Mandala Shaman combines the circular cosmology of the mandala with the interconnectedness of shamanism.
Mandala = Sacred Circle (Sanskrit)
Shaman = One who steps out of time – sees in the dark (Siberian)
Before recorded history, mankind knew that the circle was symbolic of creation and the great cycles of life. They connected with the stars, moon, sun and planets in such a way that multiple calendars were established to honor the multi-dimensional world they lived in. They saw the circle as a sacred gateway to their inner most knowing as well as the ever expanding universe.
Early Yogi’s meditated next to trees in the forests as they tapped into the sacred sounds or vibrations of the world around them. This led to the creation of the mantra “Om” or the sound of creation. This mantra was chanted as they connected with spirit, the word “yoga” means to “yoke with spirit”. The Mantra “Om” was made visible by creating the Sri Yantra Mandala, a circular drawing depicting the creation essence.
Traveling yogi’s were called Shramana’s, Buddha (563 BC – 483 BC) became one of the worlds most famous Shramana’s. Buddha became the enlightened one as he meditated under a Bodhi Tree. When a large pod landed on his head he awakened to the fact that he could choose to step out of suffering and pain. This state of non-suffering or the pacification of fear is called Samana.
The word Saman is an early Turkic word for a person who travels between the spirit world and the human world. The Tungus tribe in Siberia saw the Shaman as the spiritual leader of their community. Shamans journeyed through time as they stepped out of ordinary reality and into the unlimited realm of non-ordinary reality. This gave them the ability to bring insights to their tribe or to identify healing herbs for certain illnesses. Many cultures saw trees as a way to connect to the past (underworld/roots), present (middleworld/trunk) or the future (upperworld/branches). Trees were seen as gateways to the soul and the universe. Shamans understood that everything was interconnected and interdependent.
Shamanism was mankind’s original spiritual practice and is evident on every continent throughout the world. One of the earliest archaelogical records of a Shamanic burial is that of a Natufian “Shaman or Priestess” in Israel dating to 12,000 BC. As early man left the African continent and populated the world these early “seer’s lead their tribes to new lands.
When the Julian calendar came into effect around 46 BC the Roman Empire essentially flattened circular time into one linear solar calendar.
A further flattening of our reality occurred when Ptolemy (AD 90 – AD 168) presented the Romans with a geocentric view of our universe placing Earth in the middle of our cosmos. This combination of linear thinking and religious zealotry struck fear in the hearts and minds of people causing the western world to plunge into the depths of the dark ages. What was “known” by early shamans and subsequent philosophers (Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle etc..) became “unknown”.
In the 1300′s revolutionary thinkers began challenging the status quo, many died or were imprisoned for heresy or crimes against the church. Leonardo DaVinci and Copernicus helped to bring our world back into perspective as they rewrote history and our model of the universe. What was “unknown” for over 1500 years began to become “known” once again.
Today astro theorists are exploring the concepts of black holes and multi-dimensional universes. Quantum theorists are exploring sub atomic particles and finding a universe filled with dark energy/matter and a complex array of vibrational strings.
It is our personal responsibility to awaken our hearts and minds to the universal circles of life and our personal connection to all that is.
By connecting with the circular nature of the Mandala you make the invisible world visible. Shamanism empowers us to feel one with everything around us. Allow yourself to step out of linear time and connect with the cycles of nature. See the stars, the sun and the moon as guides and remember that from that place we began.
Remember that we are spiritual beings have an earthly experience. Treasure that “knowing” by honoring both heaven and earth for giving you life.
By connecting with the Tree of Life within you and the circular world around you, you are able to awaken to your true nature.
For more information visit my website: www.treeoflifeawakening.com
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My autobiography: The Guardian Tree will be available early 2012.
or e-mail me: laural@mandalashaman.com
