Nine Cloud Journal: December 2022

by Various, Vijay R. Nathan (Editor), Scottt Raven (Editor)

This issue of Nine Cloud Journal was inspired by the prompt “Releasing the Mandala.” The term “mandala” has entered the Western consciousness from the traditions of Sanātana Dharma, otherwise known as Hinduism, and the Buddha Dharma, otherwise known as the vast array of traditions springing from the historical Buddha’s teachings. A mandala functions as a focal point for meditation. It appears as a geometric design that creates a sacred space for contemplation. I’ve also been taught that a mandala is a two dimensional representation of a universe of pure consciousness. From the mental wellness perspective, when we “release the mandala” we let go of our patterns of mental formations and enter a sacred space that is not determined by our known mental grooves.

It takes a courageous leap to begin our journey to escape the established patterns so that they will be cleansed to rejuvenate us into reclaiming our future in a very present centered way. Only through raising our awareness of these phenomena in the light of these paradigms can we begin to acknowledge what it is we’re seeing in its proper context. Only a maze that has an exit point can be escaped. Those that can not envision even that much as a possibility cannot allow for room for transcendence. Everything begins in the imagination and to access a point in the future we must know that it is possible now in our imagination. Each step along the way is an affirmation of what we can conceive in our minds that we are committed to birthing in our future, however laborious. Although journeys do not always require neat endings that tie everything together with a bow, we seek to find greater vision for the present each today so that we may bring about a brighter tomorrow.

72 pages, Paperback

Published December 28, 2022

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.