What Does the Buddhist Wheel of Dharma Mean?
The Buddhist Wheel of Dharma is designed to help learners of Buddhism understand the sutra stream. The concept provides the basic framework for the teachings of modern Tibetan Buddhism. The wheel functions as a series of "turnings," featuring different teachings for each time it turns. Certain schools of thought practice three turnings of the wheel, while others practice four.
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Origins
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According to theologists, it is believed that the Buddhist Wheel of Dharma was originally established by the Yogachara in texts and literature.
First Turning
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The first turning of the Buddhist Wheel of Dharma is based around the Four Noble Truths, the basic teaching of Buddhism. It revolves around the origins, nature and cessation of suffering.
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Second Turning
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According to legend, the audience who heard the teachings of the second turning had heart attacks and died. These teachings were said to take place in Bihar, India, and have to do with the concept of emptiness.
Third Turning
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Believed to have been delivered to the same location as the second turning, the third turning deals with the nature of Buddha. Many of the fundamentals of these teachings revolve around the Five Treatises of Maitreya.
Fourth Turning
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A school of Chinese Buddhism known as Tathagatagarbha transfers some of the third turning into the fourth turning. Another school, the Vajrayana, teaches the tantra as this final turn of the Buddhist Wheel of Dharma.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Appaji, Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/BuddhaTwang.jpg
