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According to Buddhism maṇḍala is a symmetrical representation of the universe that can be sketched, painted, sculpted, embroidered, or sketched in sand. According to John Jones, psychology explains that a mandala is an invocational symbol or sign. Physical disorder has a purpose in human affair. Psychos are itself a symbol of expressing the persons struggle for unity of the self.
According to Jainism when a person gets kevalajñāna (supreme knowledge) eight types of mahāprātihāryas surround him. Bhāmaṇḍala is one amongst them. Bhamaṇḍala means orb which represents supreme knowledge of a person. Every living being has its own abha maṇḍala when ara gets cleansed, the soul shines brightly. Modern science has captured this aura in a photograph called krilian photography. It tells about four lēśyās Kṛṣṇa, nīla, kāpoṭa, harita and their qualities in it. Umaswati in the text Tatvārtha sūtra mentions that Jambūdwīpa is just like sūrya mandala, the other planets are in bangle shape, but Jambūdwīpa is in plate shape. Mandala means which is circular in shape.
Jaina philosophical text Jambūdwīpaprajñapti relates the story of cakraratna which led king Bharata in his enterprise. According to mythology, King Bharata son of first Tirthankanra Ṛśabhadev found two caves (thimisra and khandprapth) in Vaitādhya mountain. King Bharata opened the door of the cave with the help of dandaratna by the senapati and by keeping the gajaratna on his forehead and he entered in the cave on the elephant. Kākini a jem which destroys the darkness which resembles iron weighs 8 tola, width 4 fingers and which can destroy the poison and which is more powerful than sun, moon, and fire and other precious stones. It has the capacity to give brightness up to 12 yojanas. With this precious stone Bharata made the circle in east and west walls in the gap of 1:1 yojana, 500 dhanus width which resembles like the shape of chariot's wheel and which is bright like Candra mandala. Like this Bharata drew 49 mandalas. Because of these mandalas the place has become bright like day light.
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