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Buddhism - The Wheel of Life

3 Pages 712 Words January 2017

The Bhavacakra is a symbolic representation of Samsara. It brings together all the different factors that define and characterise the cycle of conditioned existence. A Bhavacakra can be found on the outside walls of Buddhist temples and monasteries. The wheel is held up by Yama, the lord of death. He wears a crown of 5 skulls that symbolize the impermanence of the 5 aggregates (matter or body, sensations or feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness). Yama has a third eye that symbolizes the wisdom of understanding impermanence. Yama is sometimes shown with tiger skin which symbolizes fearfulness. His four limbs that clutch the wheel symbolize the four sights- old age, sickness, death and a holy man.
In the hub of the wheel there are three animals that represent the 3 fires. The pig symbolizes ignorance; the cockerel symbolizes craving; and the snake symbolizes hatred. These make the circle of life go round.
The first circle shows beings feeling their way towards their next re-birth. This circle has the idea that depending on our past karma we will find our appropriate re-birth. On one side of the circle is the contented beings that are moving upwards to the higher realms but on the other side we see the miserable beings who are being lead to the lower realms.
The second circle is the circle of the six realms, this circle describes the six realms into which beings in samsara may be re-born. The three higher realms are Humans; This is the most fortunate state because they are not suffering as heavily as those in the other realms yet they are not in lengthy bliss like the Gods, humans have the best chance of enlightenment. Demi-Gods; The demi-gods have pleasure and abundance almost as much as the Gods but they spend their time fighting amongst each other. They suffer constantly from jealousy and from being killed and wounded in their own wars. Gods; The Gods live in a state of bliss in the realm of heaven. The Gods ...

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