In memory of Guru Hans Singh Douqué  who passed away on 15 June 2015

The meaning of the cover design by Guru Hans Singh Douqué©

A mandala is a concentric geometrical construction that holds and fascinates the attention within the field of a visual parameter, allowing a systematic return to the centre until the psychological tension reaches a position of equilibrium on an invariable focal point.

The theme for this mandala is the most powerful “healing circle” known to man. The outer circle consists of forty men and women sitting alternately with their arms raised at 60° halfway between the front and side of their vertical axis. They chant the vibration “RaMaDaSa-SaSeSoHùng” with therapeutic power, each sound corresponding to a note on the musical scale and each recitation to an exhalation, accentuating the final Hùng at the end of it.

Their palms and voices lead and project the therapeutic energy towards the centre where eight men and women lie, reclining on the wheel of transmigration, while the essence of their being is imbued with the symbols of therapeutic vibrations. On the edge of the Wheel of the Law are printed logos belonging to the Samurai families, selected for their aesthetic impact as much as for their emphasis on a code of conduct forged by the warrior spirit similar to that of the Sikhs. 

The ten male figures represent the ten elders, patriarchs, guardians or Gurus, who guide humanity on their evolutionary journey through time and space, as they serve as spiritual conduits between the source and destination of cosmic energies.

In the circle immediately beyond are represented the cosmic forces that normally shape the individual destiny of each living being. The various symbol systems attached to the zodiac are these same forces visualised as animals, trees, flowers, plants, planets, continuing their spiral movement in a flow of creativity and thus helping to sustain life in a continuous cycle from birth to death and from death to resurrection. The birds, like arrows, indicate the direction of our lives, leading us towards the realisation of our potential.

Five circular images interrupt the zodiac signs. They serve as a constant reminder of the law of the five elements, often symbolised by the natural elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water and their corresponding colours, green, red, yellow, blue and violet. Here they are represented by the images of a wooden comb, a bun of sages, an iron bracelet, a steel dagger and cotton pants. All of these objects have been specifically designed to preserve and increase the flow of creative energy through the individuals who consciously wear these badges of their commitment to the highest consciousness.

In the lower right-hand section of the frieze, the image of the Aquarian princess, a symbol of nobility and creativity, purity and grace, opposes the flow of cosmic forces. She is followed and supported by her protector the lion, symbol of power, strength and courage. Together they control the forces of fate, aided by the attributes of love, knowledge and trust. On the left we see the salamander, the alchemical symbol of the completion of the great work, turning at the last moment in a new direction, providing, to the truly seeking, continuity with the knowledge and experience of the past for the benefit of the new age. The peacock is the symbol of solar energy, resurrection and immortality.

In the centre of the lower part we see the image of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Universe, by Velázquez, controlling the forces of wisdom and creativity, symbolised by the serpent and the tortoise. The virgin symbolises the level of purity that must be attained by the woman in order to allow souls, capable of leading humanity to the light, to incarnate in her. She is also the symbol and conduit for the creative cosmic energy called Adi Shakti, whose acronym descends from the very centre of the mandala where the mind is focused on a fourfold Adi Shakti symbol in the form of a cross, which symbolises the growth of creation in all directions, only to return to its origin. 

The first manifestation of this creativity is the Logos or reason, represented here by the first four bigrams of the Tetragrammaton, carriers of the four DNA bases of life. This is followed by the first eight trigrams of the I King, since they carry the binary system of logic and are the origin of today’s computer technology.

All that remains is to evoke the image of the white eagle that flies as an observer, coming from another dimension. His name is Tuan, the one who without love or hate and yet without indifference observes the observer and the observed. In other words, he is the element of mystery that everyone can dress up as they wish.