Mandale: The Secret Gardens of Enlightenment

"The book Mandalas by Zmaga Šmitka is an exceptionally comprehensive, representative, and visually rich study that examines the role, significance, structure, design, temporality, functionality, and communicative aspects of mandalas in major Asian cultures: Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan. Šmitka's book on Mandalas is the author's life work and at the same time an outstanding contribution to the presentation and understanding of Asian cultures. It brings a complete set of new research material, approaches, and concepts to the Slovenian context. The book will undoubtedly serve as educational material in the study of non-European cultures, and it is written in an exceptionally vivid and readable manner, so that other readers will also eagerly engage with it." (from the professional review by Prof. Dr. Andrej Ulet)