windy circle ［風輪］ ( vāyu-mandala;  fūrin): Also, wind circle or circle of wind. According to ancient Indian cosmology, the lowest of the three circles located under the earth that support the world. When a world is formed, the first to appear is the windy circle. According to The Dharma Analysis Treasury, a small wind first arises in space. This wind grows and forms the windy circle, a layer of air that is cylindrical in shape and harder than diamond. Upon this circle a watery circle develops, and then a gold circle on top of that. Upon the gold circle, the land is formed with its Mount Sumeru, seas, and mountains. The windy circle is said to be 1,600,000 yojanas thick and immeasurable in diameter. The Sanskrit word vāyu of vāyu-mandala means wind, and mandala means disk or circle.