Guided Meditation: Mandala

The second episode in the meditation series focuses on a Mandala
from the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection. The practice in
ancient Indian monastic communities of recycling donations of
cloth and clothing gave rise to techniques of patchwork and
appliqué that characterized textiles used by the clergy and in
worship as the Buddhist faith spread across Asia. In Tibet,
imported silks were always in short supply; the practice of
making patchworks of luxury silks became a pious act born of
necessity.


Mandalas were used by Tibetans in daily and religious life.
Numerological diagrams were important systems for calculating
horoscopes and forecasting the future. In the context of Tantric
Buddhism, geometric patchworks evoked the matrix of time and
space in which the soul was caught in the web of existence. 


The recordings are meant to be enjoyed anywhere—in the comfort of
the listener’s home or in the exhibition itself. Downloadable MP3
files are available on the Kimbell’s website, kimbellart.org.