THE WHEEL OF LIFE. 267 



interpretation of which has formed a subject of much controversy 

 amongst Western scholars. 



The three original sins are depicted as («) a pig, which has hold 

 of the tail of {b) acock, which has seized the tail of (c) a snake, which in 

 its turn has hold of the pig's tail, thus forming a circle which revolves 

 continuously around the world. The piff symbolizes the ignorance 

 of stupidity; the cock, animal desire or lust; and the snake, anger.^ 

 If these three sins be avoided, then virtue results and merit is 

 accumulated. 



The causes of re-birth — the Nidanas — are categorically given as 

 twelve in the form of a linked chain, the result of the first cause being 

 the cause of the second, and so on; the ultimate result being sufFering.^ 

 The illustrations with their lamaic paraphrases are : — 



I. — A blind old woman groping her way ' = marig-pa (Skt. 

 Avitlyd) or "want of knowledge," which is the cardinal 



' These sins are tlins depicted by Sir E. Aenold in The Light of Asia, p. 364 : — 



" Patigha— Sa^e— 

 With serpeuts coiled about her waist, which suck 

 Poisonous milk from both her hanging dugs, 

 And with her curses mix their angry hiss. 

 Then followed iJuparaga- Lust of Days — 

 That sensual sin which out of greed for life 

 Forgets to live ; and Lust of Fame * * * (and) Fiend of Pride 



*#*#** and — Ignot'anre — the Dam 

 Of Fear and Wrong, Avidya, hideous hag 

 Whose footsteps left the midnight darker." 



' Sir E. Aenold (loc, cit., p. 165) thus expresses the Nidanas : — 



" Whirling on the Wheel, 



Avidi/a— Delusion — Sets those snares. 



Delusion breeds Sanlhdra, Tendency 



Perverse; Tendency Energy — Tidnndn— 



Whereby comes Namarupa, local form 



And name and bodiment, bringing the man 



With senses naked to the sensible, 



A helpless mirror of all shows which pass 



Across his heart, and so Vedand grows 



' Sense-Hfe ' — false in its gladness, fell in sadness ; 



But sad or glad, the Mother of Desire, 



Trishna, that thirst which makes the living drink 



Deeper and deeper of the false salt waves 



Whereon they float, pleasures, ambitions, wealth. 



Praise, fame, or domination, conquest, love; 



Rich meats and robes and fair abodes and pride 



Of ancient lines, and lust of days and strife 



To live, and sins that flow from strife, some sweet, 



Some bitter. Thus Life's thirst quenches itself 



With draughts which double thirst." 



" In the older pictures a man, who represents Buddha, is guiding the blind woman. 

 But as the Ajanta painting gives for this a man leading a (blind) camel, it is 

 evident that the Lamas constructed their picture from a written description, 

 and interpreted the word nga-mo (rnga-mo), a camel -an animal practically 

 unknown in Central Tibet — as ga-mo (rgad-mo) " an old woman." 



