Human life, containing both pleasure and pain, makes us aware of both these aspects of life. The human realm is the world of everyday experience.
They can be divided into higher realms and lower realms. These six realms constitute all possible states of existence in the universe and all beings cycle between these states. The light half circle, instead, indicates people experiencing the results of positive actions and attaining spiritual ascension.īeyond this layer is a wider area divided into six parts, each depicting a different realm of Samsara. The darker portion shows individuals experiencing the results of negative actions. These images represent the wheel of Karma, the law of cause and effect. Next to the central circle is the second layer divided in two-half circles, one light colored while the other is usually dark.
At the same time the snake and the bird grasp the tail of the pig, indicating that they both promote even greater ignorance. The snake and bird are shown as coming out of the mouth of the pig, indicating that anger and attachment arise from ignorance. In the center of the wheel there are three animals symbols of the “Three Poisons”: ignorance (the pig), attachment (the bird) and anger (the snake). The Wheel represents the very reasons for the suffering of our mortal form, through both horrific and sublime imagery and it can be seen painted on the walls of many Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in all Himalayan regions.Įssentially it is a metaphysical diagram made up of four concentric circles, held with a firm grip by Yama, the Lord of Death.Ībove the wheel the sky with clouds or stars is symbol of freedom from cyclic existence or Samsara, and the Buddha pointing at it indicates that liberation is possible. The Wheel of Life or “Bhavacakra” is well known by Buddhist monks as a powerful meditation tool and also by students to learn and understand the teachings of the Buddha.
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