Tibetan wheel of life meaning3/19/2024 ![]() In some Wheel of Life compositions the artist might choose to favor one subject over another, such as highlighting the human realm. ![]() Though it is difficult to label them as true depictions of the Wheel of Life (since they are not a wheel), they do contain the most dominant element in the composition, which is the six realms. Since the 17th century, artists have created vertical and horizontal depictions of the six realms of existence. The general design does not need to be limited to just the traditional wheel, however. The Ajanta wheel had more sections-most likely not fewer than eight. The Wheel of Life paintings of today generally have four, five, or six sections. What is consistent from the time of the Ajanta depiction up to the present is the circle (wheel) divided into pie shaped sections (spokes) and meeting at a central smaller circle (hub). The actual origins and design are believed to have been taught by Shakyamuni Buddha himself it is more likely, however, that the concept of the visual form of the Wheel of Life arises from descriptions in the Buddhist Abhidharma literature. The earliest known Wheel of Life depiction is painted on a wall in the Ajanta Cave complex in India. It is also painted as a portable scroll composition and found in private shrines and homes. Anyone who has travelled to Asia, the Himalayas, or other Tibetan cultural areas will know that the Wheel of Life is commonly seen as a mural on the outside entrance wall of almost every monastery or village temple. The Wheel of Life ( bhavachakra) is one of the most recognized images in Himalayan art, perhaps second only to the Buddha. This week Jeff tells us about the Wheel of Life. In this “Himalayan Buddhist Art 101” series, Jeff is making sense of this rich artistic tradition by presenting weekly images from the Himalayan Art Resources archives and explaining their roles in the Buddhist tradition. Not to worry- Himalayan art scholar Jeff Watt is here to help. But for the casual observer it can be difficult to make sense of the complex iconography. ![]() The central wheel is symbolic of Buddha's teachings which set the wheel of dharma in motion.Buddhist practice and Buddhist art have been inseparable in the Himalayas ever since Buddhism arrived to the region in the eighth century. ![]() The wheel of law or the wheel of Dharma represents The twelve links in the chain of causation features:ġ) a blind woman ( symbolizing ignorance) ħ) a man with an arrow in his eye ( feeling) ġ0) a figure grasping fruit from a tree ( greed) In the next ring are the six spheres of existence then the twelve links in the chain of causation, culminating in the search for truth and finally in the outer most ring are symbols depicting impermanence or death.ġ) the realm of the gods, a transitory place where happiness rises above suffering Ģ) the realm of the asuras ( jealous gods), where creatures of all sorts fight over fruit on the wishing tree and have to be reminded by Buddha to stay on the path ģ) the realm of the pretas (the hungry ghosts), the home of grotesque figures who have given into greed and can't eat because their throats are too narrow Ĥ) the hells, where creatures with cold hearts and anger live in misery ĥ) the realm of the animals, a place of ignorance, lethargy and apathy andĦ) the realm of the humans, characterized by birth, old age, disease, sickness and death. In the ring outside the center are the 8 or 12 karma formations, which contain the victims of bad karma (black background) on the left and the beneficiaries of good karma (white background) on the right. The wheel is turned by Yama, the Lord of Death, who represents the limitations of existence.Īt the bottom of the wheel are hot and cold hells and a scale used to measure good and bad karma one has accumulated in one's lifetime. Greed and stupidity (a pig)-are often situated at the center of the wheel. Passion and delusion (represented by a cock), ![]() They are complex, image-filled paintings that aim to show viewers how desire imprisons us in a world of suffering and rebirth and that the mind is only a delusion. Tibetan Buddhist Wheel of Life The walls or entrances of Buddhist monasteries and pagodas are often decorated with " Wheels of Life," paintings representing principals of Buddhism. ![]()
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