Mandalanguage is a communication method that uses a 3x3 grid as the format for messages.
Despite its simple format, it’s easy on both readers and writers, and because you can handle it like a card, it’s approachable even for beginners. Soft-skill development calls for exploratory and creative work, and methods often end up reflecting that flavor, but Mandalanguage should be relatively easy to use even for beginners.
I’d like to define one term. A mandala (Mandal) refers to a 3x3 grid format like the following.
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
The numbering of the cells is fixed in this order starting from the top left.
Cell 5 is the center cell, where you place the theme. In other words, a mandala is something where you write comments about the theme in the eight surrounding cells. This means you can write up to eight items, and you don’t have to fill them all. For example, you can fill only cells 1 and 2, or only cells 7 and 6.
Below is an explanation of Mandalanguage using a mandala.
| 3x3 (mandala) | Use mandalas as a common format | Put the topic in the center |
| Write comments in the eight surrounding cells | What Mandalanguage is | Keep it short enough that it doesn’t wrap |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
Text is written in five cells: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Nothing is written in 7, 8, or 9.
In Markdown, use table notation. It’s best to use the following format. Make the center cell bold to make it stand out.
| - | - | - |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | **5** | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
You can also use Excel or Google Sheets. However, it’s a hassle to create a mandala sheet every time you need to send something. Rather, it’s better to create one in advance and have people view it or fill it in. If you put it in the cloud, simultaneous editing is also possible.