A Phenomenology Approach: Religious Significance of Mandala in Ancient Nias Culture

Mandala is one of the cultural and religious symbols. They found in various ancient cultures. One of them is in the culture of the community on the island of Nias in northern Sumatra Indonesia. This article found that mandala is not just a traditional art or ornament. However, it is the theological reflection of a belief system that connects humans on earth with transcendent divine entities. Through it, ancient Nias people believed in the existence of divine reality in strong religious beliefs. The diagram also relates to the philosophy of life. The findings show that the craftsmen intentionally used various forms of diagrams as philosophical reflections of life which are believed to be closely related to local wisdom. As a result of the change in the Nias belief system from animism to the monotheistic worship of God (Christianization of Nias), there was a shift in the meaning of the mandala into cultural icons and ornaments. This paper written with a review of the literature analysis using the Phenomenology of Religion theory approach, starting from a discussion of the concept of the Indian in ancient cosmology to its symbolic meaning in the religious system. They have compiled with literature analysis using the Phenomenology of Religion theory approach.