Wheel of Life (Reduk) – handmade thanka painting from Nepal

Description

Wheel of Life (Riduk) is the traditional representation of the samsaric cycle of existence. It is a complex symbolic representation of samsara in the form of a circle, found primarily in Tibetan Buddhist art. Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, life, and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment. Other Names of Wheel Of life can be seen as Wheel of Bhavacakra, Wheel of existence, Wheel of becoming, Wheel of rebirth, Wheel of samsara, Wheel of suffering, Wheel of transformation. The Wheel of Life is pictured as being command by the jaws, hands, and feet of a fearsome figure who turns the wheel. The exact identity of the figure varies. A common selection for the figure is Yama, the god of death or Kala the lord of time. This figure is additionally referred to as the “Face of Glory” or Kirtimukha. The outer rim of the wheel is divided into twelve sections and given such names as the Twelve Interdependent Causes and Effects or the Twelve Links of causality.