Ya know, that's actually a good question... My family hasn't practiced it recently (I'm the first generation born in this country), but I have seen it in artwork... Looking around for answers, I can only find these two, but they sorta contradict each other:
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...has a red spot painted on his forehead as protection against disease...
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In ancient China a small ceremony was held when a child was to begin learning Chinese characters. One of the most important procedures was to paint a spot of red cinnabar in the middle of the child’s forehead. This is also called ‘opening the heavenly eye’ symbolizing the wish for children to have a bright outlook on their studies.
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I believe, according to Tantric Buddhism, the space between the eyebrows is a place that coiled up energy is released. The bindi is to retain some of this energy, and help with concentration, in addition to providing luck and protection against demons and evil. Not too sure in this area though.