Dhama-Cakra
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
The Dharma-Cakra (Wheel of Dharma) is a symbolic concept representing the Buddha's teaching of the path to enlightenment. It is translated as wheel of doctrine or wheel of law, where the Dharma is an ever-rolling wheel, the symbol of conquiring efficacy. The Buddha is refered to as a Dharma-Cakra-Vardin or a Universal Monarch in the domain of the Dharma.
History
According to some Buddhist schools, the Buddha turned one or more Dharma-Cakras over the course of his teaching. All Buddhists agree that the first turning of the wheel occurred when the Buddha taught the five ascetics at the Deer Park in Sarnath. (Because of this, a Dharma-Cakra symbol is often seen with a deer on each side.) Account of this was recorded in the Dharma-Cakra-Pravartana Sutra.
Accounts of the subsequent turnings of the wheel vary. For instance, the second wheel of Dharma was said to be the Abhidharma, whereas the third wheel of Dharma were the Mahāyāna Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, and the fourth wheel of Dharma were the Yogacarya or Cittamatrin sutras that taught the Tathagatagarbha.
Tantric (Vajrayāna) Buddhists also use the term "turning of the dharma wheel" to refer to the progressive development of Buddhism which culminates in their school. According to this image:
- The first turning of the dharma wheel refers to 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 refers to the teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom sutra, a foundational text of Mahayana Buddhism.
- The third turning refers to the teaching of the Mahavairocana Sutra, a foundational text of Tantric Buddhism.
The Doctrine of Three Wheels is Buddha's teaching that the dharma wheel must turn three times for a student to understand the dharma: once for hearing, again for understanding, and finally for internalizing.
The Dharma-Cakra symbol has the form of wheel with eight or more spokes. It is one of the oldest Buddhist symbols, found in Indian art from the time of the Buddhist king Aśoka, and used by all Buddhist nations ever since. One version of the symbol, taken from the capital of a pillar erected by Aśoka, is found on the flag of the modern state of India. In its simplest form, it is recognized globally as a symbol for Buddhism.
Symbolism
The eight spokes represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. They are said to have sharp edges to cut through ignorance.
Other symbolisms in the eight-spoked Dharmacakra in Buddhism:
- Its overall shape is that of a circle (cakra), 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 mudra, or symbolic hand gesture, is known as the Dharma-Cakra Mudra.
The Dharmacakra 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, then arrived in China, and then to Korea, etc.
Use in the Computing Symbol
In the Unicode computer standard, the Dharmacakra is called the Wheel of Dharma and is found in the eight-spoked form. It is represented as U+2638.
