The Wheel of Life, also known as the Bhavachakra, is a powerful symbol in Tibetan Buddhism. It's a visual representation of samsara, the cycle of suffering and rebirth that Buddhists seek to escape.
The center depicts the three poisons: greed, hatred, and delusion, the driving forces behind our suffering. The rim is segmented into six realms of existence, ranging from the heavenly to the hellish, where beings are reborn based on their karma.
A grasping figure, often Yama, the Lord of Death, clutches the wheel, symbolizing the inevitability of rebirth. Yet, there's hope. The outer rim depicts the Twelve Nidanas, the chain of dependent origination, explaining how suffering arises. By understanding this chain, we can break free.
The Wheel isn't a gloomy reminder of suffering, but a roadmap to liberation. Pointing towards escape are the Buddha figures in each corner, representing the path to enlightenment that leads us off the wheel.
The Bhavachakra was traditionally painted as a mural at the entrances of temples. It was only later that it began to appear as a thangka. These days Buddhists often keep them at the entrances of their homes.
Tricycle magazine has an excellent article that explains the wheel of life and its meaning. https://tricycle.org/magazine/bhavacakra-wheel-of-life/
Item Specifications
- Size of canvas: 29.5 cms (width) x 37 cms (length)
- Internal artwork: 25 cms (width) x 32 cms (length)
- Gold, paint and mineral pigment on canvas
