The Tibetan Wheel of Life
This is the Tibetan Wheel of Life. It is the only painting that the Buddha says must be in every monastery. It shows what the Buddha understood when he became enlightened.
The inner circle shows three animals biting each other in a ring. This represents the Three Poisions: greed, hatred and ignorance.
The circle just outside is split in two. The left, light side shows figures doing good deeds. This will give them good kamma, meaning better rebirths, and move them closer to enlightenment. The right, dark side shows figures committing bad acts which leads them away from enlightenment and towards hell.
The next circle has six panels showing the six states of existence.
The twelve images in the outermost ring show the chain of causality. Each one of these images causes the next. The most important link is at the top: birth causes death.
The figure holding the wheel is the demon Mara.
This cycle of life, death and rebirth is called samsara. It was with understanding this cycle that the Buddha was able to escape the cycle of existence.