Here, we talk about the ”Wheel of Life”, or ”Wheel of Existence”.
by Khenpo Tashi
Normally, this image is hung on the main doors of houses and monasteries.
This image contains so much blessings. It carries the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths.
The difference between a ‘beginner’ and a ‘Buddhist who has a deep understanding of Buddhism’ lies in how they see this picture.
The beginner, after learning this image, wants to proceed to the next teaching. He will ignore this, “Ah, this is something basic only…I learned this already”.
The second one, the Buddhist who deeply understands Buddhism, will see this image as the beginning and end of his path. He will look at the Wheel of Life again and again, until his enlightenment. He will see a growing importance in this image as he progresses in his practice.
This is a profound advice.
The Center Circle
In the Wheel of Life, the three animals at the center – the rooster, snake and pig – represent the three chief emotions of desire, anger and confusion, respectively.
They are at the center of the wheel because these three are the roots of one’s entire Samsara. Through the power of these three emotional afflictions, the ‘wheel’ of Samsara spins without end for us.
In the next circle, it is separated into black and white. This symbolizes that sentient beings are reborn in lives of happiness or suffering depending on the virtues and non-virtues that they have accumulated. They circle around the happy and miserable states endlessly.
Then, there are the six realms. Clockwise from top: God Realms, Demi-god realm, Hungry Ghost, hell realm (bottom), animal realm and human realm. The Human realm, God realm and Demi-god realm are in the upper parts of the circle. They are higher realms, where happiness is more than the suffering. Likewise, the three lower realms are filled with suffering and few happiness.
The Outermost Circle
At the outermost circle of the wheel are the twelve “Interdependent Originations”. These twelve stages are connected to one another.
From top right, clockwise: The first stage shows how our pride or ignorance leads to Karma (second stage). Then, Karma leads to the development of a consciousness (third), then name and physical form (fourth). Then, this leads to the development of our six senses – mental awareness, sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch (fifth stage), and so on.
This outermost circle shows how our emotions lead to birth, and how birth leads to ageing and death. Finally, it shows how death brings rebirth. They are placed at the outermost part of the wheel because they keep an individual imprisoned within the wheel. Until an individual leaps over these twelve, she is continually trapped in the various sufferings of Samsara.
Outside the Circle
Finally, the Lord of Death holds the wheel with his fangs and claws. He symbolizes that decay, death and change rule all of Samsara.
At the upper righthand corner outside the wheel is a standing Buddha. The Buddha has come out from Samsara. He points to the moon opposite him – symbolizing the methods of liberation from Samsara.
The moon’s cool energy symbolizes the soothing effect when we escape the heat of Samsara. The pointing Buddha and the moon are the last two Noble Truths.
The Twelve Interdependent Originations
- Ignorance – Blind woman
- Karma – potter who makes pots
- Mind – the jumping monkey
- Name and Physical Form – the boatman
- The Six Senses (mental awareness, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch)
- Contact – Man and woman embracing
- Feeling – Man shot with an arrow in the eye
- Craving – Drunk man thirsty and drinking more wine
- Grasping – Man or monkey reaching and picking the fruits of the tree
- Becoming – A beautiful bride
- Birth – A woman giving birth
- Old Age and Death – A man carrying a corpse