An endless knot mandala sets the endless knot, one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism, at the centre of a mandala. The knot (Sanskrit shrivatsa, Tibetan palbeu) is a single line woven over and under itself, with no beginning and no end. It is usually read as the interdependence of all things, and as the endless wisdom and compassion of the Buddha.
How it is laid out
- The knot sits at the very centre, its line interlaced in a square lattice with looped corners.
- An eight-pointed star in gold-coloured line frames the knot in some of our paintings.
- The palace: a single square palace with a gateway on each side, taken from the classic deity mandala.
- The rings: bands of fine patterning and a feather-patterned rim enclose the palace.
- The colours: gold-coloured line work on a plain black ground, which lets the geometry stand out.
The endless knot
The eight auspicious symbols are the parasol, the golden fish, the treasure vase, the lotus, the right-turning conch, the endless knot, the victory banner and the wheel. They are painted as a set or one at a time, and the knot often appears on its own as an ornament.
Readings of the knot vary from teacher to teacher, but they share one idea: everything is linked. It is explained as dependent origination (Tibetan tendrel), the way all things arise from causes and conditions; as the union of wisdom and compassion, or of wisdom and method; and, because it has no end, as the Buddha's limitless wisdom. In China the same knot, called panchang, is a familiar auspicious ornament.
A symbol, not a deity
The endless knot mandala is not the mandala of a deity or of a particular practice. It is a modern design, hand-painted in Nepal, that frames an auspicious symbol with the palace and rings of a classic mandala. Putting a symbol at the centre has precedent: some older paintings show the Buddha only as a lotus seat, and many Kalachakra mandalas have a small lotus or emblem at the centre instead of figures. Our guide to mandalas explains the classic layout.
In a painting
The knot is a test of exact drawing. Every crossing must alternate cleanly over and under, the bands must keep the same width, and the loops must match on all four sides. Look too for straight palace walls, matching gateways and fine, even line work in the rings, which should stay crisp in the close-ups. At a glance, this is the mandala with an interlaced knot where a deity would sit.
