Pureland Buddhism and the mandala of Bhavachakra /sansara-chakra (The wheel of life)

 

Pure Land Buddhism adds mystical elements to the basic Buddhist teachings which make those teachings easier (and more comforting) to work with., especially for the layman. Pure Land Buddhism offers a way to enlighten people who can't handle the subtleties of meditation, endure long rituals, or just live especially good lives.

The essential practice in Pure Land Buddhism includes faith and trust and a personal relationship with Amitabha Buddhais, trusting that one will be reborn in the Sukhavati - The Pure Land,.

Bhavachakra (The wheel of life) is a common mandala seen in the monasteries.

At the center are the figures of a pig rooster, and a snake representing ignorance, clinging, and aversion, the three poisons described in Buddhism.

There is a circle representing the sex realms of gods, demons, animals, hell, hungry ghosts, humans, and gods.

The gods and the demons also depict degrees of happiness and suffering. Because the Tree of Life has its trunk in the demi-gods realm, but its fruit in the realm of the gods, the demons jealously want the fruit that isn’t theirs. The gods though, in ignorance, are arrogant that they will live in their reign enjoying happiness forever. A prolonged life of ease, comfort, and riches leads to moral and spiritual decay will come to an end.  Because the Tree of Life has its trunk in the demon's realm, but its fruit in the realm of the gods, the demons jealously want the fruit that isn’t theirs. The demons are fueled by an overwhelming sense of envy and jealousy of the Gods above them. These strong emotions often generate and even propel other feelings of anger and violence. The privileged gods have is not their own and depend on others as well and this brings jealousy in the equals who do do have the privilege, the demons, the demi-gods, like the politicians hungry for power. All forms of life are still bound and found within this structure of life, and all forms of life are affected by the three destructive poisons of the inner circle, desire, ignorance, and anger. These realms represent the mental states of arrogance and jealousy.

 

From demons they can descent to the realm of the animals where there is lack of intelligence, engrossed in the functioning in the day to day humdrum.  

In the hell, there is the extremes of the burning hot as well as blistering cold. It is dark in hell like the long depression causing wounds in our souls just like the blisters and open wounds created by the burning heat and frosting cold. Here all life has to offer is torture and punishment.

In the realm of the hungry ghosts, there is insatiable pain of hunger and thirst. It is a realm of anxiety, worry and dissatisfaction with what we have. They are depicted as having smaller necks but bigger bellies. Some of them have their necks tied into knots and they experience the hindrances while feeding on foods.  

There there is the realm of the humans. It is a great previlidge to be human. Because being free from the depressing hell and anguish of the instability of the hungry ghosts, we can better understand the world and work harder to reach the level of gods or even strive for the transcendence.

There is the intermediate circle of the realms of the black and white. It is the transcendental state just like the yin-yang of the Tao. It is called the Bardo stage. Bardo stage is described as the intermediate stage the soul goes to just after leaving the body and this stage can be harnessed to transcend the cycle of the life and death. This can be understood as the equanimity and understanding the flaw of the binaries and extremes that can easy transcend us from the mental realm that we are in. It can be attained by meditation on the true nature of the world - inpermanence, dissatisfaction and noon-self.

The outer circle represents the 12 links of dependent co-arising. Nothing in the world exists in isolation and vacuum. It depends on the causes, conditions, and context. 

1. Ignorance (Avidya): represented by an old and blind person.
2. Mental violations/formation (Sanskar): represented by a person making potteries. (All our mental fromations arises from the ignorance)
3. Consciousness (Bigyan): A monkey climbs up and down a tree. ( The mind that says it knows it all and wants to control everything around it is in essence a monkey mind with no consistency in thought and action, utterly unreliable. )
4. Name and Form (Nama-Rupa): Men rowing a boat on water.
5. Six Sources (Sadayatana): Represented by an empty house with Six windows
6. Contact (Sparsha): A man and woman embracing each other
7. Feelings (Vedana): A man is shot with an arrow on his eyes
8. Craving (Trishna): A man indulges in alcohol
9. Clinging (Upadana): A man grabbing a fruit from a tree
10. Becoming (Bhava): Sexual Copulation
11. Birth (Jati): A baby is being born
12. Aging and Death (Jara- Maran): Depiction of men carrying a dead body for cremation

The Wheel of Life is held by the Lord of Death, Yama. His other name is Kala, meaning Time.  The Lord of Death, firmly holds all that exists with the sharp claws of its four arms and legs. There is no escape from these gripping claws. As the Lord of death,Yamataka assures that no matter how long or brief all the realms of the mental states ends and another mental state arises . There is no escape of this cycle of samsara. This is repicted as being is reborn in one of the six realms. Thus, the cycle of life and death continues. It represents the cycle of multiple states of mind.

The depiction of the Lord of Death who is holding this entire Wheel of Life within his fangs and claws also symbolizes that impermanence pervades this cyclic existence. And none of the experience in any of these realms will last forever. Though the Lord of Death appears fierceful and it is hard to escape from the cycle of suffering and samsara that he grips, it can also be understood that all the mental realms are transient and destined to end be it pleasant or unpleasant. Nothing lasts forever. Time heals your wound. And if you are not diligent time will lead you to trouble. 

And in each realm, there is a depiction of one Bodhisattva ( The enlightened beings who did not enter Buddhahood but chose to stay in the samsara to deliver the sentient beings from suffering), there to for help and assistance. It shows that there is hope in every realms, however gruesome the picture may be, even in hell.

The last lines in Tibetan script explain how one can eliminate all the suffering of the cycle of samsara following the teaching of the Buddha. Just like a powerful elephant can destroy a fragile hut, an enlightened being can overcome the cycle of the samsara Lord of Death holds and attain Nirvana. 

Transcending the various mental states with tranquility and equanimity is reaching the Pure Land, separate and untouched by the cycles of the samsara.  This is depicted by the portrayal of Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land (Sukha-vati) on the top right corner of this mandala. On the left side is the Buddha (a fully awakened one) pointing towards the Amitabha land, symbolizing the immense possibility of attaining Nirvana and being completely free from Samsara (the cycle). That is what Buddha teaches us. To transcend our minds.

 

Hence, the Wheel of Life represents the first noble truths of suffering and the causes of suffering. The figures outside the wheel represent the other two noble truths: the cessation of suffering and the path of enlightenment.

Picture sources:

https://enlightenmentthangka.com/products/wheel-of-life-thangka-print

Notes another famous tantra mandala : Kalachakra tantra.

I first saw it in a documentary by the same name featuring the Kalachakra tantra ceremony in Dharmasala in the presence of the Dalai Lama.

Here, learned sand mandala artists ( who have studied for several years) create a sand mandala of Kalachakra tantra. After contemplating and worshiping it for several days, at the end of the ceremony is it swept and collected in a vessel and thrown in the river, symbolizing the impermanent nature of the existence.

Although at first glance mandala seems to be a flat surface, but in reality, it is actually three-dimensional, with a five-storied heavenly mansion, and at the center of this mandala stands the Kalachakra deity himself with his female deity ( representing wisdom and compassion), the manifest state of Enlightenment. The five stories are the stages of body, speech, mind, wisdom, and bliss. 

Picture sourse: https://www.himalayasshop.com