The fourth circle reveals how and in what manner sentient beings migrate through cyclic existence. This is the brief explanation of the third circle of the wheel of life. As I stated before, with afflictive emotions as a cause we all cycle again and again through the realms of the six migrating beings through four birthplaces as the basis. Thus all migrating beings take birth by one of these 4 methods. Birth from heat and moisture and all insects and bugs which we observe are born from heat and moisture.Spontaneous-birth is the method of birth for Form and Formless beings of the higher realms.Egg-birth is where the are born from the eggs.Such birth consists of not only human beings but all the mammals having same birth from the womb. Womb-birth is where the consciousness meets with the semen in the mother's womb and delivers the baby.Now in regard to the modes of birth of sentient beings, there are 4 types of birth taught in the Buddhist texts: So, all sentient beings will be reborn as one of six migrating beings. Therefore, if you accumulate virtuous karma you will reborn in a higher state of rebirth and if you accumulate non-virtuous actions they will impel you to one of the three miserable states. The three higher rebirths, those of the human beings, celestial beings and the demigods, are on the upper part of the circumference. The three lower beings are the hungry ghosts, hell beings and animals are depicted on the lower part of the circle. Having identified the cause of cyclic existence, then in which samsaric realms will the six classes of migating beings, the three higher beings and the three miserable beings. Thus, the second circle displays the two different kinds of karma :- Meritorious Karma and Non-meritorious karma. On the white half-circle, monks and laypeople are depicted facing upward with white folded hands and showing the gesture accumulating positive actions, symbolizing how if one accumulates positive actions one will achieve higher rebirth as humans and demigods. Thus, in the black half circle the lord of death drags down those beings who are going to take birth in hell by putting a noose around their neck, which symbolizes how one will go to hell if one accumulates negative deeds. With afflictive emotions as a cause we accumulate these positive or negative karmic actions.Īccumulate of non-meritorious karma impels us to miserable rebirth in the lower realms of the hell beings, hungry ghosts and animals.Īccumulation of meritorious karma impels us into higher rebirth as a human or celestial being. The second circle out from the inner circle is coloured half white and half black, representing respectively positive action or meritorious karma and negative or non-meritorious karma.