Chakra

The chakra or wheel is one of the most famous symbols of the Buddhist tradition. It carries many meanings among the earliest of which is that it represents the Dharma or teachings of Buddhism. When the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha (6th cent. B.C.E.) gives the first teachings of Buddhist doctrine and practice, this event is traditionally described as the sermon that "sets in motion the wheel of the Dharma." This first sermon which is said to have taken place in Deer Park in Sarnath in the outskirts of Varanasi in India. Here the basic formulation of Buddhist doctrine known as the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism was thought to have first been enunciated. In addition, the Buddha was thought to have elaborated the practices of Buddhism in terms of the Eightfold Path of Buddhism. The Chakra or Wheel is thus symbolic of the fundamental argument of the Buddhist teaching: that ordinary life is filled with suffering, and that human suffering can finally only be transcended by the attainment of spiritual freedom and extraordinary attainment that Buddhism calls Nirvana. The Wheel will have many other symbolic resonances in the Buddhist tradition. For example, the three primary "modes" in the historical and doctrinal evolution of Buddhist thought and practice will be symbolized by the idea of the "Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma." [P.M.-O.]

Last modified: Wednesday, 27-Apr-2005 14:14:53 EDT