Hemis Monastery: Wheel of Rebirth

INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

This large mural depicts the wheel of rebirth, a detailed visual representation of the cycle of samsara. Yama, representing death, holds the top of the wheel in his mouth. He wears a five-skull crown and has three wide eyes. In the center of the wheel, there is an image of Four-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva surrounded by the Six-Syllable Mantra of the Bodhisattva written in Tibetan. Surrounding the six syllables are a rooster, a snake, and a pig, symbolizing the three poisons: greed, hatred, and ignorance. These are the roots of cyclic existence.
The main section of the wheel is divided into six segments depicting the six realms: the realms of heaven, asuras, hungry ghosts, hell, animals, and humans. In the heavenly realm, beings enjoy the fruits of meritorious actions, while the asura realm is home to beings prone to fighting. In the hungry ghost realm, beings are portrayed with throats as fine as a needle and bellies as big as a drum. In the hell realm, beings are punished for evil deeds, while in the animal realm, beings are at the mercy of the senses. In the human realm, beings have the potential to understand reality and become enlightened. In each segment, there are many small figures and a standing Buddha, painted against a background of grass, trees, mountains, and clouds.