In the Vajrayana discipline Sri Yantra is also known in Tibetan as Kalachakra and considered the supreme mystical mandala. It represents the inner and outer world — the unity of both the microcosm and the macrocosm.

The meaning and significance of symbols in the yantra remain the same as in the original context practised by the Hindu Tantrics: the equilateral intersecting triangles also represent the union of the female and male principles. Their inseparability is the most important significance.

Except in the representation of spaces in the mandala, the Buddhist and Hindu Sri Yantras are analogous, for involved is Kamakala, its fundamental principle.

‘Kama’ means desire; ‘ka’ means emanation; and ‘Ia’ means the end or absorption. It is represented by a triangle. In its original form it is made of a dot above two other dots below. The dot above represents kama; the two dots below stand for ka emanation and Ia for withdrawal. From kama the line stands for desire (first principle), moves towards the dot below which stands for emanation (second principle), which continues towards the dot which stands for withdrawal (third principle).

Sri Yantra Mandala

Related Articles