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Contemplation and reflection on these images as well as ideas can help people in their personal growth because they are a powerful mirror of the human condition. No matter how difficult the circumstances of one's life are at any given moment, the possibility of true liberation is always present. There is a fixation on external beauty and an absence of appreciation for the inner beauty.Each of these sections also has the image of a radiant Buddha offering hope to every person on the journey. Deluded pride abounds in the heavenly realm. They are always coveting what their neighbor has and are even willing to go to war to get it. Jealousy permeates the realm of the demi-gods. Never satisfied, they are constantly in pursuit of more. In the area of the hungry ghosts the prevailing attitude is greed and stinginess. If not hunting or being hunted they are subject to serving humankind.In the realm of karmic hell one faces the consequences of the presence of the three poisons in their life. Within the animal kingdom, due to their predatory nature, we see the predominance of fear. In the realm of human existence we are subject to attachment during the birth, growth, death cycle. This circle is comprised of six realms sections that illustrate life situations and their main conditions which result from the effects of these three poisons in our life. On the light side are representations of those seeking to lessen the effects of the poisons and on the dark side are those figures suffering due to the presence and intensity of the three. From this stems the yin and yang, dark and light areas surrounding the center. The center of the Wheel of Life holds the three poisons - the snake representing anger, the rooster, greed and the boar, ignorance - on a background of blue, which symbolizes the nature of the human mind. The central teaching of this Wheel is thatour suffering is due to the effects of the threepoisons - anger, greed and ignorance to which we are so dearlyattached. We have been on Earth beforeand will return again not as punishment but as a way to learn howto improve ourselves as well as to help other people improve thequality of their lives. This mandala is called The Wheel of Life or The Wheel of DeludedExistence. ![]() This fragile, multi-dimensional,impermanent painting in sand is layered with outer, inner and secretteachings cultivated to benefit all sentient beings. The size, layout and construction, workingfrom the inside out, necessitate this ability. Years of trainingto create the symbols and images are subsequently followed by trainingto create them upside down. Sand painting is not a flippant art and there are many unseen challengesoverlooked even by those watching the process. The Wheel of Lifeis a visual aid helping us to understand this cyclical existence,while offering clear teachings as to why certain choices will simplycontinue to perpetuate suffering. Our samsara isour daily creation formed by the choices we make. Tibetan Buddhism views life as a cycle of birth, death and rebirthcalled samsara. The medium of sand, however, reminds the viewer ofthe ultimate impermanence of this existence as well as of all things. ![]() The same symbols,characters and designs are used, yet not in a rigid duplication.The mandala reflects back to us much information about the natureof the human mind, which has a strong tendency toward the illusionof permanence. No two mandalas look thesame, yet each is exactly the same in concept. The Wheel of Life is 2,500 years old and was a gift from Buddha.When Losang Samten brought this gift to the United States he wasthe first to create this mandala in sand. What follows is an explanation of the Wheel of Life Mandala createdby Losang Samten, August, 2006 in Tahoe City, California and in March, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA. In essence, mandalas represent enlightened qualities, and are an important form of teaching in Vajrayana Buddhism to support living beings on the path to enlightenment.Ĭlick one of the mandalas below to learn more about it and to see the image in more detail. Mandalas are used to enhance spiritual practice through imagery and meditation to overcome suffering by healing a person's body, speech, mind, as well as the healing environment. The colors and designs of each mandala have profound meaning originating in the ancient teachings of the Buddha, and have remained identical to these original teachings over the centuries, with each color being an antidote to specific negative emotions. Every aspect of the mandala has meaning and nothing is arbitrary or superfluent. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning circle, and in Tibetan is called kyil-khor, which means essence and circle. ![]() The Tibetan art form of sand painting is an ancient and sacred practice intended to uplift and benefit not only every person who sees it, but also to bless the environment.
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