The idea of Samsara or “together flow” lies at the center of Buddhist philosophy. The working of the Wheel of Existence as a concept with its components- birth, Karma, death, rebirth, and maturing of the fruit of actions (Karma Phala) finds a mention in the Kathavatthu, Avadanas, and Jatakas, where the notion of Kamma or Karma associated with every living being and leading to their movement- upward or downward in the cycle of life was outlined and narrated to the 7 monks and laypersons. According to these texts, those who collected good deeds attained suggati (good states), and those who could not, were caught in duggati (bad states). Interestingly, Buddha suggests placing the Wheel of Existence or Bhava-Chakra at the entrance of a monastery, where the visitors might get a chance to observe and ask questions related to the imageries, to answer which, a monk has to be appointed.
In this splendid Kalachakra or Bhava-Chakra Thangka, the Wheel of Life in the grasp of the Kaalchakra deity forms the central theme. Different levels of existence have been intricately painted, with a degree of liveliness in each element, adding a moving liveliness to the canvas. With the flow of the world coming alive on one plane, the mind travels through each of them, only to find a way out in taking refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha- a simple message embodied in the intricate diagram of this Thangka.
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