Ngor Monastery: Diamond Realm Mandala

INDIA, Uttarakhand, Dehradun

This mandala illustrates the Perfected Body Assembly in the Diamond Realm. Vairocana Buddha, with four heads and two arms, is in the center sitting in lotus position on a lotus throne. The Buddha has a nimbus and a mandorla, and forms the bodhyangi (wisdom fist) mudra. The black central circle is divided into nine sections. In five of the nine sections, there are small circular discs, each containing one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas. Four of the Buddhas are arranged according to the direction they represent, and are each surrounded by four Bodhisattvas. In each ordinal section of the central circle, there is a single seated Bodhisattva.
The layered walls of the square surrounding the inner circle are lined with many small Bodhisattvas. Each of the four gates is guarded by a larger Bodhisattva with a mandorla. Above the gates, there are large towers surrounded by apsaras, canopies, and banners. The outer circle of the mandala is decorated with colorful patterned images of lotuses in the inner ring, vajras in the middle ring, and flames in the outer ring.