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 Yantras
are visual tools that serve in meditation either as centering
devices or as symbolic compositions of the energy pattern
of a deity as seen by Tantric seers in their vision.
As there is a difference
between mind and body, so there is between yantra and mantra.
Yantra is the body or form of the deity (devata), whereas
mantra is the mind, consciousness, spirit or name. Yantra
is the external, visual expression through which the deity
receives devotion.
When a yantra is adopted
for worship and the energy is invoked in it, it becomes a
symbolic representative of the deity and actually it becomes
the deity when the person abandons his analytical, critical
attitude and the energy circulates in higher centers. Every
yantra becomes the dwelling place of the deity it represents.
No idol or picture of a deity is as powerful as a yantra in
meditation, because a yantra is composed of archetypical forms
that are common to all existing phenomena. The very process
of making a yantra is an archetypical activity that works
with the encoding of the genes. During the process one moves
from concrete reality to abstract truth.
 The
word yantra is used in two or more ways in Sanskrit. It comes from the root "yam",
which means supporting or holding the essence of an object or concept. The syllable
"tra" comes from "trana" or liberation from bondage. Yantra
also means liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth (moksha). As a tool,
yantra meditation is used to withdraw consciousness from the outer world, so as
to help the student to go beyond the normal framework of mind to the altered states
of consciousness known as turiya.
The act of drawing and painting yantras teaches
the mind how to concentrate, how to be one-pointed. To some
people this practice of painting yantras is fascinating and
absorbing, while others might not find it as interesting as
doing calligraphy or singing, but creating a yantra can yield
a valuable lesson. Yantra drawing requires accuracy, exactness,
discipline, concentration, neatness and patience. The geometrical
forms of the yantra activate the right hemisphere, which is
visual and nonverbal.
 A
black point on a white background forms the most precise and
powerful yantra for meditation. But it is too simple to say
that a yantra is a point on a surface which serves as a field
for gazing. The point (bindu) is the center of the yantra.
It signifies unity, the origin, the principle of manifestation
and emanation. Although in theory a true point has no magnitude,
but to have a point in concrete form, it is given the smallest
practicable magnitude. This point is the first step in visualising
the abstract, the formless. Meditation or concentration on
this point brings the mind towards abstract concentration
which is used as a means to self realization.
A circle is an extension of a point. With the
radius of desire, the point draws a circle around itself and
expands. However, the circle also creates an individual consciousness
out of cosmic consciousness. After the point and the circle
the triangle is the simplest yantra form. Upward triangles
draw the attention up and away from the world. In this way,
yantras have a grammar of their own - see table on the left.
Yantras that represent any form of the divine
mother are called Shakta Yantras. Yantras can also be related
to Vishnu or Shiva. In most cases their forms are equal to
some of the Shakta Yantras, but the colors differ. Architectural
yantras are used for the ground plan of temples.
 Astrological
yantras are used in working with the energy of the nine
planets. Numerical yantras are not composed of basic geometrical
forms but of numbers. Some of these yantras are used as talismans.
When working with a yantra, a mantra is needed to invoke the
vital life force (prana) of the particular deity.
Constructing a yantra requires imaginal thinking
which involves the right hemisphere. The symbolic nature of
yantras triggers the left hemisphere. Practitioners of tantra
combine the universal pattern of the yantra with the cosmic
sound of a mantra to achieve a higher state of awareness,
in which individual being and universal being are one. The
dichotomy of the hemispheres is resolved, both are calm.
Especially Westerners are more left hemisphere
dominated and are deficient in right hemisphere education
which causes some loss of imagination and of faith in higher
values. Right hemisphere education through art, dance and
music is needed to restore the balance. By coloring and drawing
the geometrical yantra diagrams, based on the mathematical
perfection of sages of the East, Westerners can make both
their hemispheres work simultaneously and calmly, achieve
faith and live in constant awareness.
Many more yantras can be seen in the Yantra
Paintings Gallery
Free
Yantras Desktop Wallpaper
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