The Wheel Of Life

(Bhava Cakka)

Presented By: -

Vikas Singh

Vikas Kumar

Sunil Kumar

The Wheel Of LifeThere are four circles in the wheel of life:

Inner circle

First circle

Second circle

Third circle

THE FIRST CIRCLE

There is a cock, snake and a pig representing Greed, Aversion and Delusion - the 3 roots of all evil and the main causes for our wandering in Samsara.

A snake is a poisonous animal who bites and kills his enemies with venom. This signifies vindictiveness, so he stands for anger (Dosa).

A cock is full of vanity and likes to show off his beauty. He thinks that he is virtuous in every respect and likes to scratch the earth. This means that he constantly creates impulses and emotions. He represents greed which is Lobha.

A pig is a greedy animal who eats without any consideration and always goes to sleep afterwards. Though he is already full, hunger is still in his mind. He represents delusion which is Moha.

THE FIRST CIRCLE The 3 beasts are shown biting the tail of the other, meaning that really they are inseparable, so that one cannot have, say, greed, without the other monsters lurking in its train.

Even characters which are rooted predominantly in one of these three, have the other two present.

Most normal people will also have a unhealthy balance of these three in their hearts, ever ready to influence their actions when a suitable situation occurs.

These beasts revolve endlessly in the heart of the puthujjana and ensure that he experiences plenty of dukkha.

THE SECOND CIRCLE – White Dhamma

White Dhamma is the good Kamma which is under the influence of the Buddha. The person is mindful of the 4 postures (eating, standing, walking and lying down), of speaking, and of thinking, contemplating body and mind. He is full of mindfulness at all times.

Performing virtuous deeds results in good kamma leading to a good future rebirth.

The circle is broken into two, one half is with a white background and one with a black background.

THE SECOND CIRCLE - Black Dhamma

Black Dhamma is the bad Kamma of body, speech or mind which is caused by Avijja (Ignorance).

He signifies one who lacks mindfulness in the contemplation of the 4 postures - eating, walking, sitting and lying down.

One who is in the sphere of Black Dhamma is like one who walks at night, clothed only in darkness, dirty and useless.

They generate bad and evil kamma leading to hell in future rebirth.

The circle is broken into two, one half is with a white background and one with a black background.

THE THIRD CIRCLE

Animals generally have a strong inclination towards eating, drinking etc. Humans, interested in these actions, strengthen their Evil Root of Delusion and are likely to be reborn as animals.

Kamma dragging one to the hells are actions involving hatred, killing, torture and violence generally. People lead themselves to experience hell because they have made the Evil Root of Aversion very strong in themselves. The mind that enters hell represents an angry mind, full of vindictiveness.

Those who have strengthened the Evil Root of Greed, having been mean, possessive and selfish are liable to arise as spirits with strong cravings forever unsatisfied, for which reason they are known as hungry ghost.

THE THIRD CIRCLE

It is more usual for one who has followed the pure path to be born as a man or among the gods. The basis for the former is the practice of the Five Precepts.

The path to the heavens is cultivated by those who make special efforts to live with purity and self-restraint, exercising loving-kindness toward all beings and so purifying their minds through meditation.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

There are 12 links in the fourth circle representing the Paticca Samupada.

Avijja (Ignorance): illustrated by a blind man.

He is totally deluded because of Ignorance. It is the mind full of delusion and wrong views about matter and mind (Rupa-Nama). As a result, it keeps on grasping and clinging to the aggregates of form, sound, smell, taste and mind objects.

The mind will eventually attach to the belief that there is a Self, a solid being which will not decay or dissolve. This delusion about the idea of Self stems from a lack of insight into reality.

Therefore Avijja stands for a deluded human being who is full of ignorance (Moha) and does not realise the Truth. So he is portrayed by a blind person, who does not know where he is going as he cannot see anything and cannot do anything right.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Sankhara (Volitional activities): represented by a potter shaping pots on his wheel.

He is trying to make something into a form from the material already available. This shows the way Form, Taste, Smell, Sound, tangible objects, and mind-objects are created through mind contact.

So Sankhara is the cause of impulses and emotions.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Vinnana (Consciousness): represented by a monkey holding a crystal depicting a restless mind in which the rising and falling of consciousness takes place all the time.

A house represents the sense spheres (Ayatana). Vinnana is consciousness every time there is contact between one of the 6 senses and an object.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Rupa-Nama (Matter and Mind) is portrayed by a man and a woman on a boat. (Matter is depicted by the boat and Mind by the passengers). The physical form is represented by the boat and Consciousness is represented by the people. Though the two phenomena are different, they have to depend on each other.

Salayatana (6 Sense Organs) is depicted by the image of an empty house with doors and windows which symbolise the six senses. The house stands for the body, the doors for the mind, and the windows for the eyes, ears, nose and tongue.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Phassa (Contact): A couple embracing represents the contact from which consciousness of being male and female arise. As a result, impulses and emotions are produced and defilements, craving, like, dislike and imbalance follow.

Vedana (Sensation) is reflected by a man with an arrow sunk deep in his eyes and is in great pain. It indicates the strong feeling which our sensory experience, driven by impulses, evokes whether it is pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Tanha (Craving) is depicted in the image of a man smoking heroin. He is an addict who always craves for more and more of the drug. Having no contentment, he cannot have enough of it. Craving cannot be fulfilled. It is the mind which causes impulses and emotions.

Upadana (Grasping) is represented by a monkey plucking fruits from a tree. Grasping them brings about attachment when he is under the illusion that the fruits belong to him. He lacks the wisdom to consider reasons for letting go.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Bhava (Becoming): A pregnant woman indicates the embryo in her womb. Becoming signifies the plane of existence which

Jati (Birth): A woman giving birth to a baby reflects rebirth into different kinds of being such as female, male, animal or other. It is birth into the 3 planes of existence. It is the mind in which volitions cause impulses and emotions. Concurrently, consciousness keeps on rising and falling, followed by love and hate. Birth and existence take place continuously without end. The mind forms attachments to various emotions in the past, future and present.

corresponds to volitions; it signifies the existence of body and mind. There is attachment to the concepts of 'my place and our place', Self, love and hate. Clinging to having and being is Bhava.

THE FOURTH CIRCLE

Jara-Marana (Old age and Death): This last link is personified by a man leaving home, his belongings carried in a basket on a pole over his shoulder. This indicates leaving the body as there will be no return. The only things that can be taken are good and bad kamma.

The house, representing all body and properties, will have to be left behind. He will be accompanied by sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, despair, disappointment and mourning at the separation from loved ones.

The Wheel Of LifeYaksha (Giant) represents time which consumes day and night all sentient beings who are deluded, overcome by ignorance. He is a fierce creature who stands for the 3 defilements. His appearance is extremely ugly and frightening. He drags all beings into the fires.

The tiger's skin which covers Yaksha signifies the mental intoxication and latent dispositions which envelop and cling to sentient beings, consuming them day and night.

The Giant's white eye represents days and the black one represents nights. Days and nights constantly devour the lives of all sentient beings.

The Wheel Of LifeThe Buddha above the Circle, standing and pointing the Way to a disciple, shows that the only way to Cessation of Suffering is to see the 4 Noble Truths, to know how to practise the Eightfold Noble Path, and to understand Dependent Origination and to rise above good and bad Kamma. Consequently, one will be able to rise above the Cycle of Existence and finally realizes Nibbana.

The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts the taste of Dhamma excels all taste, the delight in dhamma excels all delights, The Craving-Freed vanquishes all suffering.

- Dhammapada verse 354

Thank you