Wheel of Life Thangka
The Wheel of Life describes the cause of all evil and its effects, mirrored in earthly phenomena. Picture by picture it reminds one that everyone is their own judge and responsible for their own fate. The ultimate purpose of this painting is to show the way out of the world of suffering into the sphere beyond, which is known as Nirvana.
Often painted on the exterior walls of Buddhist monasteries, The Wheel of Life can be considered the very essence of the Buddhist philosophy as it offers insights into some of its most important concepts. It depicts and explains the cyclic nature of re-incarnation and the different aspects of our perceived reality. It also shows the importance our actions have on our existence - or what we like to call Karma.
According to the ancient texts, the original model for the Wheel of life was painted over the gateway of the Veluvana Bihara at Rajagriha on the instructions of the Buddha himself, who indicated exactly how the work should be done.
The Buddha was inspired by the activities of one of his chief disciples, Maudgalyayana . Thanks to his mastery of psychic powers, Maudgalyayana was able to visit all beings in the different realms of existence, and to see them in different states of pain or pleasure; as a result, he became aware of the causes of these different states. The Buddha realized that there were not enough people like Maudgalyayana to teach all those who needed to hear his teaching. He, therefore, instructed his disciples to paint the Wheel of Life, a depiction of the different realms of existence, and their underlying processes, at the entrance to every monastery. The picture is not strictly a literal account of worldly existence, but is effective in that it appeals to our imagination with its rich and powerful imagery.
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Size with Brocade: 21" / 53 cm (width) x 26"/ 66 cm (height)
Canvas Size : 12" / 30 cm (width) x 15 "/ 38 cm (height)
Materials: Cotton Canvas, Acrylic Colors, Genuine 24K Gold
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THIS THANGKA IS HAND-PAINTED IN THE TRADITIONAL STYLE AND THE QUALITY IS HIGH
