Wheel of Life Thangka Painting

Thangka Description

Material: Hand painted in Nepal on Cotton Canvas with Silk brocade Frame

Painting L x H: 16 x 25 inches

Brocade L x H: 29 at widest x 44 inches

• The Wheel of Life depicts how we are caught in samsara, the cycle of birth and death
• In the image a minister demon, usually identified as Yama the God of Death clutches the whole wheel
• In the smallest circle at the center a pig, snake, and rooster symbolize the three poisons of ignorance, anger, and lust or desire
• In the narrow circle around that depicts the circle of karma as humans descending to a demon-like state or ascending to their Buddha like nature
• The six main segments of the wheel are the six realms of existence. The upper half are the relatively happier realm of the gods, the asuras or demigods, and the human realm. The lower half are the realms of the animals, pretas or hungy ghosts, and lastly the torturous hell realm
• The last ring surrounding images represent the twelve links of dependent origination: ignorance, karma, rebirth-consciousness, mind & matter, six senses, physical contact, feeling or sensation, desire or craving, clinging & attachment, action or becoming, birth, and ultimately death
• The Buddhas sit at the top, pointing the way to escape the cycle, and realize true Buddha nature of all things beyond this wheel or cycle of samsara
• High-quality Thangka painted by skilled artist
• Ships from our California gallery