In the Dharmic religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, the Wheel of Life is a mandala or symbolic representation of samsara, the continuous cycle of birth, life, death. One is liberated from this endless cycle of rebirth when Enlightenment, nirvana, moksha, or samadhi is reached. In Buddhism, nirvana is samsara in that it is only through the latter that the former is possible.
The symbol below illustrates the basic wheel of life. More elaborate versions of this motif, as on the upper right, have been included in much of the art of these faiths.
Buddhist wheels of life, often placed in the jaws of Yama the lord of death, depicts the Six Realms of Existence :
- Human Realm
- Animal Realm
- Hell Realm
- Realm of the Hungry Ghosts
- Reals of the Jealous Gods or Titans (Asuras)
- God Realm
In each realm a Bodhisattva of Compassion is depicted while in the center of the wheel a pig, snake, and rooster turn in a circle, each biting the next's tail, representing the greed, hatred, and delusion which create the realms. Different karmic actions contribute to one's metaphorical existence in different realms, or rather, different actions contribute to one's characteristics similarity to those of the realms. Leading from the human realm to the oustide of the wheel depicts the Buddhist path. (Epstein 1995, p.15-16)
In Unicode, the symbol is named "Wheel of Dharma", U+2638 (☸).
In the Indian Mahayana Buddhism scriptural language of Sanskrit, the Wheel of Life is called Bhavachakra.
See also
Reference
- Epstein, Mark (1995). Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective. BasicBooks. ISBN 0465039316.
External links
The Wheel of Life - Aesthetics of Suffering and Salvation
Last updated: 10-20-2005 16:18:48
