Paper Mandala Color Book Printables for Children
View the Paper Mandala Glossary of Terms
The word "Mandala" is Sanskrit for "whole world" or "healing circle."
Mandalas are historically used as symbols to help people meditate, and for protection and healing rituals.
Mandalas can be simple or complex circular designs which tend to draw the eye inward to the center of the Mandala design.
This is the basic structure of a Tibetian Mandala:
The mandala is often illustrated as a palace with four gates, facing the four corners of the Earth.
What designs can you make on this Mandala Template?
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Common or typical colors and designs to use on a mandala:
The symbol of Buddha (Vajra) lives in the center of the Mandala.
He is surrounded by eight meditating Buddhas.
These Buddhas are symbolic deities: four male and four female
These figures face the "corners" of the earth and together form a lotus flower.
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| Color | Element | Means of Transport | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center: Vairocana | White | Ether | Lion |
| West: Amitabha | Red | Fire | Peacock |
| East: Aksobhya | Blue | Water | Elephant |
| South: Ratnasambhava | Yellow | Earth | Horse |
| North: Amoghasiddhi | Green | Air | Mythical Bird |
| Byname | |
|---|---|
| Southwest: Mamaki | The Peculiar |
| Northwest: Pandaravasini | Lady in White Clothing |
| Southeast: Locana | Eye of Buddha |
| Northeast: Tara | The Saviouress |
When finished, a Mandala based upon the template above might look like one of these three images:
Diamond: indestructible, clear, yet showing all colors. The diamond is a symbol of the nature of the mind
Bell: the female part of Tantric polarity: a symbol of emptiness, boundless openness which gives room for wisdom
Vajra: the male part of Tantric polarity: the symbol of Buddha's active compassion with a meditating person.
Lotus: symbol of Buddha's teachings. The lotus plant stands with its roots in the mud and raises its blossom towards the light.
Dharma Wheel: the eight hubs are a symbol of the Eightfold Path which leads to perfection:
- Right belief
- Right resolution
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right living
- Right effort
- Right thinking
- Peace of mind through meditation
Tibetan monks use Mandalas in rituals of tantric initiation. The Mandala design is divided into four quarters with one monk assigned to each quarter.
The Mandala is an imaginary palace that the Tibetan Monks contemplate during meditation.
Monks at Tibetan Buddhist monasteries learn to construct mandalas as part of their training.
Tibetan Mandalas are created by carefully pouring grains of colored sand onto specially prepared platforms.
The creation of a mandala can take up to 9 days. Then after the Mandala is finished, it is soon destroyed.
All the colored sand is collected into a container and the sand is ritually poured into a stream or river so the waters can carry the healing energies of the Mandala throughout the world.
Images of Monks constructing a Mandala, Images of Monks sacrificing the Mandala to the river
The Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art This is an excellent article which shows all the images for making a traditional mandala.
Early Tibetan Mandalas: The Rossi Collection
These links all have mandala images along with a whole lot of other cool coloring pages
True testimonial of Daniel's recovery from severe mental illness through the use of music and mandalas:
While fun for anyone, Paper Mandalas for Children's mandala designs are an important addition to a focused listening program. High-frequency music that heals the ear, creating cerebral dominance, and a circular coloring activity that promotes the integration of the cerebral hemispheres make a win-win combination. Children and adults using a listening program will enhance the effect of music by coloring Paper Mandalas for Children's designs, which are ideal for their clarity, simplicity, variety, and range of themes.
Mental Health through Music by Laurna Tallman
Patrick writes:
"My wife's grandmother loves these things, and they definitely have a stress-relieving effect somehow. I'm not big into coloring, so I doubted it for a while, but I tried it out with some colored pencils and before I knew it, I was immersed in this pattern that, even though it had no apparent meaning, held me for at least an hour or two.
Anyways, her grandmother used to do puzzles a lot. Now she always has a coloring book with these sorts of designs. Rarely she'll get one with pictures when she babysits her nephew, but she always has a coloring book and a cup of pencils within reach.
The power of a purely geometric design is evident, but also the creativity that it forces, shape recognition, repetition, it's all wrapped up in one design."
