Bhavacakra

The Bhavacakra (Sanskrit) or Wheel of becoming (Tibetan srid.pa'i 'khor.lo) is a complex symbolic representation of in the form of a circle (mandala), used primarily in Tibetan Buddhism. is the continuous cycle of birth, life, and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment.

In the Buddhist depiction different karmic actions contribute to one's metaphorical existence in different realms, or rather, different actions contribute to one's characteristics similarity to those of the realms. Leading from the human realm to the oustide of the wheel depicts the Buddhist path. (Epstein 1995, p.15-16)

The Bhavacakra is sometimes displayed with five sections, but the more recent and more common form has six sections.

Names of the Bhavacakra

The Bhavacakra is also called:

Wheel of life
Wheel of existence
Wheel of rebirth
Wheel of
Wheel of suffering
Wheel of transformation

The Six-section Bhavacakra

The diagram of the Bhavacakra has six sections (or sometimes five, as described in more detail below).

Background

The Bhavacakra is represented as being held by the jaws, hands, and feet of a fearsome figure who turns the wheel. The exact identity of the figure varies. A common choice for the figure is Yama, the god of death.

There is always a figure or symbol in the upper left and the upper right. The exact figure or symbol varies; common examples include the moon, a buddha, or a bodhisattva.

Outer rim

The outer rim of the wheel is divided into twelve sections and given such names as the Twelve Interdependent Causes and Effects or the Twelve Links of Causality.

Ignorance is the first of the 12 causes and conditions, both of our rebirth and of maturing any karma within our dependent existence. Different causes can overlap in different stages and even mature in next existences - lives. Yet the turning of the wheel goes onward.

The twelve causal links are: (1) ignorance; (2) volitional action; (3) consciousness; (4) name and form; (5) six sensory organs (i.e. eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind); (6) contact or touch; (7) sensation; (8) desire, craving; (9) grasping; (10) becoming; (11) birth; (12) decay and death.

Six Worlds

The wheel is divided into six sections which represent the Six realms (or Worlds) of Existence. These Six Worlds are:

The World of Devas or Gods
The World of Asuras (Demigods, Titans, Fighting Demons)
The World of Humans
The World of Animals
The World of Pretas (hungry ghosts)
The World of Hell

(ibid, with different order)

The World of Devas is always at the very top of the wheel. The World of Asuras and the World of Humans are always in the top half of the wheel, bordering the World of Devas on opposite sides, but which of the two is on the left and which is on the right varies (leading to two different arrangements of the wheel). The World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts is always in the bottom half of the wheel, with the World of Animals bordering the World of Humans and the World of Hungry Ghosts bordering the World of Asuras. Between the World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts, at the very bottom of the wheel, is the World of Hell.

Sometimes, the wheel is represented as only having five sections because the World of the Devas and the World of the Asuras are combined into a single world.

In Buddhist representations of the wheel, within each of the Six Realms, there is always at least one buddha or bodhisattva depicted, trying to help souls find their way to nirvana (ibid).

Hub

The rim of the hub is divided into two sides. One side is the White Path or Path of Bliss, and represents how souls may move upward to the World of Gods. The other side is the Dark Path, which represents how souls may move downward to the World of Hell.

In the hub, the center of the wheel, a pig, snake, and rooster turn in a circle, each biting the next animal's tail and representing the greed, hatred, and delusion, respectively, which create the realms (ibid). Alternatively, they are the evils which are responsible for the trapping of souls within the Six Realms.

Reference

Epstein, Mark (1995). Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective. BasicBooks. ISBN 0465039316.

External links

Buddhism | Symbols

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