Yantras

Author: * Ningyo Minamoto - 10 Posts on this thread out of 640 Posts sitewide.
Date: Jun 23, 2004 - 11:46

I mentioned previously how to access the transcendent we have "tools". One of those are the magic diagrams or Yantras.

A Yantra is a geometric design used as a method or support of meditation. Actually, Yantra literally means "support" and "instrument". They are diagrams of the macrocosm and provide a focal point: when the mind is concentrated on a single, simple object, the mental chatter ceases or is diminished. The Yantras are often related to a specific deity and so by tuning into the different Yantras you relate to certain energies or creative force centers in the universe.

Yantras are symmetrical and are designed so that the eye is carried into the center. They can be drawn on paper, wood, metal, or earth, or they can be three-dimensional.

The most celebrated Yantra in India is the sri Yantra (see image), the Yantra of Tripura Sundari. It is a symbol of the entire cosmos that serves to remind the practitioner of the nondifference between subject and object. Some yantras are worshipped in temples, some are worshipped by individuals at home and some are worn on the body (usually of triangular or rectangular shape) usually around the neck or the arms.

Types of Yantras:

Bhu Prisht Yantras: Bhu means Earth and Bhu Devi is the name of Mother Earth. Accordingly they are made from materials found within the earth, as the name implies. There are two subdivisions. The first is raised yantras which include the bija mantras and vern mantras. The second is carved yantras.
Meru Prisht Yantras: raised, with a wide base, thinner midsection and peaked top in the shape of a mountain.
Patel Yantras: carved, in the shape of an inverted mountain, making it the opposite of the Meru Prisht yantra
Meru Parastar Yantras: these are of the "Meru" mountain shape, but cut, rather than raised
Ruram Prisht Yantras: tortoise shell tops on a rectangular base

Related sites:
Yantra Meditation
Yantras: mechanical productions