Legal Samsara
Multiple sizes - special orders available (pls email). The print in the frame is the 12 x 16 inch ( 30.48 x 40.64 cm), shown here in an Ikea 40 x 50 cm frame. It is printed on 310 gsm archival paper with archival inks. It does not come framed.
Hand held image is A5. Printed on 600 gsm Lux card stock.
All prints come with the below explanatory memorandum (see additional information):
Multiple sizes - special orders available (pls email). The print in the frame is the 12 x 16 inch ( 30.48 x 40.64 cm), shown here in an Ikea 40 x 50 cm frame. It is printed on 310 gsm archival paper with archival inks. It does not come framed.
Hand held image is A5. Printed on 600 gsm Lux card stock.
All prints come with the below explanatory memorandum (see additional information):
Multiple sizes - special orders available (pls email). The print in the frame is the 12 x 16 inch ( 30.48 x 40.64 cm), shown here in an Ikea 40 x 50 cm frame. It is printed on 310 gsm archival paper with archival inks. It does not come framed.
Hand held image is A5. Printed on 600 gsm Lux card stock.
All prints come with the below explanatory memorandum (see additional information):
Explanatory Memorandum
Samsara, loosely translated means ‘wandering, cycles of aimless drifting or mundane existence’ and is associated with Buddhist or karmic cycles. In those beliefs, the ‘wheel of life’ is the visual representation of the samsara teaching cycles.
Legal Samsara is the visualisation of the ‘legal wheel of life’. The elements of the wheel are loosely described as follows:
The inner ring shows the 3 stages of legal life; the study, the practice and the abandonment.
Next is the ring of karma, the light and the dark. Lawyers are propelled by the decisions they make in the karma cycle and take rebirth in one of the six realms of legal samsara, the next layer of the circle.
The Six Legal Realms, from highest to lowest are:
The God Realm. Wikipedia says ‘the gods lead long and enjoyable lives full of pleasure and abundance, but spend their lives pursuing meaningless distractions and never think to practice the dharma. When death comes to them, they are completely unprepared; without realising it, they have completely exhausted their good karma and they suffer through being reborn in the lower realms. Comforting that.
The Demi Gods (barristers, solicitors, the registry and associates) spend their time fighting among themselves or making war on the gods. When they make war on the gods, they always lose.
The Human Lawyer Realm is where the struggle is real. In this realm we float and wander, experiencing all shades of clients, promotions and f**k ups.
The Animal Realm is where wild animals suffer from being attacked and eaten by other animals, usually in the Magistrates Court.
The Hungry Ghosts Realm. These ghosts suffer from extreme hunger and thirst or ambition, never to be sated. Sometimes other lawyers make offerings to these ghosts to placate them but the hungry ghosts will always suffer. The offering is made to acknowledge the suffering and warn ourselves against becoming like them, a hungry ghost.
The Hell Realm - well its terrible. All sorts of hells, addictions, disbarment, disciplinary actions or prisons await in this realm so it really should be avoided.
The next ring is ‘the 12’. The favoured number for juries and student tutorials on obscure legal topics. These 12 you may already know or will meet in your career. From top clockwise; lack of knowledge (blind person), the doer (making something), monkeys, sailors, those with an uncanny sixth sense (6 windows to the house), lovers (sensual folk), feelers (an arrow in the eye), drinkers (craving), graspers (reaching for fruit), those coming into being (marriage), birthers and or course there is always death.
The figure holding the wheel is the High Spiritual Judge. Traditionally representing impermanence or change; like new decisions, new precedents, just when you got used to the last one.
The entire process of cyclic existence (samsara) is transient; everything within this wheel is constantly changing. The moon symbolises that liberation is possible, so there is always hope, enjoy the ride.