Content:- Origin and development- Symbolism and Interpretation of the Wheel of Life Through Thangka- Three Poison of Samsara- The Bardo: Between Birth and Rebirth- The Six Worlds of Samsara- 12 Interdependent Factors (Dvadasanga Pratityasamutpada)- What did we learn through the Wheel of Life(Bhavchakra)?
Traditionally the wheel of life is called Bhavacakra, it is a symbolic representation of Samsara and is deeply rooted in Buddhist teachings, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism.
The Bhavacakra is derived from bhava, which means “being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, being, production, origin,” means “wheel” or “circle.” These delicate artworks contain profound philosophical concepts within their detailed visuals, offering practitioners a visual roadmap for spiritual growth and self-awareness.
Wheel of life thangkas are commonly found outside the Indo-Tibetan region's Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries. Wheel of Life thangka serves as a visual aid for understanding the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth along with the causes of suffering, and the path to enlightenment.
Three Poison of Samsara
The innermost circle of the wheel that shows a pig, a snake, and a bird chasing each other in a circle is called the Three Poisons of Samsara. As these three animals chase each other through their tails these animals symbolize the three poisons—ignorance, hatred, and desire—that feed the suffering of the life cycle.
These three emotions are the negative emotions that lead to each other in the endless loop of agony. Which is controllable through spirituality that helps control and destroy the negative emotions.
From the central hub the second most circle is called Bardo, it shows spirits pulled downwards by demons (right), as they have forgotten Dharma and let the three poisons overcome them. On the other side, it is shown disciples of dharma being led upward, after overcoming the three poisons of life and negative karma.
Bardo is a word that cannot be defined as it has no direct translation but it originates from the concept of rebirth. It is the intermediate state where our spirits find themselves in the movement between life and death.
Above the Three Poisons of Samsara and Bardo, The Six Worlds of Samsara exist, each section has its meaning and symbolism. As a human, we can only access two realms: the human world where we humans live, and the animal world.
In Buddhist theory, it is believed that even if we cannot perceive other realms as a human, that does not mean we can ignore their existence. In scientific words, we could say we as humans only perceive the third dimension through physics, but that doesn’t mean the fourth dimension doesn’t exist.
Simply put, we humans can only perceive three dimensions “length, width, and height” to identify the sizes and locations on a daily life basis, which is why we just do not have access to the fourth dimension. We are still not sure what are the possibilities in the fourth dimension.
From the philosophical perspective, the existence of six worlds of samsara has been mentioned and demonstrated by numerous enlightened beings through their philosophies and they undoubtedly possess capacities far superior to our own.
Those six samsara could be divided into two groups, the upper three worlds of Gods, Titan, and humans, in which happiness is greater than suffering and the other three lower worlds possess greater suffering than happiness.
The God realm represents a state of existence characterized by pleasure, luxury, and abundance. To be in this realm one must contain a huge amount of positive karma, beings in this realm experience immense happiness and enjoyment.
Those who live in this realm have the longest life span, they are showered with all pleasure and pleasing things. They are away from all worldly sufferings and it only ends when they get rejected by their community and glimpse into the world in which they will be re-born according to their karmic deeds, which could be in any of the other lesser samsaras.
The demigod realm is characterized by jealousy, competition, and never-ending struggle. These beings are driven by a fierce sense of rivalry and violence, frequently engaging in conflict over power and control.
Even though they possess qualities similar to those of gods, demigods suffer from endless hardships and unstoppable desires.
It is said that the reason behind the Demigod’s jealousy, rivalry, and constant conflict towards God, was caused by the fact that the Tree of Life’s roots grows in the realm of the Demigod, yet the fruits fall into the world of God.
The human realm is believed to be most suitable for spiritual practice. In this realm, there is a mixture of bliss, misery, agony, and pleasure. Because of the fluctuation and uncertainty of human existence through their birth, sickness, and death. Unlike the other world people here have the chance to develop compassion and knowledge via their experiences.
The world of animals is marked by ignorance, innate behavior, and limited intelligence. This world is ruled by survival instincts and survival needs; it is devoid of self-awareness and reflection.
In addition to going through many kinds of pain like hunger, fear, and predation, animals are also at risk from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The negative karma linked with ignorance causes rebirth in the animal world of samsara.
Those who live in the hungry ghost realm are characterized as having stiff bodies, long necks, and enormous bellies—they are creatures driven by endless desires and never-ending carving.
It is a symbol of their never-ending thirst and hunger. Despite their relentless desire for fulfillment, they are unable to find it, leaving them in a never-ending cycle of desire and misery.
The most extreme sorrow and suffering in samsara can be symbolized by the Damned Realm (Naraka). People in this realm suffer unspeakable suffering as a result of their evil deeds and bad karma.
People who have committed misdeeds in the past are said to go to hell, which is described as a region of fire, ice, and darkness. Beings in the hell world can make apologies for their past actions and eventually find freedom, even in the depths of their suffering.
The outermost part of the wheel of life is divided into 12 parts, the understanding of these 12 sections represents 12 interdependent parts that portray our fundamental causes of suffering, It is a central idea in Buddhist philosophy.
Each part serves as an example of the causal chain of existence, demonstrating how desire and ignorance feed the cycle of rebirth, death, and birth (samsara).
The twelve interconnected factors are as follows:
1. Ignorance (Avidya) : Ignorance is represented by an old and blind person, it teaches us the fundamental misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, specifically the four noble truths and the nature of selflessness (anatta). It is the root cause of all suffering and leads to the subsequent links in the chain.
2. Volitional Formations (Sankhara) : Volitional Formations have been portrayed by a person who is making potteries. It refers to mental formations or activities that arise in response to ignorance. These include wholesome and unwholesome intentions, thoughts, and actions that shape our karma.
3. Consciousness (Vijnana) : Consciousness arises in dependence on volitional formations, it is portrayed by a monkey who is at the top of the tree. It is the awareness or cognition of objects and experiences, conditioned by the mental activities of the previous link.
4. Name and Form (Namarupa) : Represented by the two men rowing a boat on the water. Name and form refer to the mental-physical aspects of existence, including mental factors (name) and physical factors (form). This link represents the arising of the mental-physical being in the realm of samsara.
5. Six Sense Bases (Sadayatana) : The six senses are usually represented by the 6 windows, it is based on the faculties through which consciousness interacts with the external world: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. These sense bases enable perception and sensory experience.
6. Contact (Sparsa) : Contact is represented by a woman and man embracing each other, it refers to the coming together of the sense faculties, sense objects, and consciousness. It is the meeting point where perception and experience occur.
7. Feeling (Vedana) : Feeling is represented by a man hit by an arrow, he is the subjective experience of pleasure, pain, or neutrality that arises in response to contact. Feelings felt by a person can be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral and influence subsequent mental states and actions.
8. Craving (Trishna) : A man indulges in alcohol represents a craving arises as a result of pleasant or unpleasant feelings. It is the desire or thirst for sensory pleasure, existence, or non-existence. Craving perpetuates the cycle of birth and suffering.
9. Grasping (Upadana) : A man grasping a fruit from a tree refers to the clinging or attachment to objects, experiences, beliefs, and identities. It arises from craving and leads to further entanglement in samsara.
10. Becoming (Bhava) : Becoming has been represented by the sexual copulation, it refers to the process of rebirth or the arising of a new existence based on past karma and mental dispositions. It is the condition for the unfolding of the next life.
11. Birth (Jati) : Birth refers to the physical or mental birth of a being into a particular realm of existence. "Birth” is supposed to be the start of a new life and the realization of the person's karmic deeds.
12. Aging and Death (Jaramaraṇa) : Aging and death are unavoidable parts of life in Samsara. They represent the conclusion of the birth process and the eventual end of life. The cycle of dependent origination is completed when death and aging lead back to ignorance.
The Wheel of Life thangka looks like a mere painting but if you read through the whole painting, every corner of the thangka will teach you the way of life.
While looking at the thangka it is amusing how it displays so much about life with just a painting, it also reveals the different realms of existence given the fact we humans can only perceive two worlds out of six worlds.
From the peaceful ignorance of the God realm to the agonizing pain of the hell realm, each realm symbolizes a distinct kind of suffering endured by sentient people.
More importantly wheel of life teaches us the interrelationship of all things and the fleeting nature of existence, we can, if we so choose, gain knowledge, compassion, and good deeds.
Reference
Thangka Mandala- the wheel of life
The Wheel of Life - Aesthetics of Suffering and Salvation
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