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| Wheel of life |
| The Wheel of Life, most commonly seen at monastery entrances, is essentially a pictorial representation of how desire chains us to samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Wheel is held in the mouth of Yama, the Lord of Death. The inner circle of desire shows a cockerel (desire) biting a pig (ignorance) biting a snake (hatred or anger). A second ring is divided into figures ascending through the realms on the left and descending on the right. The six inner sectors of the Wheel symbolize the six realms of rebirth - gods, battling titans and humans (the upper realms) and hungry ghosts, hell and animals (the lower realms). All beings are reborn through this cycle dependent upon their karma. In each realm Buddha attempts to convey his teachings (the dharma). The 12 outer segments depict the 12 experiences of life. |
| next : 没有了 |
| Before : Tsongkapas Religious Reform and the Emergence of the Gelugpa Sect a Political Power |
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