The Six Realms of Existence

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:23:43 +0200

The six realms (sad-gati, “six destinations”) are where beings are reborn. They are the standard Tibetan and East Asian presentation of Buddhist cosmology, and what the wheel of life depicts in its six segments.

The Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:24:40 +0200

The bhavachakra, “wheel of becoming,” is painted at the entrance of most Tibetan monasteries, usually on the wall of the porch so that it is the first thing seen on the way in and the last on the way out. It is the most complete visual summary of Buddhist doctrine ever devised: dependent origination, karma, the six realms, the three poisons, and the possibility of release, in a single image.

Buddhist Cosmology on Buddhist Resources

The Six Realms of Existence

The Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra)