10 Ways to Raise Your Vibration and Appreciate Life

All your thoughts and feelings are energy, and energy is vibration. Learn to raise your vibration and watch your life change dramatically.

Find Something Beautiful and Appreciate It

Beauty is all around us, from the morning dew to the evening stars and everything in between. Many go through life not noticing all the beautiful things that are around them, and yes it’s everywhere, so appreciate it when you do.

Whether it’s the scent of a flower or the way rain ripples in puddles of water, appreciate the beauty life has to offer.

Make a List of All You are Grateful For

Making a gratitude list shifts your vibrations from focusing on what you do not have to what is already abundant in your life.

There is more to be grateful for than you can imagine.

Meditate

Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and breath in and out. Too often we rush through our days with a scattered brain leaving us in a state of anxiety and stress.

Meditation helps to calm your spirit down and put you in a peaceful state of mind. 10 minutes of meditation a day can change your life forever.

Giving to someone else shifts your thinking from “I don’t have enough, to I have more than enough to give to others.” Abundance is a high vibration.

Stop Complaining and Gossiping

Complaining and Gossip puts you in a very low vibration. Ask yourself “Are the things you are talking about bringing you more of what you want?” if not stop complaining, and start finding ways to rejoice.

Move, Exercise, Get Active

Vibration requires movement, the more you move the better your vibrations move. So Get Active! Dance!

The happier you feel, the more you will draw happy experiences to yourself because you are operating at a different frequency.

You are not a victim to circumstance, past, family upbringing, trauma, or anything else. You can change your life in an instant.

In many wisdom traditions this is called “total responsibility.” No one is responsible for how you feel right now, but you. It isn’t a curse. It’s a blessing because it gives you your power back.

Just sit and try to make your breath longer, fuller, and more relaxed. It has a direct effect on your nervous system and helps to calm you down. A calm vibration is a high vibration.

Fear holds us back from being in a state of love and happiness, and facing those fears opens you up to a greater world of possibilities. Fear of Heights? Go skydiving. Scared of public speaking, say a poem at an open mic.

You’ll begin to realize your fear was worse then the actual problem, and a sense of relief will wash over you.

Have a Meaningful Conversation with a Friend.

Rather than gossip or complaining, talk about your ideas.

What do you have planned for yourself? What do you think is the nature of reality? Are we spiritual beings having a human experience?

Talking about these things with someone helps to raise both your vibrations by thinking big. If you don’t have someone to talk to, there’s a community of higher-minded individuals right here.

> Raise that Vibration | Spirit Science and Metaphysics

Jun 25, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Do We Unconsciously Feel the Future Before it Happens? (Study)

Can your brain detect events before they occur?

That was the stunning conclusion of a 2012 meta-analysis of experiments from seven independent laboratories over the last 35 years, which found that the human body can apparently detect randomly delivered stimuli occurring 1-10 seconds in the future.

In the studies, physiological readings were taken as participants were subjected to unpredictable events designed to activate the sympathetic nervous system (for example, showing provocative imagery) as well as ‘neutral events’ that did not activate the nervous system. These readings showed that the nervous system aligned with the nature of the event (activated/not activated) – and what’s more, the magnitude of the pre-event response corresponded with the magnitude of the post-event response.

Rebuttal? Not so fast…

In a recent paper, researchers have critically analysed these findings, considering possible mundane explanations for the results and also the implications of the results if they truly do point to a paradigm-shaking discovery.

The key observation in these studies is that human physiology appears to be able to distinguish between unpredictable dichotomous future stimuli, such as emotional vs. neutral images or sound vs. silence. This phenomenon has been called presentiment (feel the future).

In this paper we call it predictive anticipatory activity or PAA. The phenomenon is “predictive” because it can distinguish between upcoming stimuli; it is “anticipatory” because the physiological changes occur before a future event; and it is an “activity” because it involves changes in the cardiopulmonary, skin, and/or nervous systems.

Neither questionable research practices (bias) nor physiological artifacts seem to be able to explain PAA, the evidence indicates that there is a temporal mirroring between pre- and post-event physiological events, so that the nature of the post-event physiological response is correlated with the characteristics of the PAA for that event. – Study

The authors of the paper also point out fascinating aspects of the research, such as the fact that “PAA is an unconscious phenomenon” that “appears to resemble precognition (consciously knowing something is going to happen before it does), but PAA specifically refers to unconscious physiological reactions as opposed to conscious premonitions”.

There must be a necessity for PAA to remain non-conscious most of the time, if some part of our nervous system can obtain information about events seconds in the future, wouldn’t we have evolved to make this information conscious? – Study

How is this possible…

A metaphor may help to provide an intuitive feel for this effect – watching a river move past a stick.

Imagine that the direction of the water’s current is the conscious experience of the flow of time (temporal flow), and imagine that an intrusion in the flow (the stick) is an emotional, arousing, or otherwise important event. The largest disturbance in the water made by the intrusion is downstream (in the “forward” time direction), which is analogous to our conscious reaction to experiencing the important event.

But if one examines the flow of water near the stick, one will also see a small perturbation upstream, anticipating the intrusion in the water downstream due to the back pressure. Similar to PAA, this upstream perturbation is a hint of things to come. It is not normally part of our conscious awareness and, as with disturbances in a flow of water, the majority of the effect of an intrusion is downstream of the intrusion.

Nevertheless, the authors of the recent paper urge caution until more extensive research is undertaken:

Until there is a gold standard experiment that is replicated across laboratories using exactly the same experimental procedure, physiological measures, and statistical analyses, there remains the possibility that multiple analyses could influence the body of evidence supporting PAA.

I look forward to seeing the results of these future investigations. Or do I already know what they are going to be?

> We Unconsciously React to Events Up to 10 Seconds Before They Happen | Earth We Are One

Jun 24, 2014Jun 17, 2016

How To Become A Cult Leader (Video)

How To Become A Cult Leader

A hilarious, yet disturbing breakdown of the techniques that cults use to indoctrinate new members.

Dr. Robert J. Lifton’s Eight Criteria for Thought Reform

Milieu Control. This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large.

Mystical Manipulation. There is manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as he or she wishes.

Demand for Purity. The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection. The induction of guilt and/or shame is a powerful control device used here.

Confession. Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group. There is no confidentiality; members’ “sins,” “attitudes,” and “faults” are discussed and exploited by the leaders.

Sacred Science. The group’s doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute. Truth is not to be found outside the group. The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.

Loading the Language. The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés, which serve to alter members’ thought processes to conform to the group’s way of thinking.

Doctrine over person. Member’s personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.

Dispensing of existence. The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not. This is usually not literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved, unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group’s ideology. If they do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the members. Thus, the outside world loses all credibility. In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also.

Related Information: How to Leave a Cult.

Bonus: Andy Reid’s Kool-Aid Man Impersonation

> Becoming a Cult Leader | Ultra Culture

Jun 9, 2014Jan 24, 2018

The Buddhist Guide to a Happy Life: The Noble Eightfold Path

Buddha correctly recognized that suffering (duhkha) originates through ignorance and craving, the Noble Eightfold Path is a guide to eliminate ignorance and craving, and by extension, suffering.

The 4th Noble Truth, the Eightfold Path deals with the cultivation of wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline.

These Eight guide posts are not commandments, they are vows. For anyone interested in the path to liberation, these ways of life serve to accelerate the process.

The aim of the path is to live a fully balanced life; consider following each part of the Eightfold Path simultaneously, as each step on the path is not meant to be a linear progression.

1. Right View (Wisdom)

Having the wisdom to see things as they really are. Observing and accepting the impermanence of reality and the duhkha (suffering) that is caused by craving for a separate, permanent existence.

2. Right Intention (Wisdom)

Defined simply, it is the intention to act only out of love and compassion. Having a wrong view of reality, where one sees things as separate and permanently enduring causes a person to wrongly grasp for what appears to contribute to their form of identification: a separate/permanent self. The false belief that happiness comes by avoiding what appears to threaten the self.

This way of thinking gives rise to craving, hatred, and violence. Those with right intention instead see the interdependence of all things and processes, correctly identifing that cultivating love and compassion for all beings will bring happiness.

3. Right Speech (Ethical Conduct)

Generally, right speech refers to the avoidance of all talk that will hurt either oneself or others and to speak pleasantly in ways that will help overcome suffering.

It’s negative forms can be interpreted as: lying, slander, character assassination, talk that might bring about hatred, jealousy, enmity, discord, harsh or rude talk, impolite or abusive language, idle or malicious gossip, etc.

It’s positive forms are: telling the truth, speaking in a kindly and friendly way, and using language meaningfully and usefully.

By realizing the time and place for certain language, it implies that at times “noble silence” may be ideal.

4. Right Action (Ethical Conduct)

Based on the idea that no beings have independent existence, then all are dependent upon each other. With this understood, selfishness no longer has any basis.

Negatively, right action can be interpreted as killing, hurting, stealing, cheating, etc.

Positively, it means promoting peace and happiness, and respecting the well-being of all living things.

5. Right Livelihood (Ethical Conduct)

This extends the two former tenets to how one earns a living, prohibiting those careers that bring harm to others. Specifically: drug dealing, using and dealing in weapons, making poisons, killing animals, dealing in prostitution or slavery, etc.

Positively, right livelihood requires that one’s living is earned by means that are honorable, useful, and helpful.

6. Right Effort (Mental Development)

The above developments require discipline, which includes right effort and the two tenets below (right mindfulness & concentration).

Practicing Right Effort includes:

Preventing evil and unwholesome states of mind from arising,
Getting rid of evil and unwholesome states of mind that may already exits,
Bringing about good and wholesome states of mind,
Developing and perfecting good and wholesome states of mind already present.

7. Right Mindfulness (Mental Development)

Consists in being aware of and attentive to all of one’s activities.

Including:

Activities of the body,
Sensing and feeling,
Perceiving,
Thinking and consciousness.

This means understanding what these activities are, how they arise, how they disappear, how they are developed, controlled, gotten rid of, and how they are related to each other.

8. Right Concentration (Mental Development)

Refers to a focusing of consciousness that enables one to see deeply into something. Both ignorance and enlightenment, which produce suffering and happiness respectively, have their root in one’s mental activities.

Because one’s mental states determine everything one does, it makes sense to concentrate on purifying one’s mental activities as a means to achieving happiness.

1st Stage:

Concentrate on getting rid of lust, ill-will, laziness, worry, anxiety, and doubt.
These unwholesome mental activities are replaced by feelings of joy and happiness.

2nd Stage:

Concentrate on seeing through and getting beyond all mental activities.
Retaining an awareness of joy and happiness.

3rd Stage:

One goes beyond the mental activity responsible for the feeling of joy.
Achieves an equanimity pervaded by happiness.

4th Stage:

Complete equanimity and total awareness.

Alan Watts on The Real Eightfold Path

> Source (recommended for further philosophical study)

Jun 8, 2014Jan 24, 2018

Living to Work – Waking Life (Video)

This scene from Waking Life describes how modern work conditions can delay the progress of conscious beings.

The trick is to combine your waking rational abilities with the infinite possibilities of your dreams. Because, if you can do that, you can do anything.

Did you ever have a job that you hated and worked real hard at? A long, hard day of work.

Finally you get to go home, get in bed, close your eyes and immediately you wake up and realize… that the whole day at work had been a dream.

It’s bad enough that you sell your waking life for minimum wage, but now they get your dreams for free.

May 29, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Leaving the Herd to Express Your Creativity – Jason Silva (Video)

Little boxes, all the same. All the people in the houses all go to the university. And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same.

Pete Seeger sang those words about the development of suburbia and conformity in 1963. How can we fully express our creativity and avoid becoming zombies? In another inspiring hit of stoner philosophy, Jason Silva wonders what pushes people away from the herd.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.

-Nietzsche

Works mentioned in this video:

The agony of breaking through personal limitations is the agony of spiritual growth.

Art, literature, myth and cult, philosophy, and ascetic disciplines are instruments to help the individual past his limiting horizons into spheres of ever-expanding realization.

– The Hero with A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Robert Anton Wilson – Reality Tunnels

Robert Anton Wilson described his writing as an “attempt to break down conditioned associations—to look at the world in a new way, with many models recognized as models or maps and no one model elevated to the Truth.”

“My goal is to try to get people into a state of generalized agnosticism, not agnosticism about God alone, but agnosticism about everything.”

Apr 10, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Kubrick’s Answer – The Beauty of a Meaningless Life (Comic Strip)

Life is a beautiful thing, if you want it to be.

Taking an active role in the way we define our experiences allows more opportunities for growth; to be in an unusual situation, to overcome a new challenge or to create a work of art that sparks your imagination.

Kubrick’s answer is flawlessly expressed in Gavin Aung Than’s story panels. Each image underscoring his powerful message.

Kubrick is often described as an eccentric thanks to the stories about his obsessive attention to detail, treatment of actors, personality quirks and reclusiveness.

But these anecdotes are overshadowed by his ground-breaking movies, technical expertise and the opinions of those close to him, who described him as a warm, loving and gregarious genius of a man.

The quote used in the comic is taken from a 1968 Playboy interview Kubrick did soon after the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey. – Zen Pencils

Mar 23, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Scientific Evidence For Reincarnation: Fact or Fiction? (Video, Study)

Reincarnation Video Description

Six decades ago, a 21-year-old Navy fighter pilot on a mission over the Pacific was shot down by Japanese artillery. His name might have been forgotten, were it not for 6-year-old James Leininger.

Quite a few people — including those who knew the fighter pilot — think James is the pilot, reincarnated.

It is not surprising to be born more than once; everything in nature is resurrection.
– Voltaire

Reincarnation is spoken of in many cultures and religions as something that occurs to souls when they have lessons that still need to be learned in physical incarnation. Some return for lessons, some apparently return to alleviate karma from past-lives, and some return simply to do good work on the earth and help other souls evolve here.

However, reincarnation is not something you can objectively measure. So the question becomes: Is there enough evidence to justify a belief in reincarnation?

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Ph.D., former Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, spent 40 years researching reincarnation stories with children.

This former chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology investigated over 3000 independent stories of children who claimed to have memories and know people from their alleged past lives. According to Stevenson, the number of cases that are worth considering is so high that it exceeds the ability of him and his team to investigate them all.

Facial recognition software confirmed that there was in fact a facial resemblance to their alleged prior incarnation. Some had birth marks on places where they allegedly suffered fatal wounds from in their past life. They were often dramatic and sometimes bizarre lesions, such as malformed digits or missing limbs, misshapen heads, and odd markings.

About 35% of children who claim to remember previous lives have birthmarks and/or birth defects that they (or adult informants) attribute to wounds on a person whose life the child remembers. The cases of 210 such children have been investigated.

The birthmarks were usually areas of hairless, puckered skin; some were areas of little or no pigmentation (hypopigmented macules); others were areas of increased pigmentation (hyperpigmented nevi). The birth defects were nearly always of rare types. In cases in which a deceased person was identified the details of whose life unmistakably matched the child’s statements, a close correspondence was nearly always found between the birthmarks and/or birth defects on the child and the wounds on the deceased person.

In 43 of 49 cases in which a medical document (usually a postmortem report) was obtained, it confirmed the correspondence between wounds and birthmarks (or birth defects). – Dr. Stevenson in ‘Birthmarks and Birth Defects Corresponding to Wounds on Deceased Persons’

In an article where 3 cases were looked at in great detail by Dr. Stevenson, he reported that each of the 3 children made roughly 30-40 claims regarding memories that had of their past lives, 82-92% of which were both verifiable and correct.

The particularities and specific details that were given by the children ranged from the names, personalities, and occupations of their former parents and siblings, to the precise layouts of the houses they lived in.

It was not uncommon for Stevenson to encounter a child who could go into a town he had never been in before and give him the details of the village, former personal belongings, the neighbourhood in which he lived in a past life, and the people who he use to associate with.

What seems to be more than mere chance is that children were able to accurately identify former acquaintances and relationships they had with people in their prior lives. Most impressively was a Lebanese girl who was able to remember and identify 25 different people from her past life and the interpersonal relationships she had with them.

During a presentation at Penn State University in 2005, Dr. Jim B. Tucker, a child psychiatrist at the University of Virginia, described how a mother was leaning over the changing table to change her son’s diaper. Her young toddler unexpectedly said, “When I was your age, I used to change your diapers.” Sam Taylor, of Vermont, was born 18 months following his grandfather’s death.

When he made this comment, he was only a few years old. When he was four and a half years old, however, Taylor was able to pick out his grandfather from a class picture of about 20 people and identify his grandfather’s first car from a photograph.

Upon examining all these findings and publications, we must ask ourselves:

What is the best explanation that can accommodate all of this evidence?

Why are there be so many cases of children who claim to have been other people, who know the specific names and interpersonal relationships of the person they recall being, have similar behaviour and personalities as the people they claimed to be, have birthmarks and abnormalities where they claimed to have suffered wounds in their past lives, and have phobias linked back to alleged past life traumas if reincarnation did not exist?

It seems as though we are not only justified in believing in reincarnation, but it may be the best explanation we have.

What do you believe?

> Evidence for Rebirth | Spirit Science and Metaphysics

Mar 3, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Evolution of Reality – Terence Mckenna

The transcension hypothesis asks whether the evolution of our civilization is rapidly developing into something similar to a black hole.

Some physicists also argue black holes may be “seeds” or “replicators” for new universes, thus giving us a clue as to what we would do after we encounter other intelligent life forms.

The purpose of being a human is to complexify reality even more. To hand on a more diverse, more complicated, more multifaceted universe to our children.

-Terence Mckenna

Feb 23, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Dream Analysis: Common Dream Symbols and Their Meanings

Dreams are best interpreted by you and in the context of your particular dream.

Your recent mood and waking life experience can also play a part in your analysis.

Common Dream Symbols

Animals

often represent the part of your psyche that feels connected to nature and survival. Being chased by a predator suggests you’re holding back repressed emotions like fear or aggression.

Babies

can symbolize a literal desire to produce offspring, or your own vulnerability or need to feel loved. They can also signify a new start.

Being chased

is one of the most common dream symbols in all cultures. It means you are feeling threatened, so reflect on who is chasing you (they may also be symbolic) and why they are a possible threat in real life.

Clothes

make a statement about how we want other people to perceive us. If you dream symbol is shabby clothing, you may feel unattractive or worn out. Changing what you wear may reflect a lifestyle change.

Exams

can signify self-evaluation, with the content of the exam reflecting the part of your personality or life under inspection.

Death

of a friend or loved one represents change (endings and new beginnings) and is not a paranormal prediction of any kind. If you are recently bereaved, it may be an attempt to come to terms with the event.

Falling

is a common dream symbol that relates to our anxieties about letting go, losing control, or somehow failing after a success.

Faulty Machinery

in dreams is often caused by your language centers being shut down while asleep, making it difficult to dial a phone, read the time, or search the internet. It can also represent performance anxiety in life.

Food

is said to symbolize knowledge, because it nourishes the body just as information nourishes the brain. Food for thought?

Demons

are sneaky evil entities which signify repressed emotions. You may secretly feel the need to change your own behaviors for the better.

Hair

has significant ties with sexuality, according to Freud. Abundant hair may symbolize virility, while cutting hair off in a dream shows a loss of libido. Hair loss may also express a literal fear of going bald or becoming unattractive.

Hands

are always present in dreams but when they are tied up it may represent feelings of futility. Washing your hands may express guilt. Looking closely at your hands in a dream is a good way to become lucid.

Houses

can host many common dream symbols, but the building as a whole represents your inner psyche. Each room or floor can symbolize different emotions, memories and interpretations of meaningful events.

Killing

in your dreams does not make you a closet murderer; it represents your desire to “kill” part of your own personality. It can also symbolize hostility towards a particular person and the desire to see them suffer.

Marriage

may be a literal desire to wed or a merging of the feminine and masculine parts of your psyche.

Missing a flight

or any other kind of transport is another popular dream, showing your frustration over possibly missing out on important opportunities in life. It’s most common when you’re struggling to make a big decision.

Money

can symbolize self worth. If you dream of exchanging money, it may show that you’re anticipating some changes in your life.

Mountains

are obstacles, so to dream of successfully climbing a mountain can reveal a true feeling of achievement. Viewing a landscape from atop a mountain can symbolize a life under review without conscious prejudice.

Nudity

is one of the most common dream symbols, revealing your true self to others. You may feel vulnerable and exposed to others. Showing off your nudity may suggest sexual urges or a desire for recognition.

People

(other dream characters) are reflections of your own psyche, and may demonstrate specific aspects of your own personality.

Radios and TVs

can symbolize communication channels between the conscious and subconscious minds. When lucid, ask them a question…

Roads

aside from being literal manifestations, convey your direction in life. This may be time to question your current “life path”.

Schools

are common dream symbols in children and teenagers but what about dreaming of school in adulthood? It may display a need to know and understand yourself, fueled by life’s own lessons.

Sex

dreams can symbolize intimacy and a literal desire for sex. Or they may demonstrate the unification of unconscious emotions with conscious recognition, showing a new awareness and personal growth.

Teachers

aside from being literal manifestations of people, can represent authority figures with the power to enlighten you.

Teeth

are common dream symbols. Dreaming of losing your teeth may show a hidden fear of getting old and being unattractive to the opposite sex.

Being trapped

(physically) is a common nightmare theme, reflecting your real life inability to escape or make the right choice.

Vehicles

may reflect how much control you feel you have over your life – for instance is the car out of control, or is someone else driving you?

Water

comes in many forms and can symbolize the subconscious mind. Calm pools of water reflect inner peace while a choppy ocean can suggest unease.

> Common Dream Interpretations | World of Lucid Dreaming

Feb 18, 2014Jun 17, 2016

Tibetan Sand Mandalas: Healing Through Sacred Art (Photo Gallery, Video)

From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks to form the image of a mandala.

To date, the Drepung Loseling monks have created mandala sand paintings in more than 100 museums, art centers, and colleges and universities in the United States and Europe.

Mandalas

The Tibetan mandala is a tool for gaining wisdom and compassion and generally is depicted as a tightly balanced, geometric composition wherein deities reside. The principal deity is housed in the center. The mandala serves as a tool for guiding individuals along the path to enlightenment.

Monks meditate upon the mandala, imagining it as a three-dimensional palace. The deities who reside in the palace embody philosophical views and serve as role models. The mandala’s purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones.

The Sand Mandala

Mandalas constructed from sand are unique to Tibetan Buddhism and are believed to effect purification and healing. Typically, a great teacher chooses the specific mandala to be created. Monks then begin construction of the sand mandala by consecrating the site with sacred chants and music.

Next, they make a detailed drawing from memory. Over a number of days, they fill in the design with millions of grains of colored sand. At its completion, the mandala is consecrated. The monks then enact the impermanent nature of existence by sweeping up the colored grains and dispersing them in flowing water.

How Mandalas Heal

According to Buddhist scripture, sand mandalas transmit positive energies to the environment and to the people who view them. While constructing a mandala, Buddhist monks chant and meditate to invoke the divine energies of the deities residing within the mandala. The monks then ask for the deities’ healing blessings. A mandala’s healing power extends to the whole world even before it is swept up and dispersed into flowing water—a further expression of sharing the mandala’s blessings with all.

The Tibetan mandalas are deceptively simple. They might look like they’re made up of basic patterns, but are extremely complex and might take weeks to complete. Buddhist monks undergo years of training before they can make a mandala. So before a mandala is made, a monk will spend time in philosophical and artistic study. Once a sufficient level of understanding has been reached, the mandala is created.

In the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama, the Nyamgal monastery, monks spend about three years studying before making the mandala.