Original Hand Painted Wheel Of Life /Bhavacakra Mandala Masterpiece Tibetan Meditation compassion Thangka/Thanka painting

The Wheel of Life, or "Bhavacakra," is a powerful meditation tool among Buddhist monks and an essential learning resource for students to comprehend the teachings of the Buddha. It represents the reasons for our mortal form's suffering through horrific and sublime imagery. The Wheel is often painted on the walls of many Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in all Himalayan regions. It is a metaphysical diagram of four concentric circles held firmly by Yama, the Lord of Death.

Above the Wheel, the sky with clouds or stars symbolizes freedom from cyclic existence or Samsara. The Buddha pointing at it indicates that liberation is possible. In the center of the Wheel, there are three animal symbols of the "Three Poisons": ignorance (the pig), attachment (the bird), and anger (the snake). The snake and bird are shown as coming out of the mouth of the pig, indicating that anger and attachment arise from ignorance. At the same time, the snake and the bird grasp the pig's tail, indicating that they both promote even greater ignorance.

The second layer is next to the central circle, divided into two half circles, one light-colored and the other usually dark. These images represent the Wheel of Karma, the law of cause and effect. The darker portion shows individuals experiencing the results of negative actions. The light half circle, instead, indicates people experiencing the results of positive actions and attaining spiritual ascension.

Beyond this layer is a broader area divided into six parts, each depicting a different realm of Samsara. These six realms constitute all possible states of existence in the universe, and all beings cycle between these states. They can be divided into higher realms and lower realms.

The three higher realms are:

1) The Human Realm
The human realm is the world of everyday experience. Buddhism teaches that such harmonious balance allows us to pursue spiritual realization. This is why the human world is considered the most suitable realm for practicing dharma.

2) The Semi-Gods Realm
The titans that live in this realm spend their time fighting among themselves or making war with the gods. These semi-gods do not suffer from desire or greed but constant fighting and jealousy.

3) The Realm of the Gods
These gods spend their existence pursuing meaningless distractions and never think of practicing the dharma. This way, they deplete their good Karma, and they will suffer through being reborn in the lower realms.

The three lower realms are:

4) The Hell Realm
Hell is typically represented as a place of intense torment where beings endure unimaginable suffering. The victims are subjected to the most terrible tortures inflicted by demons. In the Buddhist tradition, there are eighteen "hells" that can be hot or cold.

5) The Hungry Ghosts Realm
This realm is inhabited by pathetic creatures suffering from extreme and perpetual hunger and thirst. They wander constantly in search of food and drink. However, even if they get what they want, it will cause them intense agony.

6) The Animals Realm
In this realm, life is based on self-preservation. Animals live in constant fear and suffer from being attacked and eaten by other animals.

Depicted inside each realm, in some wheel of life representations, a Buddha or bodhisattva tries to help the beings living in that realm find their way to nirvana. The outermost concentric ring of the Wheel of Life presents the process of cause and effect in detail. The circle is divided into twelve parts, each depicting a phase of the law of Karma, which keeps us trapped in the six realms of cyclic existence.

The twelve causal links and the correspondent allegories are:

1) Avidyā: Ignorance - a blind man, often walking.
2) Saṃskāra: Mental Formations - a potter shaping a vessel.
3) Vijñāna: Consciousness - a man or a monkey grasping a fruit
4) Nāmarūpa: Name and form - two men afloat in a boat
5) Ṣaḍāyatana: Six senses - a dwelling with six windows
6) Sparśa: Contact - two lovers kissing or entwined
7) Vedanā: Feeling - a man with an arrow in the eye
8) Tṛṣṇa: Craving - a drinker receiving a drink
9) Upādāna: Grasping - a man or a monkey picking fruit
10) Bhava: Existence - a couple engaged in intercourse or a standing reflective person
11) Jāti: Rebirth - a woman giving birth
12) Jarāmaraṇa: Aging and Death - a corpse being carried

Bhavacakra Thangka paintings usually contain an inscription on the bottom explaining the process that keeps us in Samsara and how to reverse that process according to the teachings of the Buddha, who said, "I have shown you the path that leads to liberation. But you should know that liberation depends upon yourself.

Size: 15 x 20 Inch ( 38 x 51 cm)
Colors Use: Tibetan Canvas Cotton, Dust of Gold, Water, Tibetan Hide Glue Mixture, Smoky Combination

Please note the following important information before buying:

- Color may vary slightly due to lighting and screen resolution.
- Paintings are more captivating in person.
- The mentioned size doesn't include the outer border.
- Paintings will be packed securely in a PVC Tube.
- Buyers are responsible for any import duties, taxes, and extra charges at the destination country, which
are not included in the purchase price.