54-1 Four Windows, Four Mirrors, Compass and Black Hole of Religion: The Mandala Model of Religion and Self Applied to Counseling

Nam-Sat Chang
Minnan Normal University



The author uses the analogies of windows, mirrors, compass and black hole derived from the Mandala Model of Religion and Self to analyze religious beliefs and acts. To begin with, the meaning of religion is compared to a window and a mirror. The window offers a view into "the micro-world of doctrine", while the mirror reflects an individual's "intuitive cognition". In religious realist perspective, religion functions as a window by which the believers get to look into the outside world, into the worlds of myths, miracles, fairy tales and mysteries. They get to see things from the perspective of these other worlds and explain how their faith was shaped. This allows them to critique their own world and in the process to be transformed at a deep level. In the positivist perspective, religion serves as a mirror that reflects back to the viewers what they already believe. It is a powerful mirror, providing divine sanction for people's beliefs, values and behavior, but unfortunately that's all it does in most cases.
    Besides, based on the Phenomenology of Religion, Mircea Eliade's study of the archetype of the dynamic axis mundi shows that there is always a distinction between the sacred and the profane in all religions. In lifeworld, the rites or sanctified activities could define the sacred fields. The images of Eliadian axis mundi such as the Kabbalah Tree of Life, Mount Olympus in Greek mythology and the Buddhist mandala depicting a central Buddha figure surrounded by groups of Bodhisattvas implies the hierarchical structure composed of all the various roles in "believers' life-world". Given that "moral compass" refers to a person's ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly, the compass of religion provides a system of behavioral guidelines for society and helps to maintain social stability by binding people to the normative aspects of their society. Because religious believers accept the view which set all human activities within the compass of religion, the author draws an analogy between religious axis mundi and resettable geomantic compass. Finally, the author uses "black hole" to symbolize the suspension of assumptions about the ultimate reality, as well as the "individual agency" of religion founders. There is a unfathomable "black hole" at the faith-demanding center of lifeworld where "God" should be. The black hole is especially an analytical simile of cult or new religions guided by selfproclaimed
prophet.
    Regarding the counseling application of the Mandala Model of Religion and Self, the analogies of windows, mirrors, compass and black hole are in the I, II, III and IV quadrants respectively. The analogies in each quadrant can be classified into four categories based on its relationship with other quadrants. The analogies of windows can be classified into "scenery from moving car window", "lighting of skylight", "picture seen through prison window" and "wind of the wind". Mirrors are classified into "clear reflecting mirror", "mirror of ideas", "mirror of anxiety" and "mirror turned outward". Black hole can be divided into "above black hole", "inner accretion disk of a black hole", "outer accretion disk of a black hole" and "black hole itself". Compasses are classified into "online compass", "fengshui compass", "reassembled compass" and "re-enchantment compass". The Mandala Model of Religion and Self with 16 analogies provides professional counsellors and religious clients a universal, symbolic, pictorial and thus lucid platform to develop a typology of religious mechanisms, leading to the consensus on a framework for the assessment of client's religious beliefs and acts, and help religious people to walk on the path of equilibrium and harmony.

Keywords
Axis mundi, black hole, individual agency, mandala model, religion.

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