Yantra

Yantras (Sanskrit यन्त्र yantra, n, of yam " support ", "( he ) keep " ) are ritual diagrams which are widely used in Hinduism and Tantrism and are used for meditation meet or initiatory function.

A Yantra is considered as a representation of the divine and can be viewed as a physical expression of a mantra, the mantra represents an aspect of the Divine in the form of a sound, the yantra on the other hand, in the form of a geometric figure.

Especially in the life of faith of followers of Shakti, the feminine form of the Divine, Yantras play an important role. They are distinguished for b.The the ground, on paper or engraves them in metal plates. These characters represent the formless aspect of the goddess dar. in Worship, a puja, they can stand in place of a statue or an image in the center. By reciting mantras, the goddess herself manifests the believer believes in it and is present through it.

Yantras are always purely geometric figures, in contrast with mandalas, which may include iconic representations - sometimes there is also the view that Yantras Mandalas include.

Allen Yantras in common an outer enclosure by so-called "walls", inside there are large variations depending on the Yantra / deity. The Sri Yantra, the most famous Yantra, contains nine interlocking triangles, four of which represent Shiva and Shakti five.

In a broader sense Yantra generally means the use of external objects, symbols, or mechanical methods for the worship of the divine in Hinduism. In this sense Yantra represents one of the three paths of spirituality in Hinduism, the other two are mantra and tantra. This Yantra is the path of detached action, mantra for the path of knowledge, and Tantra is the path of devotion.