Hindu Yantra Gifts
A yantra is the yogic equivalent of the Buddhist mandala. Yantras are artwork with repeating geometric patterns that are used as a tool to aid in meditation, Yoga, and psychological healing.
The word yantra (यन्त्र) is Sanskrit. It comes from the root 'yam' which means supporting or holding the essence of an object or concept. The syllable 'tra' comes from 'trana' or liberation from bondage. Yantra also means liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth (moksha). As a tool, yantra meditation is used to withdraw consciousness from the outer world, so as to help the student to go beyond the normal framework of mind to the altered states of consciousness known as turiya.
Shapes and patterns commonly employed in yantra include squares, triangles, circles and floral patterns but may also include more complex and detailed symbols, such as:
- The lotus flower typically represent chakras.
- A dot, or bindu, represents the starting point of creation or the infinite, unexpressed cosmos.
- The Shatkona (Sanskrit name for a symbol identical to the star of David) is composed of a balance between an upwards triangle denoting action (or service), extroversion, masculinity or Shiva, and a downwards triangle denoting introversion, meditativeness, goddess energy or Shakti.
- A swastika represents good luck, welfare, prosperity or spiritual victory,.
Similarly, see also Buddhist Mandala Gifts.
