Mandala is a 1981 South Korean film about Buddhist monks in Korea. This is considered by many critics to be director Im Kwon-taek's breakthrough film as a cinematic artist. - The film follows the differing lives of two Buddhist monks in Korea. By following their lives and their interaction throughout the film, Im creates a contemplation of the nature of individualism, religious belief and enlightenment. - Six years after renouncing the secular world to solve the riddle of life and death, young Buddhist monk Beob-wun (Ahn Sung-ki) is still roaming the country without coming any closer to enlightenment. While riding a bus, he sees a recreant monk placed in a predicament because he does not have his identification. He helps out the monk, named Ji-san (Jeon Mu-song), and the two begin to travel together.
Ji-san, who always has a bottle of booze on hand and even carries around a suicide pill, sometimes seems like an enlightened saint and at other times like a reprobate infected by secular life. At first, Beob-wun regards Ji-san's eccentricities as mere outward show and despises him for it, but he increasingly senses an extraordinariness about his traveling companion. After repeated meetings and partings, the two monks settle down at a small temple deep in the mountains. While climbing up to the temple one day in an inebriated state, Ji-san falls asleep in the snow and freezes to death. Beob-wun burns Ji-san's remains and seeks out his own mother (Park jung-ja). He also meets Ok-sun, a woman Ji-san had never gotten over. His meetings reaffirm the futility of all secular relationships, and young Beob-wun sets off on his ascetic path once more. - A masterpiece among Korean religious films, and one of the most beautiful of Im Kwon-taek's works
The long shot of Beob-wun and Ji-san as they walk along the tree-lined path marking the boundary between snow and mud a shot that recalls the grace of a black-and-white ink painting conveys the most beautiful image of companionship in Korean cinematic history. The path they tread also symbolizes the boundary between passion and enlightenment, life and death, reincarnation and nirvana. In the first half of Mandara, Ji-san is characterized as someone who, in the words of Beob-wun, "is imitating the eccentricities of the enlightened priests of old." But as the movie progresses, his image begins to take on increasing genuineness.
The narrative of Mandara is, in a sense, the process of presenting in a timely manner various pieces of information that infuse life and inspiration into the character of Ji-san. The movie also boasts outstanding direction and camera work, striking a curious contrast between direct lines that give testimony to the times e.g. "Monks must never get fat; they have no right to be" and indirect, stable cinematography that enfolds the characters who utter these lines into the arms of nature.
Plasarea zeitatilor in arii specifice ale mandalei are semnificatii importante in deciderea locatiilor, fundatiei, stilpilor de sustinere si coloanelor. Brahmastana-cele 9 module centrale- este cea mai sensibila si importanta arie din structura. De obicei este lasata deschisa ca o curte in locuinta si are o structura piramidala in centru. O data ce locul este selectat intreaga arie este curata si nivelata.Pamintul poate fi curatat si de oase, par si alte necuratenii, nivelind depresiunile, gaurile si musuroaiele. Acestea indica nu numai gauri ale pamintului sub ele dar si posibilitatea existentei apei subterane. Musuroaiele pot fi mutate oferindu-se rugaciuni cu flori si fructe inainte si dupa deplasarea lor. Apoi intreaga arie este udata si insamintata, pentru a asigura fertilitatea solului. Cind pamintul este impinzit de muguri o vaca si vitelul sau sint trimisi sa pasca o zi sau doua. VAstu Purusha Mandala cu 81 de module este apoi desenata pe sol cu faina si ofrande de miere si fructe sint facute celor 41 de zeitati. Aceasta reprezinta respectul rezidentilor catre Vastu Purusha, Stapinul locului, ceea ce le va creste calitatea vietii.In continuare se ia planul constructiei si se plaseaza mandala de 9 module peste el. Se imparte modulul central in alte 9 parti si partea lor centrala devine Nabhi, ombilicul sacru al casei. Celelalte 8 module corespund celor 4 puncte cardinale si celor 4 angulare-NE, SE, NV, SV. Elementele primare Adi Bhootas sint: udaka-apa-laNE,Agni, focul la SE,akasha-spatiul-in SW siVayu-aerul la NV.Centrul este intotdeauna identificat cu elementul primar prithivi-Pamintul.Ca regula generala, stapinii casei ocupa S si SE, copiii de sex masculin S, SE si E, fetitele ocupa N, NW si V, iar batrinii sau cei bolnavi pot ocupa NE. Cei mai in virsta membrii ai familiei trebuie sa doarma cu capul orientat spre S si cei mai tineri cu capul spre E.
Vastu Purusha Mandala reprezinta planul metafizic al unei cladiri/templu/sit care incorporeaza cursurile corpurilor ceresti si al fortelor supranaturale. Exista 2 aspecte importante de care se tine seama:1- Vastu Purusha ce este Stapinul spiritual al Mandalei sau ariei de locuit, in care el locuieste cu fata in jos.2- Mandala ce este o diagrama cosmica a spatiului inchis in care Purusha, fiinta Cosmica Primordiala se manifesta. El identifica importanta unei arii plasindu-si capul in NE (gindire echilibrata) si partea inferioara a corpului in SW (stabilitate si putere). Buricul sau este in centrul casei(constienta cosmica), iar miinile in NW si SE(miscare si energie). Vastu Purusha este Spatiul personificat si se spune ca s-a nascut din transpiratia lui Shiva in timp ce acesta se lupta cu demonul Andhaka si il ucidea.Legenda sa incepe asa.Demult o fiinta fara forma bloca cerul si pamintul iar Brahma si alti zei l-au prins in capcana la pamint. Acest incindent este reprezentat grafic in Vaastu Purusha Mandala prin portiuni alocate ierarhiei celeste, bazate pe contributia sa la acest act.Brahma ocupa locul central, iar ceilalti zei sint distribuiti in jurul lui intr-un tipar concentric.Vastu Purusha se pune deasupra spaitului de locuit pentru a indica nasterea unei structuri in Natura. Ea este tinuta pe loc de 45 de zeitati-32 in structurile exterioare si 13 in cele interioare.Mincare si fructe sint oferite acestora pentru ca structura sa fie placuta zeitatilor, ceea ce confera sanatate, prosperitate, pace si bucurie rezidentilor.Principalele zeitati ale fiecarei directii (ashtadikpalar) sint:*NE- Ishanya- Ishwara Siva (Religie, noroc, soarta)* E- Indra- Zeul Soare - Aditya (a vedea lumea)* SE- Agni- Zeul Focului - Agni (Generatorul de Energie)* S- Yama- Stapinul Mortii - Yama (Pierderi)* SV- Pitru/Nairutya, Nairuthi- Stramosii(istorie, adn)* V- Varuna- Domnul Apelor(corpul fizic)* NV- Vayu- Domnul Vinturilor (reclame, faima)* N- Kubera- Domnul Bogatiei(Finante)* Centru- Brahma- Creatorul Universului (Dorinta, Intentia)Vaastu Purusha este zeitatea tutelara a oricarui loc. In timpul anului isi schimba pozitia, determinind schimbarile enrgetice ale casei si locuitorilor sai
