Dharmachakra
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The Dharmachakra (Sanskrit) or Dhammachakka (Pāli), Tibetan chos kyi 'khor lo, Chinese fălún 法輪, "Wheel of Dharma" is a symbol representing dharma, the Buddha's teaching of the path to enlightenment. It is also sometimes translated as wheel of doctrine or wheel of law. A similar symbol is also in use in Jainism. It is one of the Ashtamangala Symbols
History
The Dharmachakra symbol is represented as a chariot wheel (Sanskrit chakram) with eight or more spokes. It is one of the oldest known Buddhist symbol found in Indian art, appearing with the first surviving post-Harappan Indian iconography in the time of the Buddhist king Aśokaḥ. The Dharmachakra has been used by all Buddhist nations as a symbol ever since. In its simplest form, the Dharmachakra is recognized globally as a symbol for Buddhism.
Symbolism
The eight spokes represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism.
Other symbolism in the eight-spoked Dharmachakra in Buddhism:
- Its overall shape is that of a circle (chakra), representing the perfection of the dharma teaching
- The hub stands for discipline, which is the essential core of meditation practice
- The rim, which holds the spokes, refers to mindfulness or samadhi which holds everything together
The corresponding mudrā, or symbolic hand gesture, is known as the Dharmachakra Mudrā.
The Dharmachakra is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism.
The dharma wheel can refer to the dissemination of the dharma teaching from country to country. In this sense the dharma wheel began rolling in India, carried on to Central Asia, and then arrived in South East Asia and East Asia.
Multiple turnings of the Wheel
Mahayana schools classify Buddhist teachings in turns of a sequential scheme of development, in which the Buddha began with simple teachings and proceeded to more complex and difficult teachings. These phases are called "turnings" of the Dharmachakra (Sanskrit: dharmachakra-pravartana).
All Buddhists agree that the original turning of the wheel occurred when the Buddha taught the five ascetics who became his first disciples at the Deer Park in Sarnath. In memory of this, the Dharmachakra is sometimes represented with a deer on each side.
In Theravāda Buddhism, this was the only "turning of the wheel", and later developments of the Buddhist doctrine which do not appear in the Pali Canon or the Agamas are not accepted as teachings of the historical Buddha.
Other schools of Buddhism, such as the Mahāyāna and Vajrāyāna distinguish later "turnings". Specific accounts of them vary. In one, the first turning of the Dharmachakra is Gautama Buddha's original teaching, in particular the Four Noble Truths which describes the mechanics of attachment, desire, suffering, and liberation via the Eightfold Path; the second turning is the teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom sutra, a foundational text of Mahayana Buddhism; and the third is the teaching of the Mahavairocana Sutra, a foundational text of Tantric Buddhism.
In another scheme, the second turning of the Dharmachakra is the Abhidharma, the third is the Mahāyāna Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, and the fourth is the Yogacarya (Cittamatrin) sutras that teach the Tathāgatagarbha.
Other uses
In the Unicode computer standard, the Dharmachakra is called the "Wheel of Dharma" and found in the eight-spoked form. It is represented as U+2638 (☸).
The Dharmachakra is also the U.S. Armed Forces military chaplain insignia for Buddhist chaplains.
The dharmachakra from the Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath is the national emblem of India. It represents the dharma i.e. natural conduct of a nation. The wheel is also in the Flag of India, where it replaced the spinning wheel originally displayed on the party flag of the Indian National Congress.
The national flag of the former Kingdom of Sikkim in the Himalayas featured a version of the Dharmachakra.
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The National Flag of India has the "Ashoka Chakra" at its center -
The flag of the Kingdom of Sikkim featured a version of the Dharmacakra
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In Jainism, the Dharmachakra is worshipped as a symbol of the dharma.
Many other "chakras" appear in other Indian traditions, e.g. Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra, which is, however, a wheel-shaped weapon and not a representation of a teaching.
See also
Further reading
- Dorothy C. Donath (1971). Buddhism for the West: Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna; a comprehensive review of Buddhist history, philosophy, and teachings from the time of the Buddha to the present day. Julian Press. ISBN 0-07-017533-0..
