Moonstone Mandala

There is a Secret One inside us;
the planets in all the galaxies
pass through his hands like beads.

That is a string of beads one should look at with luminous eyes.

-Kabir

Stars, diamonds, pentagons, triangles and rhomboids are some of the shapes that form this kaleidoscopic mandala. Together they create a pattern; a web of interconnection where each form is dependent upon and shaped by other forms. It is an interwoven whole, like a single piece of carefully folded origami paper.

Although not immediately evident, a precise tension holds this image together. If one individual component were to be carelessly shaped, the whole pattern would be altered. Perhaps, like a kaleidoscope, an entirely new design would emerge from this one shift, or perhaps the image would become a disjointed shambolic mess.

The mandala, despite its seeming stillness, appears to encapsulate a frozen moment in an unraveling sequence; a snapshot of a transitory shifting pattern where various forms are in the process of either opening or closing.

The mandala is like a prism where the original source of white light has split into a glorious spectrum of colour. A crystalline permeates the image, a self-radiating splendor where the source of light is not apparent and seems to glow from within.

Do we, the manifold forms of life in the cosmos split into our various forms, all stem from the one original source of light? Are we all one big piece of origami paper collectively shaped, shaping? Or are we part of a wonderful web of kaleidoscopic pattern shifting and ever changing? What a responsibility it is to be a part of a greater whole where our graceful, or disgraceful, actions influence the pattern of the entire cosmos.

Interconnections

Homo sapiens is a proud citizen of the biosphere, but Earth is where we originated and will stay. Who are we to destroy the planet’s Creation? Each species around us is a masterpiece of evolution, exquisitely adapted to its environment.
-Edward O. Wilson

At times life seems to unravel with exhilarating synchronicity whereby interconnected events and encounters, like a handful of suddenly illumined jigsaw pieces, slot gracefully into place. At times like this I can only marvel at the mysterious inner workings of the universe and can’t help but wonder if there are some things in this life that are orchestrated by greater forces. At such times I feel comforted by a sense of interconnection as though I am woven into a greater plan and feel guided and supported by greater cosmic powers.

And then there are those times when this synchronicity and interconnection seems to run through a plethora of mundane events and I am left feeling a little disconcerted as I attempt to find meaning in a string of seemingly insignificant unfoldings. This leads me to question whether this synchronicity is an ever-present phenomenon stemming from an intricately woven web of interconnection that underpins each arising moment. Perhaps if I were perceptive enough I would see the continuous manifestations arising from this web of interrelationships in each living moment and know that I am intimately, intricately woven into the fabric of the universe, joined with all by a single shared thread.

Intersections

One night after working on this mandala I was amidst a dream when a crystal clear voice cut through the dream like a narrator’s voice over a play. It simply said ‘choose hope, choose happiness, choose love’. The voice was so clear that it woke me up.

The effect of the dream was lingering and profound. The words seemed to have seeped into my soul like a deep-soaking mantra. For days choosing hope, choosing happiness, choosing love as each moment sprang into life seemed to be an easy spontaneous decision in my daily encounters. It was a short-lived yet beautiful insight into a potentially delightful way of being.

I didn’t feel as though I was viewing the world through rose-tinted glasses but rather as though I had been peering through a kaleidoscope that had suddenly shifted and taken on a whole new composition. Somehow this transitory shift in perception opened up a whole new world of possibility.

Perhaps we are all peering through one great kaleidoscope together and could choose to collectively shift our communal consciousness to alter the whole pattern of our existence. I wonder what a snapshot of our current collective cosmic kaleidoscopic pattern would look like. Despite the havoc we homo sapiens seem to be wreaking, surely the grand picture must be something to be marveled at.

“We are travellers on a cosmic journey – stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and the whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. But the expressions of life are ephemeral, momentary, transient. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism once said:

This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightening in the sky, rushing by like a torrent down a steep mountain.

We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love to share. This is a precious moment, but it is transient. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. If we share with caring, light-heartedness, and love, we will create abundance and joy for each other. And then this moment will have been worthwhile.”

-Deepak Chopra