The Wheel of Life thangka is a depiction of how a deluded state of mind imprisons us within the circle of sufferings.

The Center of the Wheel: The 3 Delusions

Towards the center of this thangka, in a small circle are the three animals namely a pig, a rooster and a snake.

These three animals represent the three major delusions or the causes of sufferings. Each of them represents:
Pig: Ignorance
Snake: Anger
Rooster: Desire/ Attachment
As both the snake and rooster as shown as arising from the mouth of a pig, it indicates that both the destructive nature of desire and anger arises due to Ignorance. In some other paintings, all three of them form a ring to indicate the interdependent nature of all three delusions.

Then 2nd Wheel:

This wheel represents the Intermediate State, Bardo. It is divided into black and the white section. In the White section are depicted the future human, gods and demi gods who are directed towards the upper realm while the beings in the black section are the hell beings, animals and the hungry ghosts, being directed towards the lower realms.

Find out more about the 42 Peaceful and 58 Wrathful Deities of Bardo.

The Realms Wheel: The 6 Realms

The 3rd wheel of the thangka is further segmented into Six sections. Each section represents an individual realm:

Since our actions of body, speech and mind are caused by the initiation of our mental intentions, these six realms are too, the creation of our own mind. They can be understood as the different states of our consciousness as we experience different kinds of sufferings.

The Six Sages of the Six Realms:

There are six sages or Buddhas who resides in each of these realms of Samsara. Each of them are distinctively different in colors and hold unique attributes to help the beings of each realm from the sufferings.

Sage of the gods (Indra Sakra): White in color and holds a Sitar (musical instrument) and he subdues the pride of gods and relieves their sufferings.

Sage of Splendid Fabric (Vemacitra) : He is blue in color and resides in the realm of demigods to subdue their jealousy and relieve their sufferings. He holds a sword.

Sage of Splendid Lion (Sthirasimha), resides in the animal realm to subdue the defilement of ignorance. Green in color, he holds a dharma text.

Sovereign of Dharma (Yama Dharmaraja) resides in the hell realm and he subdues the defilement of hatred. He is brown in color and holds a conch shell.

Sage of Flaming mouth (Jvalamukha) resides in the hungry ghost realm to subdue the defilement of the miserliness. He is red in color and holds a small casket.

Sage of the Shakya’s (Shakyamuni), abides in the human realm. He is yellow in color and holds a monk’ staff and a bowl.

The Gods Realm:

This realm lies directly beneath the face of the Yama in the thangka. There are the depiction of Gods, residing in their kingdom and living their life lavishly. They enjoy the perfect health, wealth and comfort but are distracted far away from the idea of practicing Dharma.

As shown in the thangka, the gods up in the sky are battling with the demigods (down in the ground). Their king, Indra rides an multi headed elephant with his men to fight against the demigods.

The Demi-Gods Realm:

This realm lies next to the God’s realm to its right. They are also called Asuras and are portrayed as battling a war against Gods. As they are fighting, many of them are dead or severely injured by the attacks from the God’s realm. There are blood pools formed by their dead bodies.

Why are the Gods and the Demi gods fighting?

In the Wheel of life thangka, the beings of these two realms are shown as fighting against each other. This is because of the Wish Fulling Tree. As shown here, the tree is depicted in such a way that the lower half of it belongs to the demi-god realm while the upper half belongs to the gods.

This indicates that only Gods are being able to enjoy the fruits of the tree which is the reason why demi-gods are dissatisfied. And they decide to set a war against them and even try to cut the precious tree out of jealousy.

The Animal Realm:

Down next to the Demi god realm lies the kingdom of animals. Here are portrayed the different kinds of animals. These animals suffer because of their limited intelligences and always fear of being chased and eaten by the other animal.  Also, they are heavily used and abused for their labor by humans. They are also consistently exposed under strong sunlight and harsh cold wind, rain and other extreme conditions.

The Hell Realm:

This Realm lies in the middle of the lower section of the wheel. The hells are not a punishment by a creator, but a direct consequence of one’s own karma. Once the karma is exhausted, beings are reborn elsewhere. There are four major divisions of hells. Each of those is then subdivided into additional classes. The four main divisions are:

• Hot hells (8 individual levels)

• Cold hells (8 individual levels)

• Ephemeral or diverse hells 

Neighboring hells

In the middle of the hell realm is the Lord of Death, Yama. He is depicted as seated inside his palace, attended by his minions. He holds a Stick and a mirror in his hands. And before him, is a recently deceased being. His past deeds are reflected in the mirror of Yama and are weighed in the scales. There are extreme levels of pain that the hell beings have to suffer. 

The Hungry Ghost Realm:

This Realm is the one next to the hell realm. The beings here are also called the hungry spirits as they are constantly suffered from the insatiable pain of hunger and thirst. They are depicted as having smaller neck but bigger bellies. Some of them have their necks tied into knots and they experience the hindrance while feeding on foods.

The Human Realm:

This is considered to be the most fortunate realm of all. Human beings are depicted as enjoying the utmost amount of freedom. They cultivate wisdom and learn the necessary morals needed to control the roots of sufferings. They are suffered by the four main causes of sufferings which are birth, growing old, sick and ultimately the death. Along with these sufferings, beings are also haunted by uncertainty, jealousy, frustration and dissatisfaction.

The 12 Links of Dependent Origination:

This is the outermost circle of the wheel. The rim is further divided into 12 sections where each section is directly linked with another one in a chain, representing a dependent arising. These 12 link is one of the most important philosophical doctrines of Buddhism. It has the most profound meaning, deeply defined in all schools of Buddhism. 

1. Ignorance (Avidya): represented by an old and blind person (On the top most left)
2. Compositional Actions (Sanskar): represented by a person making potteries
3. Consciousness (Bigyan): A monkey climbs up and down of a tree
4. Name and Form (Nama-Rupa): Men rowing a boat on water
5. Six Sources (Sadayatana): Represented by an empty house with Six windows
6. Contact (Sparsha): A man and woman embracing each other
7. Feelings (Vedana): a man is shot with an arrow on his eyes
8. Craving (Trishna): A man indulges in alcohol
9. Grasping (Upadana): A man grabbing a fruit from a tree
10. Existence (Bhava): Sexual Copulation
11. Birth (Jati): A baby is being born
12. Aging and Death (Jara- Maran): Depiction of a man carrying a dead body for cremation 

An interesting account, depicts a story of a Shakyamuni Buddha when he was giving teachings on these 12 links and the dependent origination for the first time. One of his disciples told him that he fully understood this topic. To this, Shakyamuni mildly chastised him and said that if one fully understood this wonderful doctrine, he would attain Nirvana and be free from this cyclic existence (Wheel of Life).

Outside the Mandala

Even when there is this recurring cycle of existence, there is another realm outside of this wheel. 

The Wheel of Life is held in the grasp of Yama, the Lord of Death, who represents the impermanence of all things. This imagery serves as a reminder that no experience within the cycle of samsara is permanent, and that all beings are subject to change, decay, and death.

However, the art of Bhavacakra also offers hope. In the upper left corner, outside the wheel, is depicted the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, one of the five Dhyani Buddhas. He represents the possibility of liberation and the attainment of Nirvana.

Shakyamuni Buddha, pointing towards the Pure Land, symbolizes the path to enlightenment and the potential for freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

This imagery serves as a powerful reminder that while samsara is fraught with suffering, there is a way out—a path that leads to the cessation of suffering and the realization of true, lasting peace.

The Divyavadana final Stanza Explanation

“Undertaking this and leaving that,
Enter into the teaching of the Buddha
Like an elephant in a thatch house
Destroy the forces of the lord of Death.
Those who with thorough conscientiousness
Practice this disciplinary doctrine
Will forsake the wheel of Birth
Bringing suffering to an end”

These lines explain how one can eliminate all the sufferings completely by practicing. Just like a powerful elephant can destroy a fragile hut, a enlightened being can overcome the Lord of Death and attain Nirvana.

How the Six Realms Reflect Human Psychology 

One of the powerful interpretations of the wheel is psychological. You don’t need to die to enter these realms; you experience them daily.

God realm (Deva) – Feeling blissful, proud, or overly comfortable: A state of happiness and ease, but often disconnected from reality or growth 

Demi-God realm (Asura) – Feeling jealous, competitive, or insecure: Constant compassion, rivalry, and the need to prove yourself

Animal realm – Feeling lazy, confused, or on autopilot:  Acting out of habit without awareness or deeper thinking

Hell realm (Naraka) – Feeling anger, hatred, or emotional pain: Intense suffering fueled by rage or negativity 

Hungry Ghost realm (Preta) – Feeling addicted, craving, or never satisfied: Endless desire, whether for food, attention, money, or validation

Human realm – Feeling balanced, aware, and reflective: A grounded state where growth, learning, and mindfulness are possible

This makes the 6 realms of existence in Buddhism incredibly relevant today. 

One of the most important teachings here is impermanence. Even the hell realm does not last forever. No state, whether it’s a blissful heavenly realm or a painful hell, continues endlessly. This truth, known as anicca (impermanence), runs through all six realms and offers a quiet but powerful sense of hope: no matter how difficult things feel, they can change.