Bhavacakra
History, Heritage & Religion

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The Bhavacakra or Wheel of Becoming is a complex symbolic representation of Samsara in the form of a circle. Used primarily in Tibetan Buddhism. Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, life, and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment.

The wheel is divided into six sections which represent the Six realms (or Worlds) of Existence. These Six Worlds are:

The World of Devas or Gods
The World of Asuras
The World of Humans
The World of Animals
The World of Pretas (Hungry Ghosts)
The World of Hell

The World of Devas is always at the very top of the wheel. The World of Asuras and the World of Humans are always in the top half of the wheel, bordering the World of Devas on opposite sides, but which of the two is on the left and which is on the right varies (leading to two different arrangements of the wheel). The World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts is always in the bottom half of the wheel, with the World of Animals bordering the World of Humans and the World of Hungry Ghosts bordering the World of Asuras. Between the World of Animals and the World of Hungry Ghosts, at the very bottom of the wheel, is the World of Hell.

Relevance to Kyokai no Rinne

The wheel itself plays an important role in the series. It is the physical location where deceased souls are taken to to determine what their reincarnation will be.