Buddhist Wheel of Life Thangka No 4

The Wheel of Life, or Bhavachakra, is one of the most significant images in Buddhist art — a symbolic painting depicting the endless cycle of birth, suffering, death and rebirth (samsara). At its centre, a pig, snake and rooster represent the three poisons of ignorance, anger and greed. Moving outward, concentric rings illustrate karma, the six realms of existence, and the twelve stages of dependent origination. The whole wheel is held in the grip of Yama, the fierce lord of death, a reminder that all things are impermanent — while outside the wheel, the Buddha points to the moon, showing that liberation is possible. This thangka renders the complete composition in rich, jewel-toned pigments on a deep purple brocade mount with a golden hanging ribbon. Thangkas are traditional Tibetan Buddhist scroll paintings used as visual teaching tools and objects of meditation, painted according to precise iconographic traditions passed down through generations of trained artists. Each is carefully hand painted with natural dyes and colourings, and has been painstakingly constructed by extremely skilled artists in Nepal. This thangka is unique and has been handmade by artisans in Nepal. Produced under Fair Trade principles, each one supports the skilled makers behind the work.