Instead of appearing as a lotus, as in the work on the left, Shadakshari Lokeshvara takes bodily form in this mandala. The bodhisattva’s presence signals one of the mandala’s many applications: deity practice. This requires imagining oneself as an altruistic being at the center of a perfected universe, conceived as a mandala. From there, the practitioner seeks to emulate Avalokiteshvara’s wisdom and compassion.