It very clearly seen that the discovery of the wheel not only revolutionized the life of the primitive people by dynamically activating it but also remarkably accelerated the progress of human civilization. The sun, and also the moon, which are circular in shape and hence wheel-like, with their regular traversing across thee wide expansive sky, visibly affecting and influencing human life and nature, undoubtedly did hold the attention of the primitive people and spurred their imagination. In such a background it is not surprising to find the wheel, the Sanskrit and Pali equivalents of which are 'cakra'/ 'chakka' reepectively, coming to be commonly used for multiple symbolic purposes. References to the early symbolic use of thee wheel are found in the Rgveda itself. It is from this common usage that Buddhism adopted the wheel symbol for diverse purposes.
Among the numerous symbols used in Buddhism the wheel (cakra/cakka) is not only of common occurrence but is also of special importance. Besides being used as a symbol representing the Buddha it is also used in such compound-words as 'bhava-cakra' (wheel of existence), 'samsara-cakra' (thee continuous process of births and deaths), cakravala (a mythical mountain range encircling thee world), cakravarti (a wheel-turning monarch, a Universal king), agnna-cakra (wheel of secular authority) and so on. The cakra also used in Tantric Buddhism refers to four vital points in the body.
However, the most significant use of the word 'cakra' from the Buddhist point of view, is in the compound term Dharma-cakra (Pali dhamma-cakka). This appears to be purely of Buddhist origin. This compound term occurs n accounts dealing with the Buddha's first discourse. Perhaps, one of the earliest occurrence of this is in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya. This event is described also in the Mahavagga of the Vinaya Pitaka and also in the Saccasamyutta of thee Samyuttanikaya where in the first discourse is recorded.
These accounts refer to the Buddha's meeting with a wandering ascetic called Upaka who inquired from thee Buddha where he was going. The Buddha is reported have told Upaka that he was on his way to the city of Kasi to 'set rolling the wheel of thee Dhamma' (Dhamma-cakkam pavattetum gacchami Kasinam puram)
The first discourse delivered by the Buddha to the group of five ascetic monks (Panca vaggiya bhikkhu) is named the Dhamma-cakka-pavattana Sutta. Going by the canonical records, it appears that it is the Buddha himself who used this term 'Dhamma-cakka to refer to his inaugural preaching, thus using the wheel-symbol to express the idea of 'spreading the Dhamma. There is no doubt that he selected this 'symbol' of the wheel because it connoted dynamism and continuous onward motion. This is further evident from the use of the word 'pavattana' (Skt, Pravaratana from pratvrt, to turn, to roll on) meaning, rolling forward. His selection of the Wheel-Symbol indicates also the Buddha's intention of rapidly spreading His teaching far and wide for the benefit and happiness of many.
It is said that once the 'Wheel of the Dhamma' was set rolling by the Buddha, the gods dwelling in different realms - from the earth dwelling gods to those in the company of Brahma exclaimed in turn that the Buddha has set rolling the Wheel of the Dhamma which cannot be reversed by any ascetic or Brahmin, or anyone in the world or Deva or Mara or Brahma (appativattiyam samanena va brahmanena va devena va marena va brahmuna va kenaci va lokasmim).
The uniqueness of this irreversible even was such, that at that very moment, at that very instant, at that very second, this exclamation spread as far as the Brahma world, and the ten thousand world systems shook, quaked, trembled and immeasurable glorious radiance appeared in the world surpassing the divine majesty of the devas.
While the Wheel symbolizes the dynamism, the vigour, and the rapidity with which the message spread, what the word 'Dhamma signifies context is clearly seen that the Buddha's intention was to communicate to and share with as many as possible the truth he realized by becoming enlightened. So the 'Dhamma' in this context means the teaching the Buddha desired to communicate to his listeners. These teaching are embodied in the Dhammacakka pavattana Sutta. Though at times thee word Dhamma, as in this particular context, is rendered into English as 'righteousness' this does not convey the exact meaning of the term, and hence, it is better to leave it untranslated.
The word 'Dhamma' is one that is pregnant with meaning, and this has induced the commentators to add more meanings to the word 'Dhamma' in the Sutta titled "dhammacakka pavattana Sutta". Thus, at times in the commentarial tradition the Dhamma is explained as the twelvefold penetrative knowledge (dvadasakara pativedhanana) of the Four Noble Truths realized at the time of Enlightenment as well as the knowledge of the twelvefold exposition (dvadasakara desananana) of this penetrative knowledge.
At times Dhamma is taken to refer to the twelve-linked formula of dependent origination (dvadasakara paticcasamuppada). There is another explanation which says that all the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment (Bodhipakkiya Dhamma) together with 'Samatha' and 'Vipassana are subsumed under Dhamma.
These variations in interpretations are also sometimes refleected in the artistic representation oft he Dhamma-cakka in paintings and sculptures. In these the Dhamma-cakka is represented both in a very simple as well as in a very intricately decorative style. In creating these pictorial representations of the Dhamma-cakka the artists appear to have been influenced not only by the textual accounts describing the Buddha's setting in motion the Dhamma-cakka but also by graphic accounts of the 'cakkaratana' of thee cakkavatti-raja. In these the 'cakkaratana' is described as being complete in all aspects with its thousand spokes, with its rim and its nave (Sahassaram sanemikam sanbhikam sabbakaraparipannam).
emperor Asoka of India used a form of the Dhamma-cakra as the royal emblem. He is generally considered a ruler who tried to emmulate the cakkavatti-raja model put forward in Buddhism. It appears that he desired to project himself as both a temporal ruler wielding his wheel of secular authority (anna-cakka) as well as a sort of spiritual authority through the spread of his 'Dhamma', which appears to have been much influenced by the Buddha's political philosophy. This is quite in keeping with his dharmaveijaya practice. Therefore the Dhamma-cakka adopted by Eemperor Asoka could be the result of the influences of all these aspects: the 'anna-cakka' 'cakra-ratna' of the cakkravarti and the dharma-cakra.
The importance of the setting in motion the wheel of the Dhamma in the Deer Park at Isipatana is considered such a significant event that the Dhamma-cakka has been used to symbolize the Buddha himself, prior to the making of the Buddha image. Subsequently, when the Buddha image appeared, this event was symbolically represented by seated Buddha images depicting a particular hand-gesture of the Buddha (mudra) called the Dhammacakra-mudra.
In this mudra the tips of the middle finger and the thumb of the right hand are joined together and held near the heart. It rests on the left hand having finger tips in a similar position. It symbolises the first preaching of the Law by the Buddha at Saranath.
From the hand book,
Dharma Cakra and The Buddhist flag.
Among the numerous symbols used in Buddhism the wheel (cakra/cakka) is not only of common occurrence but is also of special importance. Besides being used as a symbol representing the Buddha it is also used in such compound-words as 'bhava-cakra' (wheel of existence), 'samsara-cakra' (thee continuous process of births and deaths), cakravala (a mythical mountain range encircling thee world), cakravarti (a wheel-turning monarch, a Universal king), agnna-cakra (wheel of secular authority) and so on. The cakra also used in Tantric Buddhism refers to four vital points in the body.
However, the most significant use of the word 'cakra' from the Buddhist point of view, is in the compound term Dharma-cakra (Pali dhamma-cakka). This appears to be purely of Buddhist origin. This compound term occurs n accounts dealing with the Buddha's first discourse. Perhaps, one of the earliest occurrence of this is in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya. This event is described also in the Mahavagga of the Vinaya Pitaka and also in the Saccasamyutta of thee Samyuttanikaya where in the first discourse is recorded.
These accounts refer to the Buddha's meeting with a wandering ascetic called Upaka who inquired from thee Buddha where he was going. The Buddha is reported have told Upaka that he was on his way to the city of Kasi to 'set rolling the wheel of thee Dhamma' (Dhamma-cakkam pavattetum gacchami Kasinam puram)
The first discourse delivered by the Buddha to the group of five ascetic monks (Panca vaggiya bhikkhu) is named the Dhamma-cakka-pavattana Sutta. Going by the canonical records, it appears that it is the Buddha himself who used this term 'Dhamma-cakka to refer to his inaugural preaching, thus using the wheel-symbol to express the idea of 'spreading the Dhamma. There is no doubt that he selected this 'symbol' of the wheel because it connoted dynamism and continuous onward motion. This is further evident from the use of the word 'pavattana' (Skt, Pravaratana from pratvrt, to turn, to roll on) meaning, rolling forward. His selection of the Wheel-Symbol indicates also the Buddha's intention of rapidly spreading His teaching far and wide for the benefit and happiness of many.
It is said that once the 'Wheel of the Dhamma' was set rolling by the Buddha, the gods dwelling in different realms - from the earth dwelling gods to those in the company of Brahma exclaimed in turn that the Buddha has set rolling the Wheel of the Dhamma which cannot be reversed by any ascetic or Brahmin, or anyone in the world or Deva or Mara or Brahma (appativattiyam samanena va brahmanena va devena va marena va brahmuna va kenaci va lokasmim).
The uniqueness of this irreversible even was such, that at that very moment, at that very instant, at that very second, this exclamation spread as far as the Brahma world, and the ten thousand world systems shook, quaked, trembled and immeasurable glorious radiance appeared in the world surpassing the divine majesty of the devas.
While the Wheel symbolizes the dynamism, the vigour, and the rapidity with which the message spread, what the word 'Dhamma signifies context is clearly seen that the Buddha's intention was to communicate to and share with as many as possible the truth he realized by becoming enlightened. So the 'Dhamma' in this context means the teaching the Buddha desired to communicate to his listeners. These teaching are embodied in the Dhammacakka pavattana Sutta. Though at times thee word Dhamma, as in this particular context, is rendered into English as 'righteousness' this does not convey the exact meaning of the term, and hence, it is better to leave it untranslated.
The word 'Dhamma' is one that is pregnant with meaning, and this has induced the commentators to add more meanings to the word 'Dhamma' in the Sutta titled "dhammacakka pavattana Sutta". Thus, at times in the commentarial tradition the Dhamma is explained as the twelvefold penetrative knowledge (dvadasakara pativedhanana) of the Four Noble Truths realized at the time of Enlightenment as well as the knowledge of the twelvefold exposition (dvadasakara desananana) of this penetrative knowledge.
At times Dhamma is taken to refer to the twelve-linked formula of dependent origination (dvadasakara paticcasamuppada). There is another explanation which says that all the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment (Bodhipakkiya Dhamma) together with 'Samatha' and 'Vipassana are subsumed under Dhamma.
These variations in interpretations are also sometimes refleected in the artistic representation oft he Dhamma-cakka in paintings and sculptures. In these the Dhamma-cakka is represented both in a very simple as well as in a very intricately decorative style. In creating these pictorial representations of the Dhamma-cakka the artists appear to have been influenced not only by the textual accounts describing the Buddha's setting in motion the Dhamma-cakka but also by graphic accounts of the 'cakkaratana' of thee cakkavatti-raja. In these the 'cakkaratana' is described as being complete in all aspects with its thousand spokes, with its rim and its nave (Sahassaram sanemikam sanbhikam sabbakaraparipannam).
emperor Asoka of India used a form of the Dhamma-cakra as the royal emblem. He is generally considered a ruler who tried to emmulate the cakkavatti-raja model put forward in Buddhism. It appears that he desired to project himself as both a temporal ruler wielding his wheel of secular authority (anna-cakka) as well as a sort of spiritual authority through the spread of his 'Dhamma', which appears to have been much influenced by the Buddha's political philosophy. This is quite in keeping with his dharmaveijaya practice. Therefore the Dhamma-cakka adopted by Eemperor Asoka could be the result of the influences of all these aspects: the 'anna-cakka' 'cakra-ratna' of the cakkravarti and the dharma-cakra.
The importance of the setting in motion the wheel of the Dhamma in the Deer Park at Isipatana is considered such a significant event that the Dhamma-cakka has been used to symbolize the Buddha himself, prior to the making of the Buddha image. Subsequently, when the Buddha image appeared, this event was symbolically represented by seated Buddha images depicting a particular hand-gesture of the Buddha (mudra) called the Dhammacakra-mudra.
In this mudra the tips of the middle finger and the thumb of the right hand are joined together and held near the heart. It rests on the left hand having finger tips in a similar position. It symbolises the first preaching of the Law by the Buddha at Saranath.
From the hand book,
Dharma Cakra and The Buddhist flag.
No comments:
Post a Comment