[uncoosesoge]

It appears that in the Buddha's teaching the Wheel of Life and Death is not at all what it is in Hinduism (or in most of Buddhism today!).

Ven. Buddhadasa says,

If the desired result is obtained, there will arise a still greater desire. If the desired result is not obtained, there is bound to follow a struggling and striving until one way or another it is obtained. Keeping this up results in the vicious circle: action (karma), result, action, result, which is known as the Wheel of Samsara. Now this word samsara is not to be taken as referring to an endless cycle of one physical existence after another. In point of fact it refers to a vicious circle of three events: desire; action in keeping with the desire; effect resulting from that action; inability to stop desiring, having to desire once more; action; once again another effect; further augmenting of desire ... and so on endlessly. Buddha called this the "Wheel" of samsara because it is endless cycling on, a rolling on. It is because of this very circle that we are obliged to endure suffering and torment. To succeed in breaking loose from this vicious circle is to attain freedom from all forms of suffering, in other words Nirvana. Taken from his phenomenal book "Handbook for Mankind", which is available online and should be read by everyone on these boards. The quote above comes from the chapter entitled "Three Universal Characteristics".

I think he's dead on.