The Wheel of Life or Bhava Chakra Mandala, the subject matter of which is one of the most recognized motifs in Vajrayana art. This is a mandala - a painting that symbolically depicts one or more "realms" of existence. The realm in question here is actually the entirety of samsaric existence. That is to say, it shows the various possibilities one faces as long as one remains within the cycle of rebirth. Please be sure to view the extra photos accessed by the links.

This painting is loaded with symbolism, so much so that we can't cover it all but a few major aspects are worth mentioning. First in the center - the three animals symbolizing the root delusions, which bind sentient beings to the wheel of becoming. (clicking on underlined text will take you to detail photos) A pig for ignorance, a snake for envy and hatred and a cock for lust and greed. These are the "3 poisons" that take various forms and sub-forms but can be summarized as desire, aversion and ignorance.

The wheel is divided into 6 sectors, and following the perimeter of the wheel will reveal the various possibilities for re-birth. These include the God realm (upper-most)the demi-god realm, on the upper right (as you face the painting) and the human realm on the upper left (facing the painting). The God realms afford great pleasure, but they are still just a birth which will result in death when the good karma that put one there is exhausted. The human realm has its ups and downs but is considered the most favorable in terms of the opportunities for attaining Buddhahood.

The lower sectors of the painting depict the various lower births - the animal realms, the hungry ghost realms, and lowest of all the various hell realms. Here and there throughout the painting we catch glimpses of various bodhisattvas, deities, and in the human realm the Buddha, manifesting for the benefit of the beings in the given realms. The entire bhava chakra or wheel of life is held in the stern grip of Yama - who personifies death itself.

A classic Tibetan Buddhist painting, it contains teachings on the 12 links of dependant origination, karma, the four truths and more. For that reason it is probably the most painted mandala of any in the tantric art tradition. There is much to consider here. Of course the painting is also framed in a nice silk brocade, as is traditional. This painting is well done and relatively large, and we are offering it at a very low price.