![]() The central teaching of this Wheel is that our suffering is due to the effects of the three poisons - anger, greed and ignorance to which we are so dearly attached. We have been on Earth before and 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 Deluded Existence. This fragile, multi-dimensional,impermanent painting in sand is layered with outer, inner and secret teachings cultivated to benefit all sentient beings. The size, layout and construction, working from the inside out, necessitate this ability. Years of training to create the symbols and images are subsequently followed by training to create them upside down. Sand painting is not a flippant art and there are many unseen challenges overlooked even by those watching the process. The Wheel of Life is a visual aid helping us to understand this cyclical existence,while offering clear teachings as to why certain choices will simply continue to perpetuate suffering. Our samsara is our daily creation formed by the choices we make. Tibetan Buddhism views life as a cycle of birth, death and rebirth called 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 nature of the human mind, which has a strong tendency toward the illusion of permanence. No two mandalas look the same, 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 created by Losang Samten, August, 2006 in Tahoe City, California and in March, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA.
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