A Mandala of Hindu Beliefs

Mandala means "circle" in Sanskrit. Mandalas are circular diagrams that originated in Hinduism to symbolize the cyclical nature of the universe. Hindus and Buddhists often use mandalas to focus themselves during meditation and increase spiritual awareness.

Mandalas can range from very simple to very complex. They can be made up of images or repeating patterns. Mandalas can be monotone or many colors.

Mandalas are often made to be temporary. Some of the most common mandalas are made of sand. Sand mandalas take hours, sometimes days to complete, and often take the work of many people.

The work of creating a mandala can be considered a form of meditation. When the mandala is finished, it is swept away, often ceremoniously. This sweeping away of the mandala represents the cyclical nature of life. Watch these Buddhist monks create a sand mandala using time-lapse video. 


In this post are some examples of mandalas. Today, we will begin creating our own mandalas, representing the ideas of Hinduism.

"The Other Wes Moore" Discussion Preparation

Please complete the following to prepare for our discussion on "The Other Wes Moore"

Part I: 
In the TED talk below, Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie talks about the limitations and dangers of a "single story" view of cultures and people. “The single story creates stereotypes,” Adichie says, “and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” 

Watch "The Danger of a Single Story" and answer the questions that follow:

1. When she was a child, what did Adichie think that a story needed to have?
2. What single story did Adichie's college roommate believe about her? 
3. What does Adichie say has historically been the "single story" about Africa? Where did this "single story" come from? 
4. Why does Adichie say that she did not have a "single story" of the United States?
5. Does “The Other Wes Moore” illustrate the danger of a single story? Why or why not? 

Part II: 

Answer the questions below in detail to prepare for our class discussion. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper, or, if you type them, bring a printed copy to class. Be sure to use specific examples and page numbers from the book in your answers. Each answer should be approximately 5-8 sentences long. 

1. Wes states that people often live up to the expectations projected on them. Is that true? If someone you care for expects you to succeed – or fail – will you? Where does personal accountability come into play?

2. The other Wes Moore makes the point that “if the situation and the context where you make the decisions don’t change, then second chances don’t mean too much, huh?” What second chances did each of the Wes Moore’s get? How do these second chances differ?

3. Wes Moore the author says that “even the worst decisions we make don’t necessarily remove us from the circle of humanity.” What does he mean when he says this? Do you agree – why or why not?