Dharmachakra

Glossary

A symbol in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu traditions, it is depicted as the wheel of dharma (a religious concept representing morals and codes of conducting life). In Buddhism, it refers to a wheel that Gautama Budhha set into motion after his first sermon at Sarnath. It is usually represented with eight spokes, representing wisdom, truth, the cosmic law and the perfection of Buddha’s teachings. The symbol also stands for the Sramana religion within Jainism, as well as the “wheel of dharma” in Hinduism, as seen in the sudarshanchakra wielded by the Hindu god Vishnu and his avatars. From the Sanskrit dharmachakra and the Pali dhammacakka, meaning “wheel of dharma.”

FILED UNDER

Pre-Modern Art

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “Dharmachakra”. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/dharmachakra/
MLA	“Dharmachakra.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/dharmachakra/. Accessed 27, April, 2024.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) Dharmachakra. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/dharmachakra/. (Accessed: 27, April, 2024)