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Morgan Hunter
Professor Peter Barr
Contemplation and Action
3 February 2015
Symbols of Religion
The Wheel of Life and Shiva as the Lord of Dance are both symbols of different
religions. They are different in the ways that they look and are made. Both symbols are different
in the places they are located and when they were made. The two objects represent different
values and beliefs based on the religion that they represent. The style and details of the objects
are very different and unique. With the differences of the two objects they are similar in some
ways also. The salvation, subject matter, and shapes are similar in both objects.
Shiva as the Lord of Dance and The Wheel of Life are made differently from one
another. Shiva as the Lord of Dance is a statue. The Wheel of Life is a silk applique. Shiva as the
Lord of Dance is a copper alloy statue that stands at 26 7/8 inches high. The Wheel of Life stands
at 111.5x80 inches. The location and times the symbols were made are different. Shiva as the
Lord of Dance is located in Tamil Nadu, India. The Wheel of Life is located 1,509 miles away in
Eastern Tibet, China. They are located in the same continent, but different countries. Shiva as the
Lord of Dance was developed during the Chola period (ca.860-1279), which is the 11th century.
Meanwhile, 600 years later, The Wheel of Life was created. The Wheel of Life was created
around 1800 and now can be found in the Birmingham Museum of Art.
The two symbols are similar because they both represent religions, but they represent
different religions. Shiva as the Lord of Dance is a symbol of the religion Hindu. By Hinduism
being represented by Shiva, the religion Buddhism is represented by The Wheel of Life. The
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images on The Wheel of Life describe Buddhism. The sculpture Shiva as the Lord of Dance
shows that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. The sculpture represents the triads of Gods that
Hindus believe in. The Wheel of Life shows that the Buddhism faith do not believe in a God.
Shiva as the Lord of Dance and The Wheel of Life share the same purpose and stature in
a way. When looked at, Shiva as the Lord of Dance shows Shiva with three arms open. The open
arm expresses the different meanings of Hinduism. When The Wheel of Life is viewed, the arms
of Yama are open to show the wheel of Buddhism. The purpose of Shiva as the Lord of Dance is
to inform people of Hinduism faith and those that are non-Hindu about the beliefs about
Hinduism. The Wheel of Life also serves the purpose of being instructional and informative
about Buddhism beliefs.
A thing that is similar in both pieces of work is the shape. When looked at carefully, both
symbols show a shape of continuity-a circle. When looked upon, the statue, Shiva as the Lord of
Dance has a ring of fire around it. The Wheel of Life is a ring. The way the realms are arranged,
forms a ring. The ring is a symbol of continuity of what Buddhism faith believes in the order of
life. Compared together, both pieces of work symbolize the circle of life.
The detail and subject matter are different in each object. When comparing the two
objects, Shiva as the Lord of Dance details are simple to view. It is easy to view and follow. The
Wheel of Life on the other hand is complex and intricate. It is very detailed with different
pictures describing The Wheel of Life. When looking at The Wheel Life, it may look easy to
understand, but it is hard to follow. The pictures explain the six different desires. Looking at
Shiva as the Lord of Dance, the statue contains three arms with hands open, legs with one foot in
the air, while being surrounded by the Prabhamandala. Each meaning pertains to the Hindu
religion. The foot pointed out is Gaja hasta. It provides refuge for the troubled soul. The third
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arm is Abjaya. It removes fear, protects, and preserves. Damaru is the hand drum that issued the
primordial vibrating sound of creation. Agni represents the consuming of fire of dynamic
destruction. The subject matter of The Wheel of Life is the six domains of desire. The Wheel of
Life is divided into six realms. The realms represent the six desires that Buddhism faith believes
in. Deva is the realm of bliss. Asura represents the realm of demigods. The realm based on
passion, desire, doubt, and pride is Manussa which is known as the human realm. Tiryagyoni is
the animal realm. The hungry ghost realm is Preta and is based on strong possessiveness. The
sixth realm is Naraka which is hell. It is based on strong states of hatred cultivated in a previous
life. Each realm represents something different.
Not only do the objects represent the religion they are a part of, but they represent what
the religion believes in. Each believes in salvation in a similar way. Hinduism and Buddhism
believe in three ways to reach salvation. Shiva as the Lord of Dance represents Marga. Marga
has three parts in reaching salvation- Bhakti, Jnana, and Karma. Bhakti means the way if
devotion and self-surrender to God. Jnana means the way of knowledge and karma means the
way of action. The Wheel of Life represents Magga. Just like Marga, Magga also has three parts
of reaching salvation. They are Wisdom, Ethical Conduct, and Meditation. Wisdom contains
Samma ditthi and Samma sankappa. Ethical Conduct involves Samma vaca, Samma kammanta,
and Samma ajiva. The last part, meditation includes Samma vayama, Samma sati, and Samma
Samadhi.
The Wheel of Life and Shiva as the Lord of dance are both symbols. They each represent
different religions and beliefs. The objects are different in the way that they look and are made.
Their values and styles are very different from one another. With their differences, they are also
similar in some ways. With the differences and similarities, each object is unique in its own way.
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