The Buddhist Wheel Symbol - BPS
The Buddhist Wheel SymbolbyT. B. KarunaratneBuddhist Publication SocietyKandy Sri LankaThe Wheel Publication No. 137/138First published: 1969.BPS Online Edition (2008)Digital Transcription Source: BPS Transcription ProjectFor free distribution. This work may be republished,reformatted, reprinted and redistributed in any medium.However, any such republication and redistribution is to bemade available to the public on a free and unrestrictedbasis, and translations and other derivative works are to beclearly marked as such.The plates reproduced here are drawings by the author.2
The Buddhist Wheel SymbolAll ancient religions have in the course of timedeveloped many symbols to express variousdoctrinal concepts visually. Buddhism does not lagbehind in this sphere but in fact has given rise to many newsymbols in addition to what it has derived from thecommon Indian heritage. To these symbols which wereadopted from pre-Buddhist India, Buddhism has given newinterpretations to suit its own purpose. Of these, thedhamma-cakka, the ever moving Wheel of Law, is the mostprominent symbol of the Buddhists.The Pali commentaries of Sri Lanka refer to a number ofwheels recognised by Buddhists. Buddhaghosa mentionssampatti-cakka, the wheel of happiness, lakkhaṇa-cakka, thewheel symbol on the soles of the Buddha’s feet, rathaṅgacakka, the chariot wheel, Iriyāpatha Cakka, the wheel ofmovement or postures, dāna-cakka, the wheel of liberality,ratana-cakka, the ideal wheel of a universal monarch,dhamma-cakka, the wheel of law of the Buddha, and urasicakka, the wheel of torture. [1] To this list Gurulugomi [2]adds praharaṇa-cakra, the discus, asani-cakka, the wheel ofthunderbolt, dāru-cakka, the wheel-right’s wooden wheel,and saṃsāra-cakka, the Wheel of Life. The last mentionedwheel is also known as bhava-cakka, the Wheel of Becoming.In our discussion on the iconography of the wheel,universally accepted as the distinctive symbol of Buddhists3
from very early times, we are concerned mainly with theratana-cakka, the dhamma-cakka, the lakkhaṇa-cakka and thesaṃsāracakka or the bhava-cakka.The ratana-, dhamma, and lakkhaṇa-cakkas in their unadornedforms are identical, and are represented in art in the likenessof a chariot wheel (rathaṅga-cakka), whereas in theirelaborate or perfect forms (sabbākāraparipūraṃ) the ratanacakka and the dhamma-cakka assume the same form while thelakkhaṇa-cakka differs from the former in detail. The saṃsāraor bhava-cakka, differing in form as well as in significance, isa later development (see Chapter IV).I. The Ratana-CakkaThe ratana-cakka, the ideal wheel, is described as the divinewheel that appears to one who is destined to be a cakkavattirājā, a universal monarch. In this connection it must bementioned that the Buddha is considered the spiritualcounterpart of a universal monarch. A universal monarch isthe ideal layman (āgārika-ratana). He is the highest amongthose who enjoy worldly pleasures (kāmabhogīnaṃ aggo). Onthe other hand, the Buddha is the ideal recluse (anāgārikaratana), the highest among those who have removed thecovering of defilements (vivaṭṭacchadanānaṃ aggo). Both theBuddha and the universal monarch are possessed of the4
mahāpurisa-lakkhaṇa, the auspicious marks of a Great Being.It is said that a person born with such marks is destined toeither be a universal monarch or a Buddha, an EnlightenedOne, depending on the course of life each one prefers topursue. A universal monarch is blessed with the sevenunique possessions (satta ratana), namely the ideal wheel(cakka-ratana), the ideal elephant (hatthi-ratana), the idealhorse (assa-ratana), the ideal gem (maṇi-ratana), the idealwife (itthi-ratana), the ideal householder (gahapati-ratana),and the ideal counsellor (parināyaka-ratana). [3] Of these, theideal wheel is the most important, because the appearanceof this is the first indication that the king has become auniversal monarch.It is stated that a king having perfected the ten virtues of auniversal monarch observes the eight precepts on a fullmoon day and then retires to the top-most floor of hismansion, when the divine wheel rises from the easternOcean and comes through the sky like a second full moon. Itcircumambulates the mansion where the monarch awaits itsarrival, and appears close to the window within his sight.When the monarch sees it, he pays it due homage andsprinkles water over it from a golden vessel and wishes it togo forth. On the command of the monarch, the great wheelstarts on its mission and the conquest of the world begins.From the time the cakka-ratana appears, the monarchconcerned is entitled to the designation rāja cakkavatti—thesovereign mover of the wheel—and along with his retinuehe follows it through the sky. Wherever the wheel goes the5
kings of those regions pay homage to the wheel and acceptthe suzerainty of the universal monarch. Just as a universalmonarch causes the ideal wheel to turn, the Buddha too setsthe Wheel of Law (dhamma-cakka) in motion.The Mahā Sudassana Suttanta of the Dīgha Nikāya describesthe ideal wheel of a universal monarch as having a nave(nābhi), thousand spokes (sahassārāni) and a felly (nemi) [4]When the sculptors represented the wheel symbol on theAsokan capitals they seemed to have followed thedescription as given in Dīgha Nikāya (Pl. II, Fig. 2). Thisimpression of the wheel set the pattern for later sculptorswho elaborated on it (Pl. II, Figs. 3, 4 and 5).The elaborate or perfect form of cakka-ratana which isidentical with the dhamma-cakka is depicted in art withcertain details that are normally not found in ordinaryforms of the wheel symbol. [5] The component parts of anordinary cakka are the nave, the spokes, the felly and nemimaṇi, the bubble-like features adhering to the rim, inbetween the spokes. On the other hand, at Sāñchī, Bārhutand Amarāvatī there are representations of the perfect formof ratana-cakka displaying certain features, of which the mostcharacteristic are the adornments round the felly of thewheel, which to my knowledge, no one has so farinterpreted satisfactorily. In this respect Pāli and Sinhaleseliterary works of Sri Lanka give a vivid description of theperfect form of the ratana-cakka explaining what thesefeatures are and what they signify. For example, inSumaṅgalavilāsinī, Buddhaghosa (5th century A.C.) describes6
the perfect form of the ratana-cakka thus:“As this wheel is possessed of divine qualities it is describedas ’dibbaṃ’; as it has thousand spokes it is said to besahassāraṃ; as it has a nave and a felly it is said to be’sanābhikaṃ, sanemikaṃ,’ as it is perfect in every respect it isdescribed as ’sabbākāra-paripūraṃ.’”The nave, by reason of which the cakka-ratana is described ashaving a nave, is made entirely of sapphire. In the centre ofthe nave there is a hole lined with silver, and in itindentation clean and shining, which appears like the teethof a smiling face. The outer rim of the nave is made of silverand it has the resemblance of a full moon with a hole in itscentre. Around the hole of the nave decorative lines areshown clearly. Thus the nave of this cakka-ratana is perfect inevery respect.The spokes, by reason of which the cakka-ratana is describedas having thousand spokes, are all made of seven kinds ofprecious jewels. They shine like the rays of the sun. Theknobs and the decorative line work are well marked onthem. Thus the spokes of the cakka-ratana are perfect inevery respect.The felly, by reason of which the cakka-ratana is described ashaving a felly, is made of pure and polished, deep-red coral.The circular lines demarcating the joints of the felly shinelike a strip of pure jambunadi gold reddish in hue. Thus thefelly of the cakka-ratana is perfect in every respect.Around the felly of the cakka-ratana there are one hundred7
coral shafts—one shaft in-between every set of ten spokes.These coral shafts are hollow inside and have holes on thesurface as in flutes. When the wind blows, these shaftsproduce notes as sweet as the music of the five musicalinstruments played upon by a talented musician. Thesemelodious notes are lovely, enticing, desirable, andintoxicating. Surmounting these shafts are white umbrellas(chatta), and on either side of these there are two spears(satti) to which garlands are fastened. Thus surrounding thefelly of the cakka-ratana , there are one hundred whiteumbrellas and two hundred spears supporting garlands.Inside the two holes on either side of the hub of the cakkaratana there are two faces of lions, from the mouths of whichissue forth a pair of pearl garlands as thick as the trunks oftwo mature palm trees, and which are resplendent like therays of the moon, surpassing in beauty the heavenly river.At the end of these pearl garlands there are two tusselswoven of red fluff, resembling the early morning sun. Whenthe cakka-ratana together with these two garlands goes forthrevolving in the sky it appears as if three wheels arerevolving together. Thus is the ideal wheel perfect in everyrespect.“ [6]It must be mentioned that one of the key words in the textquoted above has been rendered incorrectly in the Pāli TextSociety (P.T.S.) edition of Sumaṅgalavilāsinī as well as inMahābodhivaṃsa. Describing the features that adorn the fellyof the wheel, the P.T.S. texts run as follows: “Tassa kho panapavāla daṇḍassa uparisetacchattaṃ ubhosu passesu samosarita8
kusuma-dāmānāṃ dve pantiyo ti; evaṃ samosarita-kusuma-dāmapanti aṇḍasatena ” [7] According to this reading, attending on thewhite umbrella there are rows (panti) of garlands, andaltogether there are two hundred such rows. Evidently thisconveys a wrong idea. Here the correct reading as found inSiamese and Burmese script editions of the particular textsis as follows: “Tassa kho pana pavāla-daṇḍassa uparisetacchattaṃ ubhosu passesu samosarita-kusumadāma dve sattiyoti; evaṃ etacchatta-dhārana-pavāla-daṇḍa-satena ” [8] ’Kusumadāmasatti’, meaning a spear bearing garlands, as found in thelatter editions, is correct for it conveys the correct sense.Moreover, the Sinhalese translation of Mahābodhivaṃsaknown as the Sinhala Bodhivaṃsaya (13th century A.C.),translates the corresponding passage thus: “E pabalu daṇḍumattehi dhavalcchatrayakä dälayehi elvana lada maldam ätiaḍayaṭi dekekä dekekäyi mese elvana lada maldam äti aḍayaṭidesiyakin pririvarana lada dhavalacchatra siyayak darannāvu ” [9] As evidenced by the above passage, the SinhalaBodhivaṃsaya is clear on this point and renders the Pāli word’satti’ as ’aḍayaṭi’ (Sk. ardha-yasti) meaning a short spear. Theauthor of the Pāli Mahābodhivaṃsa has incorporated in hiswork the passage directly from Sumaṅgalavilāsinī itself. Thereading ’kusumadāma-panti’ may have been a scribe’s errorwhich the editors of the P.T.S. texts have accepted as thecorrect form. [10] Moreover, as the ensuing pages will show,the iconographical features of the wheel symbols also prove9
the correctness of the Siamese and Burmese script editionsof Sumaṅgalavilāsinī and Pāli Mahābodhivaṃsa.The description of the cakka-ratana in Sumaṅgalavilāsinī aswell as in the Pāli Mahābodhivaṃsa and its Sinhalese versionclearly indicate that a perfect form of the cakka-ratana (in thiscase dhamma-cakka is also implied) has one hundred whiteumbrellas attended by two hundred spears bearinggarlands right round its felly. Now let us focus our attentionon some of the actual representations of the wheel and otherrelevant decorative elements depicted in the earliestspecimens of Buddhist art, which have a bearing on ourdiscussion. Some of the elaborate wheel symbols fromSānchi, Bārhut and Amarāvati display certain decorativeelements such as nandipāda or triratana symbols and semicircular features in alternating positions right round thefelly of the wheel (Pl. II, Figs. 3, 4 and 5).At the outset it must be mentioned that nowhere in Indianor Sinhalese art has the umbrella (chatta) and spear (satti)been depicted in association with the wheel symbol exactlyas described in the texts quoted above. But there areinstances where this motif in separate form—i.e. umbrellaattended by two spears (satti) bearing garlands or flags isdepicted. Bas reliefs from Sāñchī and Sri Lanka show stūpassurmounted by umbrellas attended by spears as described(Pl. III, Figs. 8 and 9). Sāñchī has reliefs where processions etc.are depicted showing people carrying spears to whichgarlands are fastened exactly as described inSumaṅgalavilāsinī and other texts (Pl. III, Fig. 11). Spears in all10
these instances invariably terminate in the triple-pronged(triśūla) form commonly referred to as nandipāda or triratana.However, it must be mentioned that ’satti’ can mean a spearwith a single blade (śūla) as well. In this connectionumbrellas displaying two garlands hanging from either endof the canopy are also important (Pl. III, Fig. 12 b). This formof the umbrellas can be interpreted as another mode ofrepresenting the umbrella and spear motif. It is significantthat such umbrellas are depicted as surmounting the wheelsymbol at Sāñchī and elsewhere (Pl. VI, Fig. 19). Bearingthese facts in mind when we trace the evolution of thedecorative motifs edging the felly of the wheel symbolsunder discussion, we can clearly see the connection betweenthe literary tradition in Sri Lanka and the earliest specimensof Buddhist art of India.In depicting an umbrella on the felly of a wheel, it has incourse of time degenerated in form, as usual in art. Theumbrella even in its most elaborate form has been alreadyhighly stylized when depicted in early sculpture at Sāñchīand Bārhut (Pl. III, Fig. 12 a and b). It is usually flat andwheel-like in shape and clearly shows the spokes thatsupport the ribs of the umbrella. Two garlands are shown ashanging from either side. Pl. III, Fig. 12 c, shows an umbrellafrom a coin, where the garlands have apparently mergedwith the umbrella proper thus giving it the resemblance ofan arrow head. The spokes and the shaft too have lost theirdistinctive features and have become a support of thecanopy tapering downwards. Pl. III, Fig. 12 d shows that the11
height of the shaft has been further diminished and theumbrella is reduced to a mere semi-circle. All that remainsof the spokes and the shaft of the umbrella are the twoarches within the semi-circle. Pl. III, Fig. 12 e shows a furtherdevelopment where the umbrella has lost all its significanceand has been depicted as a leaf motif. Pl. III, Fig. 12 f is asimilar conventionalised umbrella from a Tibetan dharmacakra. Here the shaft and the spokes are represented by threeshort lines radiating from the centre. Pl. III, Fig. 12 g shows amodern adaptation of the same. It has lost all vestiges of anumbrella and is merely a semi-circle.Just as the umbrella in this position gradually diminished inheight and ultimately lost all vestiges of the shaft leaving asemi-circular bubble or a leaf ornament to represent thechatra (umbrella), it can be explained that the spear whichoriginally bore garlands, also lost both the garlands and theshaft leaving the characteristic symbol satti, single śūla ortriśūla (nandipāda or triratana) to represent the spear (Pl. III,Fig. 12 a, b, c, d and e).This brief introduction explaining the conjectural evolutionof the umbrella and spear motif will be of assistance inunderstanding how the elaborate umbrellas and spears, thelatter bearing garlands, around the felly of the ratana-cakkagradually lost their original forms and were reduced tomore or less geometric patterns. Thus we see that the bubbleand the triangle (śūla) or three-pronged spear (triśūla)pattern edging the felly of the wheel is in fact theconventionalised umbrella and spear motif described in12
Sumaṅgalavilāsinī. Hence these symbols can be described asperfect forms of the ratana-cakka, here used to represent thedhamma-cakka, the Wheel of the Law. F. C. Maisey, A.Foucher, Sir John Marshall and other reputed scholars haveidentified these features as umbrellas and nandipādas. [11]But as I have pointed out, it is in the light ofSumaṅgalavilāsinī and other literary works preserved in SriLanka that their exact nature and the significance can besatisfactorily interpreted.The following examples of wheel symbols, each bearing acircle of highly stylised umbrellas and spears edging thefelly of the wheel, clearly show various ways in which theelaborate or perfect forms of the wheel have been depictedin art. A. Foucher in The Beginnings of Buddhist Art has citeda number of wheel symbols from ancient Indian coins ofwhich one shows knob-like external features right round thefelly (Pl. IV, Fig. 14). [12] He identifies these features asumbrellas. Here the umbrella being the more prominentsymbol stands alone unaccompanied by spears. Pl. II, Fig. 6shows a Tibetan dharma-cakra where the umbrellas havebeen reduced to semi-circular features with three short linesradiating from the centre, reminiscent of the ribs and theshaft of the umbrella.The recent adaptations of this type of dharma-cakras havedone away with this last vestige and have retained only thesemi circle which is more or less like the knob-shaped endof the spokes projecting through the felly of the wheel (Pl. II,Fig. 7). In spite of the fact that these semi-circular features13
bear no resemblance to umbrellas, there is no doubt thatthey are derived from the original chatra symbols. However,any further distortion, for example the elongation of thechatra symbol to look more like a rod, is undesirable as itwill definitely interfere with the significance of the wheel asa symbol.Pl. II, Fig. 4 shows a wheel from Sāñchī displaying chatta(umbrella) symbols alternating with nandipādas or the socalled triratana symbols. Here the nandipāda occupies exactlythe same position in which, according to theSumaṅgalavilāsinī account of the ratana-cakka, spears (satti)bearing garlands are to be depicted. In some wheels, insteadof a nandipāda, a triangular member is shown (Pl. II, Fig. 3).Just as nandipāda stands for a spear (satti) terminating in athree-pronged member (triśūla), the triangular feature toostands for a spear terminating in a single śūla. In short, thespear (satti) is represented by either a śūla or triśūla. Itappears that Buddhists referred to nandipāda or triratana bythe term satti (Sk. śakti). Sir John Marshall maintains that thedetail of umbrellas edging the felly was directly copied fromthe original wheel from Sārnāth. [13] Sir ArthurCunningham too, in his conjectural reconstruction of thewheel that once crowned the arch (toraṇa) of the Bārhutstūpa, depicts it incorrectly as a bubble in between theumbrellas. [14] Evidently both these scholars have treated itas a meaningless piece of decoration. According to the textscited in this connection, the number of spears should betwice the number of umbrellas. To be exact, there should be14
one hundred umbrellas and two hundred spears (satti)bearing garlands. But unlike in a literary description, in artif two spears are depicted side by side it would interferewith the artistic rendering of the design. Hence on aestheticgrounds, it is permissible to depict one spear in place of twomentioned in the texts. Thus these wheels with an edging ofumbrellas and spears on the felly actually represent theperfect form of the Wheel (sabbākāra-paripūra-ratana-cakka) ofthe universal monarch. At Sāñchī, Bārhut and Amarāvatithey are used to represent the dhamma-cakka.In later representations of wheels both the pattern and theemphasis on the symbols show a marked change. In theexamples mentioned earlier, the spear (satti) whether assingle-pointed (śūla) or three pronged (triśūla or nandipāda)weapon, is represented on a smaller scale when comparedwith the umbrella, to show that it occupies a subordinateposition. On the other hand there are wheels especially fromAmarāvati displaying satti symbols very prominently,whereas the umbrella has
dhamma-cakka, the wheel of law of the Buddha, and urasi-cakka, the wheel of torture. [1] To this list Gurulugomi [2] adds praharaṇa-cakra, the discus, asani-cakka, the wheel of thunderbolt, dāru-cakka, the wheel-right’s wooden wheel, and saṃsāra-cakka, the Wheel of Life. The last mentioned wheel is also known as bhava-cakka, the Wheel .
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Buddhist Wheel of Life Text 1: The Wheel of Life: Samsara, Birth, Rebirth, Liberation The Wheel of Life is one of the most common subjects of Tibetan Buddhist art. The detailed symbolism of the Wheel can be interpreted on many levels. The Bhavachakra is a Tibetan Buddhist representation of the "wheel of life," or cycle of existence.
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