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| Sunday, 14 March 2004 |
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Mandalas: A mirror of your personality? An exhibition of original Mandala paintings by Swiss artist Johanne Frischknecht will be held from March 24 to 31 at the Mount Lavinia hotel. Organised under the patronage of the Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka Bernardino Regaazzoni, the exhibit will be open to the public daily from 2 pm to 11 pm. A Mandala painting workshop will also be held, and will take place on March 27 and 28. Guided tours and artist appointments will be arranged on request. Those interested in participating may call the Mount Lavinia Hotel at 2715221. Media Sponsor is the Sunday Observer
Although the unique Mandala art form developed by Johannes Frischknecht is mostly inspired by Tibetan Buddhism, it lends itself to express universal values and perceptions, which are intuitively grasped by the viewer. In fact, patterns and basic rules of Mandala composition are found in most cultures since time immemorial. They are, as the eminent late Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung pointed out, the most profound expression of human archetypes. The artist will take his first visit to Sri Lanka as an opportunity to find new inspiration for his paintings from 'local Mandalas', such as the Moonstones, the Stupas and temple architecture. Your personal mandala In Buddhism, Mandalas are graphic representations of the universe, designed and coloured to interpret the principles of Buddha's teachings. Johannes Frischknecht often paints personalised Mandalas on request. He will offer this unique opportunity during his visit to Sri Lanka, too. Each such Mandala reflects the personality of the commissioner, as perceived and interpreted by the artist, while the universal principles of Mandala design are being integrated into each painting. In a weekend workshop, the artist will reveal the secrets of Mandala composition. Participants will be guided to draw or paint their own Mandala as a mirror of their personality! Origins
I prefer to interpret the concept of Mandala from this tantric or "Dsogchen" school of teaching, which is considered to be among the highest of Buddhist philosophies, says Frischknecht Although the Dsogchen tradition has remained rather unknown to the world or even among Buddhist scholars, it is in my view best capable of grasping the universal meaning of Mandala. In Dsogchen, the centre and its periphery should not be seen as two distinct or separate parts, but as one unity - the Mandala. ... A Mandala includes visual, sensually experienced patterns, as well as the underlying patterns, which connect the superficial experiences with the inner self. On the one hand, we have the tangible world - represented by the three outer Tantras - on the other the invisible world of our consciousness - represented by the three inner Tantras. Both are interrelated, and even interdependent. Basic patterns of our consciousness turn into behavioral patterns, and vice-versa our behaviour leaves its marks on our mind ... from: Johannes Frischknecht, Mind & Mandala (to be published in 2005) Carl Jung on Mandala symbolism The Swizz psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1875-1961), one of the most prominent figures of 20th century psychology, "discovered" the Mandala phenomenon while he studied Eastern philosophies and religions in search of universal patterns in the human subconscious. In his view, they are an artistic expression of the self. He invited his patients to express themselves through Mandala paintings, a therapeutic process which has been further developed by his successors, and is practised widely today. His fascination was such, that he dedicated a trilogy to the phenomenon of the Mandala, entitled Mandala Symbolism (C. G. Jung, a collection of three works, translated by R. F. C. Hull, Princeton University Press 1973). "My Mandalas were cryptograms concerning the state of the self which were presented to me anew each day. In them I saw the self - that is my whole being - actively at work. To be sure, at first I could only dimly understand them; but they seemed to me highly significant, and I guarded them like precious pearls. I had the distinct feeling that they were something central, and in time I acquired through them a living conception of the self". |
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Building bridges across cultures is a motivation shared by many artists
throughout the world. For Johannes Frischknecht, cross-cultural
inspiration has been a driving force. Since 1972, he specializes in
painting Mandalas, guided by the holistic philosophy and worldview of
Buddhism, with which he has become deeply acquainted.
The term "Mandala" originates from the ancient Indian
language Sanskrit and could be translated as "the centre, and that
which encompasses it", or "the centre and its periphery".
Often, the term is translated as "sacred circle" or simply
"circle". The original meaning has a much deeper sense, since it
touches universal phenomenon. In its traditional meaning, Mandala is a
tantric concept, referring to six distinct levels: Kriya, Upa, Yoga - the
three inner - and Maha, Anu and Ati, the three outer Tantras.
