THE MIND MANDALA

The Mind Mandala actually consists of the 3 top levels in the center of the mandala, containing a total of 70 deities:
- the Enlightened Great Bliss Mandala with Kalachakra, Vishvamata and 10 Shaktis
- the Enlightened Wisdom Mandala containing the 16 Tathagatas
- the Enlightened Mind Mandala containing the 24 Bodhisattvas, 8 Protectors (actually 2 pairs in the list below belong to the Body Mandala) and 10 Offering Goddesses (of which one is above and one is below the Mandala).

Move your mouse slowly over below Mind Mandala to see the names of the deities pop up.

See also our Interactive Mandala which shows the location of all deities in the full Body, Speech and Mind Mandala.

THE GREAT BLISS MANDALA

KALACHAKRA AND VISHVAMATA

At the very center of the mandala is the Kalachakra deity. The Kalachakra deity (dus 'khor in Tibetan) can be represented in several forms; the most simple one is only Kalachakra with two arms and one face, others can include his consort, Vishvamata, but most commonly one can see the full aspected deity with four faces, twenty-four arms and two legs, embracing Vishvamata
"Vishva" means different aspects and "mata" is mother, so it is the multiple-aspected mother.

As is usual in tantra, the male deity Kalachakra symbolizes method / bodhicitta / bliss and the consort Vishvamata (sna tshogs yum in Tibetan) represents the wisdom of emptiness, ultimate truth. They embrace each other to show the ultimate combination of method and wisdom, or bliss and emptiness. In the Kalachakra context it refers to the Body of Empty Form and Immutable Bliss. Vishvamata also symbolizes the wrathful aspect of Kalachakra. .
It should be noted that there are slight variations in different traditions to depict for example the arms and several other details.

To name only some of the symbolism contained in the arms and hands of the main Kalachakra deity:

- The six collarbones refer to the six seasons (spring, hot season, monsoon, fall [harvest], early winter and late winter, as well as the six periods of the day and the night (Outer Kalachakra).
- The twelve shoulders symbolize the two times six cycles of the breath (Inner Kalachakra).
- The 24 arms refer to the 12 black and 12 white moon phases of a year (the 12 waxing and the 12 waning phases of the moon in Outer Kalachakra), and the 24 half periods of the breath (Inner Kalachakra).
- Kalachakra has 360 bones and joints and also 360 finger parts (three in each of the 5 fingers of the 24 hands which correspond to the 360 days of the year and (Outer Kalachakra) and to the 360 periods of the day which contain 60 draws of the breath each (Inner Kalachakra).
- Even the colors of each finger have a deeper meaning: the yellow color of the outside of the thumbs refers to the element earth, the white index finger refers to water, the red middle finger refers to fire, the black ring finger to air and the green pinks to space. The colors of the inside of the joints refer to the trinity of Mind (black), Speech (red) and Body (white).

Red, right, desire face	Blue, front, wrathful main face	White, left, peaceful face	Yellow, rear, samadhi face
Click images to enlarge, they are quite impressive!

Kalachakra and Vishvamata confer the 'Vajra and Bell Initiation' (see Initiation).

The symbolism of the hand implements of Kalachakra refers actually to the philosophy of the Samkhyas, Enumerators or Forders (living at the time of the Buddha). They accepted 24 suchnesses which correspond to the implements as given in below table:

IMPLEMENT	SUCHNESS	DEITY
vajra	fundamental principle	Akshobhya (consciousness)
	also space element	Vajradhatu-isvari
bell	urination organ *	Ushnisha
sword	wind	Tara
shield	body (tactile sense)	Sarvanivarana.Vishkambin
trident	sounds	Shabdavajra
kathvanga	mouth	Vighnantaka
curved knife	supreme organ *	Sumbha
skullcup (also moon disc)	I-principle	Amoghasiddhi (compositional factors)
arrows **	eyes	Kshitigarba
bow	anus	Yamantaka
hook	tastes	Rasavajra
lasso	forms	Rupavajra
dhamaru	ear	Vajrapani
jewel	fire	Pandara
hammer	tangibles	Sparshavajra
lotus	water	Mamaki
Dharmachakra	earth	Locana
conch	legs	Padmantaka
spear	tongue (taste organ)	Lokeshvara
mirror (also Rahu disc)	mind (mental organ)	Samantabhadra
baton	smells	Gandhavajra
iron chain (also sun disc)	intellect	Amitabha (discrimination)
ax	nose (smell organ)	Khagarba
Brahma's head	arms	Prajñantaka

Notes on above table:
* The genitalia of the Samkhyas appear to be split into 2: urination organ and supreme organ (sex).
**   Note that in the contemporary Gelug lineage, these are often called "three arrows', but 'fire-arrow' may be more correct, see this article by David Reigle.
The five Buddhas representing the five aggregates are unsure, [9] suggests "citta" to be feeling/heart which would be Ratnasambhava; "buddhi" would be discrimination or intellect, represented by Amitabha.
Only the "person" of the total list of 25 principles of the Samkhyas is missing. Possibly this is represented by Kalachakra himself {or Vairochana as form?}
Thus, the purified form of these 24 elements are the implements and the purification of the "person" may refer to Kalachakra.

The main deity stands on Mara and Rudra to symbolize his victory over delusions:
Mara is a well-known figure in Indian symbolism, usually representing delusions and the problems of samsara.
Here, the aspects of Mara can be divided into: inner delusions; the aggregates; death; and the "outer Mara" - the desire god Karma Deva. (The first three are the inner Maras; like the three nectars in the bowl of Shakyamuni refer to.) Mara is holding 5 flower arrows in the first right hand, which have interesting meanings: making happy; making to want again; making confused; emaciating and killing. In his second right hand is a hook, like Kalachakra is holding; in his first left hand a bow and in the second left hand a lasso. Rati is the goddess of Mara and symbolizes the female organ and sexual desire, she is trying to lift Kalachakra's foot to put less weight on her consort. .
Rudra is also called Ishvara, Mahadeva or Shiva. Rudra literally means "dreadful or terrible one". Uma, the consort of Rudra, (in Tibetan "the middle way") is also known as: Parvati (Lord Shiva's wife), Dhurga, Kali Ishvara or Palden Lhamo. The deities stand in the center of a lotus which represents amongst other things, renunciation.
On top of the lotus are four discs; a white moon disc for bodhicitta; a red sun disc for the realization of emptiness, a black Rahu disc for immutable bliss, and a yellow Kalagni disc for the empty form body.

THE SHAKTIS

Shaktis are well known deities in Hinduism, but in Buddhism they are found exclusively in the Kalachakra tantra. As can be seen on the left (this depicts Pitadipta or Balaparamita), the Shaktis are depicted as women with one face, eight arms and two legs. Each one holds different implements. Eight of the ten Shaktis stand on the petals of the lotus in the center of the mandala, surrounding Kalachakra and Vishvamata, the other two are part of the main deity and not separately depicted in the mandala. Below table summarizes some of the symbolism related to the Shaktis, although the table is all but comprehensive and may contain mistakes. One of their main symbolic references is to the main ten winds (energies) at the heart chakra; see also the page on Inner Kalachakra. The Shaktis confer the 'Silk Ribbon Inititiation' (see Initiation).

SHAKTIS
PERFECTION			OTHER NAME
SANSKRIT	TIBETAN	ENGLISH	SANSKRIT	ENGLISH	DIR.	WIND
Dana	Duwama	Giving	Dhuma	Smoke	SE	turtle
Shila	Sigyuma	Ethics	Marici	Mirage	SW	chameleon
Kshanti	Kanangma	Patience	Khadyota	Firefly	NE	devadatta
Virya	Marmema	Perseverance	Pradipa	Lamp	NW	dhamnajaya *1
Dhyana	Nagmo barma	Concentration	Krishnadipta	Blazing Black	E	fire-accompanying
Prajña	Sherphyin	Wisdom	{Vishvamata}		below heart	downward voidng
Upaya	Darmo barma	Method	Raktadipta	Blazing Red	S	upward moving
Pranidhana	Karmo barma	Prayer	Shvetadipta	Blazing White	N	pervasive *2
Bala	Sermo barma	Power	Pitadipta	Blazing Yellow	W	serpent/naga
Jñana	Yeshe pharphyin	Exalted Wisdom	{Vishvamata}	-	above heart	vitalizing/life

The 10 Shaktis, together with Kalachakra and Vishvamata also refer to 12 cycles of the breath, the 12 signs of the zodiac and the 12 energy orbits around Mount Meru. Together with the vases and the signs at the corners of the Great Bliss Mandala, the Shaktis, Kalachakra and consort, represent the first 3 months of an embryo, in which the three main energy channels, the 10 main winds and the six cakras are formed.

VAJRAVEGA Vajravega (or Dorje Shug in Tibetan) represents the wrathful aspect of Kalachakra himself. Vajravega is without and looks similar to Kalachakra, but is typically fat like most Protectors are depicted. Vajravega has two more arms than Kalachakra (right black and left yellow) which hold an elephant skin like a cloak, but the other twenty-four hands hold the same implements. Interestingly enough, Vajravega is not normally depicted in the Mandala.

Have a look at our Interactive Mandala to see where all deities are located in the mandala.