Tour of the Wheel of Life

[Ngawang Drolma]

I always enjoy this Interactive Tour of the Buddhist Wheel of Life. I hope someone here might find it useful.

Kindly,
Drolma

[sraddha]

Thanks for the illustrated tour there!

Just shows how many beautiful ways the 12 steps of the Pratitya Samutpada (Pali Patitya Samutpada) can be represented and understood. If you click on the outer edges of the circle, it gives you the pratitya samutpada!

[Prasadachitta]

I think of it as the wheel of Death.

[Ngawang Drolma]

I think of it as the wheel of Death.

[Ngawang Drolma]

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.
-The Buddha

[MJH]

This is great! Thanks for sharing!!

[sraddha]

I'm not sure it's ever referred in any Buddhist text as the "Wheel of Life" (or Death ) It's generally referred to as Pratitya Samutpada or Dependant Co-Arising or "Bhava chakra" cycle of being and becoming, the reverse is the "Nirodha" or cessation cycle.

More on the Pratitya Samutpada or Dependant Co-Arising -

http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/02/22/fea10.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The forward direction [anuloma] describes the arising of dukkha. The reverse [patiloma] is the ceasing of dukkha. Describing an exemplification of the structural fundamental principle beginning with vinnana, he says, 'Consciousness does not go further. It turns back on itself.'