particular, often prominently display the Mandalas of the Two Realms mounted at right angles to the image platform on the central altar.
The two mandalas are believed to have evolved separately in India, and were joined together for the first time in China, perhaps by Kukai's teacher Huiguo.
A mandala in tantric Buddhism usually depicts a landscape of the Buddha land or the enlightened vision of a Buddha.
Mandalas are seen as sacred places which, by their very presence in the world, remind a viewer of the immanence of sanctity in the universe and its potential in himself.
Mandalas are sometimes a variation of the dance shield used by the Plains Indians, influenced by the herders of the West.
Mandalas are seen as sacred places which, by their very presence in the world, remind a viewer of the immanence of sanctity in the universe and its potential in himself.
In the West mandala is also used to refer to the "personal world" in which one lives, the various elements of the mandala being the activities and interests in which one engages, the most important being at the centre of the mandala, and the least important at the periphery.
The Mandala as Sacred Geometry by Sri Nitin Kumar.
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