Bhavacakra
Sign in to savethumb|A painting of the bhavachakra in Sera Monastery, [[Tibet]]
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22 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Explanation of the diagram
- Elements of the ''bhavachakra''
- Hub: the three poisons
- Second layer: karma
- Third layer: the six realms of samsara
- Outer rim: the twelve links
- The figure holding the wheel: impermanence
- The moon: liberation
- The Buddha pointing to the white circle: the path to liberation
- Inscription
- Alternative interpretations
- Theravada
- Western psychological interpretation
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Sources
- Buddhist sources
- Scholarly sources
- Web-sources
- External links
thumb|A painting of the bhavachakra in Sera Monastery, [[Tibet]]
The bhavachakra (Sanskrit: भवचक्र; Pāli: bhavacakka; Tibetan: སྲིད་པའི་འཁོར་ལོ, Wylie: ''srid pa'i 'khor lo) or wheel of life is a visual teaching aid and meditation tool symbolically representing saṃsāra (or cyclic existence). It is found on the walls of Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries in the Indo-Tibetan region, to help both Buddhists understand the core Buddhist teachings. The image consists of four concentric circles, held by Yama, the lord of Death, with an image of the Buddha pointing to the moon metaphorically representing the possibility for liberation from the suffering of reincarnation.