Mandala (the Sanskritword for "circle", "completion") is of Hindu origin and is also used in most Dharmic religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, to refer to various tangible objects. In practice, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern which represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm of the universe from the human perspective.

A mandala, especially its center, can be used during meditation as an object for focusing attention. The symmetrical geometric shapes that mandalas tend to have draw the attention of the eyes towards their center. Psychiatrist Carl Jung saw the mandala as a representation of the unconscious self. His paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify disorders and achieve wholeness in personality (Jung: Memories, Dreams, Memopries, Reflecions, page 167-189)