The word mandala is Sanskrit for circle, polygon, community and connection. A buddhistic mandala expresses the concept of Buddhism as a "system" drawing. At the center of the Mandala is the "Dainichi Nyorai” (Great Sun), which stands for the highest state. Around the Sun we find lesser "Nyorais" which indicate various teachings of Buddhism. The further we go from the center, the closer we are to the real world.
And as with metaphors, and systems thinking, the greatest value of mandalas lies in their use, and making and perceiving, not in the resulting mandala.