Tibetan Mandalas

Rating:
Summary: An introduction to Tibetan Symbolism in coloring book form
Review: This simple book illustrates many of the symbols found in Tibetan Buddhist mandalas. The drawings are simple line drawings, suitable for coloring. This book is not intended as a guide to Tibetan Buddhism or the complexities of Tibetan religious art. Rather, it gently introduces a few of the elements of these subjects.

Rating:
Summary: Young adult coloring book
Review: While Blau provides some interesting blurbs on some Tibetan Yajrayana meditational items such as prayer wheels and bells which are illustrated (just in black ink) in an circular form, solid information regarding mandalas themselves are just as sparse as representations of actual mandalas. Virtually ignored is the meditational purpose of a mandala as a tool for transformation of the ego enabling the practitioner to advance toward enlightenment. Also missing is information regarding the basic formulae for a mandala, including a representation of the five 'Jina' Buddhas or aspects, with their respective colors and instruments, each in their own area of a mandala. This is Buddhist "lite" that can be read in 10 minutes.