Bhava: Existence – a couple engaged in intercourse or a standing reflective person Jāti: Rebirth – a woman giving birth Jarāmaraṇa: Aging and Death – a corpse being carried Bhavacakra Thangka paintings usually contain an inscription on the bottom explaining the process that keeps us in Samsara and how to reverse that process according to the teaching of the Buddha that said: I have shown you the path that leads to liberation But you should know that liberation depends upon yourself. The Wheel of Life is also known as: Wheel of becoming Wheel of cyclic existence Wheel of existence Wheel of rebirth Wheel of Saṃsāra Wheel of suffering Wheel of transformation A beautiful book that we suggest for a more detailed analysis of the symbolism of the Bhavachakra is The Tibetan Wheel of Existence: An Introduction by Jacqueline Dunnington, published and distributed by Tibet House US. A monograph on the famous Buddhist icon with seventeen color plates illustrating this fundamental teaching device created by the Buddha.