The Tanaduk

The Medicine Buddha mandala is a graphical representation of Yuthok’s insight. A mandala is a symbol of the perfect balance of all five elements. Everything inside is equivalent to everything outside. It is formed by a center and four directions. Fundamentally it represents the five elements— space, wind, fire, water, and earth— indicated by blue, green, red, white, and yellow respectively.

The mandala of the Medicine Buddha is called the Tanaduk, which means town or enchanted garden. The central part is blue, north is green, east is white, west is red, and south is yellow.