The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures

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The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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The Sacred Circle East and West:
Sandpainting in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures

Submitted by Shelli Renee Joye

A&C 5342 Art and Shamanism
Professor Mark Levy, Ph.D.
J. F. Kennedy University
Department of Arts & Consciousness
Winter 2010

The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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"uou is a ciicle whose centei is eveiywheie
anu ciicumfeience nowheie."

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Thioughout histoiy the ciicle has been consistently iegaiueu both as an impoitant
metaphysical concept anu symbol, as well as a piactical object of aesthetic cieation anu
shamanic, iitualistic, magical usage, often useu to uefine an aiea that is special, that is
sacieu, that is piotecteu. Accoiuingly numeious iituals using ciicles have evolveu in the
past thioughout the woilu. Knowleuge of these iituals is impoitant foi the shaman, foi
they offei a way to tap into the cumulateu eneigy of all of these iituals caiiieu out with
focuseu consciousness in the past, thiough the peifoimance of iituals in the piesent that
have a multiuimensional iesonance, that is, which set up haimonically sympathetic
vibiations biiuging states of non-oiuinaiy ieality with oiuinaiy ieality to ieveal states of
extia-oiuinaiy ieality.
This papei will focus on the use of the sacieu ciicle in shamanic piactices within
two uiffeient cultuies, the Ameiinuian Navajo cultuie anu the Tibetan Buuuhist cultuie,
both of which have foi many centuiies anu continue into the piesent uay to cieate iitually
efficacious magic ciicles using a technique known as sanupainting. The Navajo anu
Tibetans have both pieseiveu theii systems of psychophysical tiansfoimation, iitual, ait
anu natuial philosophy up to the piesent uay. This papei will exploie the cieation anu use
of magic ciicles within these two cultuies, liteially on opposite siues of the woilu.
The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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An ancient pattein of postholes uateu aiounu 8uuu B.C. has been founu in southwest
Englanu uefining a ciicle aiounu what is now Stonehenge, even now visibly consisting of
enoimous stones establishing an innei ciicle to that of the postholes.

In meuieval Euiope, cieating a magic ciicle was known as 'Casting a Ciicle', one of
which, shown below is uesciibeu as a Solomonic magic ciicle with a tiiangle of evocation in
the east (similaily Navajo sanupaintings "open" to the east. This ciicle woulu be uiawn on
the giounu using sanu anu pollen coloieu with mineials anu clays, while the opeiatoi
woulu stanu within the piotection of the ciicle while a spiiit was evokeu into the tiiangle.

The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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In a global, postmouein woilu we finu similai use of the magic ciicle ubiquitous, anu
often as fai iemoveu fiom Euiopean cultuie as Austialia, among the aboiiginal peoples, oi ,
foi example the magic ciicle useu by shamans foi sance in Nalaysia, as uesciibeu by
Eliaue: "The sance piopei takes place insiue a iounu hut oi a magic ciicle, anu the object
of most sances is cuie, the uiscoveiy of lost oi stolen objects, oi knowleuge of the futuie."
(p. S4S). Bowevei this papei will limit itself in scope to an intiouuction to the sacieu ciicle
in two specific cultuies within Asia anu Noith Ameiica: the Tibetan anu Navajo cultuies.

5&6&73 %&8)9&+81+8:
The native Ameiican people known as the Navajo ("the People") now numbei close
to Suu,uuu anu fiist settleu the southwest on lanu now consisting of Aiizona, New Nexico,
Coloiauo, anu 0tah.
Though calleu "sanupainting", the technique useu othei mateiials, incluuing
coinmeal, flowei pollen, anu powueieu ioots anu baiks. A Navajo sanu painting coulu
measuie fiom thiee to fifteen feet oi moie, anu woulu usually be piepaieu by one shaman
with two oi thiee assistants. (villaseoi, p. 8).

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The People useu sanupainting foi multiple puiposes, incluuing uivination, piaise
anu supplication; but the most common use of sanupainting iituals weie to call the spiiits
to entei into anu be captuieu by the painting anu to be then useu as poweiful eneigy allies
to caiiy out tasks in non-oiuinaiy ieality.


ulauys Reichaiu, a tiaineu anthiopologist who spent moie than thiity yeais living
among the Navajo, says of the Navajo ceiemony the following:
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The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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The iitual of sanupainting is oiuinaiily uone in a fixeu sequence which is teimeu a
"chant," lasting fiom five to nine uays, but nevei less than thiee uays long. Long piayeis,
intoneu like a litany consisting of a seiies of invocations, suggest the teim "chant". Anu if
uone piopeily, the spiiits will come: ". if the iituals aie peifoimeu coiiectly, the piayei
sticks placeu piopeily, the chants sung beautifully, anu the sanupainting uone masteifully,
the spiiits aie 'compelleu' to attenu theis ceiemony helu in theii honoi". (villaseoi, p. 6).
0nce the spiiits hau aiiiveu anu weie occupying theii ieceptacles in the
paintinguiagiam, they woulu be uiiecteu thiough chanting anu uiumming anu often useu
foi healing, in which case the patient woulu sit in the centei of the painting anu be 'sung
ovei'. The Navajo say that sanupainting is "..goou foi a sick minu anu a sau heait.".
(villaseoi, p. 7).
Theie aie peiious uuiing the iitual of the sanu painting uuiing which silence is
enteieu into foi extenueu peiious. This is the space in which the shaman will go on a Spiiit
}ouiney. A contempoiaiy Navajo sanupaintei has uesciibeu that expeiience as follows:
2M>(9 0>( -@.9N"(<; K,&1<L /&(, &9 5 "B.*.0N%&1*9('D .0 (90(*, .90& @>50
>5, :((9 85<<(? 0>( ;&1*0>N?.+(9,.&95< B<59(D 59 5@5*(9(,, @>(*( &9( 859 ;((<D
,(( 59? C9&@ &* >56( *5BB&*0 K,B.*.015< 8&99(80.&9L @.0> B<590,D 59.+5<, 59?
B(&B<( 50 &98(# O&1* ,&1< ., &; 0>50 ,.9/<( (<(+(90 .9 19.0' @.0> 0>( ,B.*.0
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59? 0>( +.9? &B(9 0& 0>50 +.**&*.9/ *(5<.0'D 859 /& 5@5' 0>*&1/> *&8C, 59?
+&1905.9, &* .90& 0>( *&&0,D :*598>(, 59? ;<&@(*, &; 0>( B<590# M>50 &* @>&
The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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9&0>.9/ >.??(9 .9 :&?'D +.9? &* 0>&1/>0# ->(*( ., &9(9(,, (6(*'@>(*(D 9&
,(B5*50.&9 &* ?.6.,.&9 :' 0.+( &* ,B58(# ->., ., @>50 ,&+( 3+(*.859 P9?.59,
85<< HQ*.9?5I = 5;;.9.0'D 19.6(*,5< *5BB&*0D &9(9(,,D 5<< @&*?, :(.9/ <.+.0(? .9
8&+B5*.,&9 0& 0>( 8&+B*(>(9,.6( .90(*B*(050.&9 &; 0>(.* +(59.9/,# ->(,(
,B.*.015< F15<.0.(, &; 0>( ,.<(98(D 51/+(90(? :' B*5'(*D +(?.050.&9 59? ;5,0.9/D
5*( 0*1<' 5 B5*0 &; 0>( ,.<(90 HR50> &; G(510'I#J (villaseoi, p. 64)

Theie aie two types of Navajo sanupainting, the night sanupaintings, begun at
sunset, aie always uestioyeu at suniise. Bay sanupaintings howevei aie always begun at
suniise anu uestioyeu at sunset. While an entiie ceiemony, a typical "chant" woulu often
span multiple uays, seveial uiffeient sanupaintings might be cieateu anu uestioyeu uuiing
that time, some by uay anu some by night.

The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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Thunders and Water Monsters: Shooting Chant
Day ritual
(Navajo Sandpainting)

Theie is usually an opening in the ciicle, anu it almost always is oiienteu towaiu the
entiance of the sheltei in which the sanupainting is constiucteu. Since the Navajo uwelling
oi ceiemonial enclosuies almost always aie oiienteu so that the entiance faces east, the
opening of the sanupainting also is to the east.


Never-ending Snake: Big Star Chant
Night ritual
(Navajo Sandpainting)

Accoiuing to Petei uolu, the Navajos, like the Tibetans whom we will exploie latei in
this papei, have come to the same basic unueistanuing of the ieal link between the psychic
The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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anu the physical, the 9&1+(9&9 anu the B>(9&+(9&9. By imagining iuealizeu ueity
peisonas fiom theii iespective concepts of the infinite, Tibetans anu Navajos aie aiueu in
foiming mental anu expeiiential connections between these two levels of ieality. (p. 61).




Big Snakes with Crossed Rainbow Guardians: Big Star Chant
Night ritual
(Navajo Sandpainting)



The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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Tibetan sanupaintings aie cieateu by monks. Each monk holus a chak-pui (see
image below) in one hanu, while iunning a metal iou on its giateu suiface; the vibiation
causes the sanus to flow like liquiu.

Chak-pur and other Tibetan sandpainting implements.


The piactice of cieating a manuala ciicle image with coloieu powueis is calleu ?1<N
0,&9NC'.<NC>&* in Tibetan. Nillions of giains of sanu aie painstakingly laiu into place on a
flat platfoim ovei a peiiou of uays oi weeks.
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Tibetan monk vibrating Chak-pur to paint with flowing sand.
Accoiuing to the Balai Lama, theie aie 1"(## majoi contexts foi Tantiic Buuuhist
manualas: "..those which iepiesent the outei univeise, those which iefei to a meuitative
view of the human bouy, anu those visualizeu in the piactice of ueity yoga." (Foiwaiu by
B.B. the XIv Balai Lama, 27 Novembei 1991 to The Nanuala, p.7).
Accoiuing to Biauen, Tibetan souices mention foui types of manuala (p.11):
1. Nanualas maue fiom powueieu colois.
2. Nanualas hanu painteu on textiles.
S. Nanualas cieateu thiough meuitation.
4. Nanualas within the human bouy.
0f the many Tibetan manualas, this papei will focus on the most iecent anu most
complex, calleu the !"#"$%"&'" manuala, which is cieateu anu utilizeu in conjunction with
a meuitative ueity yoga piactice which has its ioots in South Inuian Tantiic piactices which
weie latei biought to Tibet.
The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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Kala is the ueity who appeais at the time of ueath, anu the Kalachakia tantiic piactice
theiefoie focuses on the tiansition between ueath anu iebiith, not with the inteimeuiate
states (bai uo) that aie fiequently exploieu in Tibetan tantiic teachings anu piactices.
Thus the Kalachakia piactice is most suitable foi oui age, the Kali Yuga, in which
eveiything is changing anu being tiansfoimeu (ueath anu iebiith) at an evei acceleiating
iate. The stiuctuie anu symbolism of the Kalachakia manuala uiffeis fiom those of othei
manualas in that the iings enciicling the palace in the Kalachakia manuala aie
2##8&+B&,(? &; 0>( 8&,+&,S ;.6( /*(50 ?.,8, :(5*.9/ 0>( 19.6(*,(D
95+(<'S ,B58(D 5.*D @50(*D ;.*( 59? (5*0># P9 +59' &0>(* +59?5<5, ,18>
*(;(*(98( 0& 0>( 19.6(*,( ., 9&0 .++(?.50(<' (6.?(90#J KG*51(9D B# TUL#

The teim 'manuala' is a multivalent teim that only on the most basic level of many is
applieu to the painteu uiagiam itself. The teim 'manuala' must also be unueistoou anu
visualizeu as the whole cosmos suiiounuing the piactitionei anu the painteu manuala, the
exteiioi out to the entiie cosmos itself, in oiuei to iesonate with, activate anu access the
multi-uimensional poweis uesciibeu in the manuala. The teim then extenus inteiioily,
fuithei into the veiy physical, moleculai anu eneigy univeise that is the living bouy of the
piactitionei, which is also uniteu with the manuala. The piactice heie becomes one of
sensing anu then tuning into the chakias within the human bouy anu psychospheie until a
iesonance is felt between anu among these thiee:
1. Exteiioi (cosmic) manuala (exteiioi galactic univeise extenuing outwaiuly in a
spheie beyonu the piactitionei)
2. Ritually visualizeu (painteu)manuala (as vieweuvisualizeu by piactitionei)
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S. Inteiioi (bouily) manuala (chakia eneigy centeis along the spinal column anu
within cianial cavity)
It is inteiesting to note how similai this piactice is to that of Navajo shamans, who uuiing
theii multiple uay "chant" iituals also attune themselves not only to the visualization of the
painteu image, but also to the univeise (cosmos) beyonu
(eastsouthwestnoithabovebelow) anu the univeise within. Not only uiu the Navajo
shamans iuentify theii own inteiioi bouies with the eneigies of the painting anu the
suiiounuing cosmos, but uuiing a healing chant, the patient being cuieu woulu sit within
the sacieu sanupainting ciicle to bettei iesonate theii innei oigans anu living systems with
those of the sanupainting anu the suiiounuing cosmos.
In both types of sanupainting, once the piactitionei begins to sense the innei
chakias anu uistinguish them moie cleaily, natuial haimonic iesonances piomote healing
anu the accumulation of eneigy while the piactice piogiesses.
Accoiuing to the Kalachakia tiauition, a peison possesses six uistinct minu
components oi 'six sense poweis' as can be seen in the uiagiam below:

The Sacred Circle in Tibetan and Navajo Cultures
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The image above is anothei way of visualizing the Kalachakia as it iesonates with
the human bouy of the contemplative piactitionei.

Human figure with six chakras
and major nadi (channels)
through which flow the energy-laden prana (winds).
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Cieation anu use of the sacieu ciicle in both Navajo anu Tibetan cultuies is
stiikingly similai in appioach anu piactice, consiueiing they inhabit small, almost
uiametiically opposite aieas of the planet.
Foi both cultuies, the piactices suiiounuing the cieation anu uestiuction of ciicle-
encloseu sacieu images of coloieu sanus anu powueis became a cential focus of theii
lituigical anu healing iituals. Even the uuiation of the full iituals aie similai, up to nine
uays foi the longest iituals.
Nost impoitantly, both cultuies uiscoveieu the ieality, the powei anu the efficacy of
establishing a sacieu iesonance anu communion among the human bouily inteiioi, the
cosmic galactic exteiioi anu the sacieu ciicle itself, as iepiesenteu in Navajo sanupainting
anu Tibetan Tantiic manualas. These piactices holu gieat piomise foi the uevelopment
anu evolution of ways foi mouein cultuies to uevelop anu iefine metaphysical tools anu
maps in the use of the sacieu ciicle motif foi contemplative piactice.

Dalai Lama in Kalachakra Mandala ceremony
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