Phonetic loan from Sanskrit मण्डल (maṇḍala). Entered Chinese through Tang-era Buddhist translation, alongside
般若 (prajñā),
涅槃 (nirvāṇa), and
菩萨 (bodhisattva). Tibetan Buddhism preserves the most elaborate mandala-construction traditions, including the famous sand mandalas that are ritually destroyed after completion to symbolize impermanence.
