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Brief description of each link
Table with three columns
The following table provides a brief description of each link, along with the symbol for each link that appears in the bhavacakra.
| Link
|
Description
|
Symbol
|
| Avidya - ignorance
|
Ignorance of the meaning of the Four Noble Truths
|
a blind person groping their way with a cane
|
| Saṃskara - karmic formation
|
The formation of karma: positive, negative and neutral
|
a potter shaping a vase
|
| Vijnana - consciousness
|
The consciousness which propels one towards the next existence
|
a monkey swinging from a tree
|
| Nama-rupa - name and form
|
constituent elements of mental and physical existence
|
two men (or five men) in a boat
|
| Six ayatanas - six sense organs
|
The six senses through which the outer world is perceived
|
a house with six windows
|
| Sparsa - contact
|
The coming together of a sense organ, an object, and a sense consciousness
|
lovers consorting, kissing, or entwined
|
| Vedana - sensation
|
Sensations (pleasant, unpleasant or neutral) arise from sparsa (contact)
|
a person with an arrow in their eye
|
| Trishna - thirst
|
Thirst or craving to hold onto pleasurable sensations, etc.
|
a person drinking or people partying
|
| Upadana - grasping
|
If the object of one's desires comes to fruition, then trishna manifests as upadana (grasping).
|
a man or a monkey picking fruit
|
| Bhava - becoming
|
Through this grasping one creates the karma that determines one’s next existence.
|
a couple embracing, or engaged in intercourse
|
| Jati - birth
|
Through the power of becoming, one is reborn in a particular situation
|
a woman giving birth
|
| Jara-marana - old age and death
|
Following birth, there is aging and death
|
a corpse
|
Table with four columns and briefer descriptions
The following table provides a brief description of each link, along with the symbol for each link that appears in the bhavacakra.
| Sanskrit term
|
English term
|
Description
|
Symbol
|
| Avidya
|
ignorance
|
Ignorance of the meaning of the Four Noble Truths
|
a blind person groping their way with a cane
|
| Saṃskara
|
karmic formation
|
The formation of karma: positive, negative and neutral
|
a potter shaping a vase
|
| Vijnana
|
consciousness
|
The consciousness which propels one towards the next existence
|
a monkey swinging from a tree
|
| Nama-rupa
|
name and form
|
constituent elements of mental and physical existence
|
two men (or five men) in a boat
|
| Six ayatanas
|
six sense organs
|
The six senses through which the outer world is perceived
|
a house with six windows
|
| Sparsa
|
contact
|
The coming together of a sense organ, an object, and a sense consciousness
|
lovers consorting, kissing, or entwined
|
| Vedana
|
sensation
|
Sensations (pleasant, unpleasant or neutral) arise from sparsa (contact)
|
a person with an arrow in their eye
|
| Trishna
|
thirst
|
Thirst or craving to hold onto pleasurable sensations, etc.
|
a person drinking or people partying
|
| Upadana
|
grasping
|
If the object of one's desires comes to fruition, then trishna manifests as upadana (grasping).
|
a man or a monkey picking fruit
|
| Bhava
|
becoming
|
Through this grasping one creates the karma that determines one’s next existence.
|
a couple embracing, or engaged in intercourse
|
| Jati
|
birth
|
Through the power of becoming, one is reborn in a particular situation
|
a woman giving birth
|
| Jarāmaraṇa
|
old age and death
|
Following birth, there is aging and death
|
a corpse
|
Table with four columns
The following table provides a brief description of each link, along with the symbol for each link that appears in the bhavacakra.
| Sanskrit term
|
English term
|
Brief description
|
Symbol
|
| Avidya
|
ignorance
|
Fundamental ignorance of the four noble truths and the delusion of mistakenly perceiving the skandhas as a self.
|
a blind person groping their way with a cane
|
| Saṃskara
|
formation
|
The formation of karma: positive, negative and neutral; this forms the rebirths in the various realms
|
a potter shaping a vase
|
| Vijñāna
|
consciousness
|
The consciousness which propels one towards the next existence
|
a monkey swinging from a tree
|
| Nāmarūpa
|
name and form
|
constituent elements of mental and physical existence
|
two men afloat in a boat
|
| Six ayatanas (saḍāyatana)
|
six sense organs
|
The six senses by which the outer world is perceived
|
a house with six windows
|
| Sparśa
|
contact
|
The coming together of three factors: the sense organ, the sense object, and sense consciousness (vijnana)
|
lovers consorting, kissing, or entwined
|
| Vedanā
|
sensation
|
The pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations that occur when our sense organs (ayatanas) come into contact with external sense objects and the associated consciousness (consciousness)
|
a person with an arrow in their eye
|
| Tṛṣṇa
|
thirst
|
The craving to hold onto pleasurable sensations, to be separated from painful or unpleasant sensations, and for neutral sensations not to decline
|
a person receiving a drink
|
| Upadana
|
grasping
|
If the object of one's desires comes to fruition, then these cravings of tṛṣṇā may solidify and manifest as the quality of upadana (grasping).
|
a man or a monkey picking fruit
|
| Bhava
|
coming to be
|
Through this grasping one acts with body, speech and mind, and creates the karma that determines one’s next existence.
|
a couple engaged in intercourse, a standing, leaping, or reflective person
|
| Jāti
|
being born
|
Through the power of this becoming, one is reborn in a particular birthplace whenever the necessary conditions are assembled.
|
a woman giving birth
|
| Jarāmaraṇa
|
old age and death
|
Following rebirth there is a continual process of aging as the aggregates change and develop; and eventually there is death when the aggregates finally cease.
|
a corpse being carried
|