Hand-painted Wheel of Life thangka "Sacred Map of Reincarnation"

This hand-drawn Tibetan Buddhist thangka is made on cotton canvas and showcases the Wheel of Life, representing reincarnation - the cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation caused by karma. At the center, three animals (a pig, a snake, and a rooster) represent ignorance, hatred, and desire, causing sentient beings to fall into pain and suffering.

Surrounding these six domains - gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hellish creatures - each domain has its own pain. The Grim Reaper, the King of Hell, holds a bronze mirror that evokes various states of life and emphasizes the impermanence of life. The wheel is held by the god of death, Yama, symbolizing the impermanence and death of all sentient beings in the cycle of reincarnation. There are twelve parts on the outer edge, which illustrate the twelve stages of the origin of dependence and outline the process of trapping sentient beings in pain.

This thangka is rooted in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and is a sacred tool for meditation and ritual, embodying the profound teachings of chanting mantras and pursuing inner peace.

The colors used in the thangka painting are sourced from minerals like lapis lazuli for blue, cinnabar for red, and malachite for green. These minerals are ground into fine powders and mixed with animal glue to form a vibrant medium.