Hindu and Buddhist mandalas differ slightly.

In Hinduism, they are known broadly as yantra and are used in meditative rituals. Every yantra is unique and relates to a specific god. The subsequent rings of yantra help the individual call forth the qualities bestowed by a respective god, using it to summon him or her. In this way, the yantra connects to the heavens but translates into lived practices of individuals and acts as a guide.

Mandalas also have political significance in Hinduism. The ancient author Kautilya, in his political work Arthashastra, used them to describe the makeup of the state. According to Kautilya, the Raja-mandala places the king at the center, and each surrounding ring describes different factions and groups that make up his kingdom.

In Buddhism, mandalas function primarily in a religious context. Like in Hinduism, they act as a guide in meditation, but instead of leading their devotee in their daily life, they lead Buddhist monks in chant. They decorate temples throughout the Buddhist world.

In the Tibetan sect of Vajrayana Buddhism, it is common practice to create an intricate mandala pattern out of colored sand. Jung probably received his conception of mandalas from the teachings of Vajrayana, which, as one scholar writes, portray the pure, enlightened mind through the circular symbols. Mandalas in Vajrayana portray the mind as “a microcosm representing various divine powers at work in the universe.”

The meaning of any mandala design is often felt before it is known. Deeply spiritual people wear a mandala as a tattoo to represent their belief in the connection between all things. The mandala tattoo design represents their consciousness, and their consciousness represents the universe, and therefore the mandala tattoo represents the universe. Though it is a permanent mark, they know that they themselves are as impermanent as the sand paintings of the Vajrayana monks, who, upon completing each mandala, wipe the slate clean and start again.