Once we recognize this unity between the space around us and the space within us, it is a natural step to see how intimately mandalas can describe our inner selves. Every element of our awareness as we move about our lives is as a particle in the Universe, motes that we are often not adept at keeping organized within our mindspace. Modern life is a loosely-controlled chaos, and the mandala is a serene and peaceful pattern against which we can rest our weary defenses. The Universe around us is, by definition, evolving perfectly according to its own laws, while the Universe within us is muddled and confused by the trappings of society and the inconsistencies of consciousness. But this distinction between internal and external is an illusion. We have forgotten that All is truly One, and that we are each other as much as we are ourselves. The mandala is the embodiment of that inherent unity.