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{{short description| | {{short description|Buddhists and many more to be paid symbol on the flag of India}} | ||
{{about|the symbol|the military decoration|Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)}} | {{about|the symbol|the military decoration|Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=March | {{Use Indian English|date=January 2022}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=January | |||
[[File:Ashoka Chakra.svg|right|thumb|200px|Illustration of the [[Ashoka]] Chakra, as depicted on the [[flag of India]].]] | [[File:Ashoka Chakra.svg|right|thumb|200px|Illustration of the [[Ashoka]] Chakra, as depicted on the [[flag of India]].]] | ||
[[File:Indian | [[File:Indian Relief of Ashoka, circa 1st century BC, from the Amaravathi village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh (India), in the Guimet Museum (Paris).jpg|thumb|220px|Depiction of a [[chakravartin]], possibly [[Ashoka]], with a 16-spoked wheel (1st century BCE/CE)]] | ||
The '''Ashoka Chakra''' is a depiction of the [[ | The '''Ashoka Chakra''' is a depiction of the [[Dharmachakra]]. It is called so because it appears on a number of [[edicts of Ashoka]], most prominent among which is the [[Lion Capital of Ashoka]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-04|title=The 'Lion Capital': a Buddhist symbol that became India's National Emblem|url=https://www.theheritagelab.in/lion-capital-india-national-emblem/|access-date=2020-08-09|website=The Heritage Lab|language=en-GB|archive-date=10 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810114837/https://www.theheritagelab.in/lion-capital-india-national-emblem/|url-status=live}}</ref> The most visible use of the Ashoka Chakra today is at the centre of the [[Flag of India]] (adopted on 22 July 1947), where it is rendered in a [[navy blue]] colour on a white background, replacing the symbol of ''[[Charka wheel|charkha]]'' ([[spinning wheel]]) of the pre-independence versions of the flag. It is also shown in the [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra medal]] which is the highest award for gallantry in peacetime. | ||
== Symbolic history == | == Symbolic history == | ||
When [[Gautama Buddha]] achieved [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]] at [[Bodh Gaya]], he came to [[Sarnath]]. There, he found his five disciples [[Assaji]], [[Mahanama (arhat)|Mahānāman]], [[Kaundinya|Kondañña]], [[Bhaddiya]] and [[Vāṣpa|Vappa]], who had earlier abandoned him. He introduced his first teachings to them, thereby establishing the [[dharmachakra]]. This is the | When [[Gautama Buddha]] achieved [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]] at [[Bodh Gaya]], he came to [[Sarnath]]. There, he found his five disciples [[Assaji]], [[Mahanama (arhat)|Mahānāman]], [[Kaundinya|Kondañña]], [[Bhaddiya]] and [[Vāṣpa|Vappa]], who had earlier abandoned him. He introduced his first teachings to them, thereby establishing the [[dharmachakra|Dharmachakra]];. This is the motif taken up by Ashoka and portrayed on top of his pillars. | ||
The 24 spokes represent the twelve causal links taught by the Buddha and [[paṭiccasamuppāda]] (Dependent Origination, Conditional Arising) in forward and then reverse order.<ref>Maha Nayaka Thera, http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110710/Plus/plus_10.html, The correct use of the 'Dharmachakra'</ref> The first 12 spokes represent 12 stages of suffering. Next 12 spokes represent no cause no effect. So, due to awareness of mind, formation of mental conditioning stops. This process stops the process of birth and death i.e. nibbāna. It also depicts the “wheel of time” . The twelve causal links, paired with their corresponding symbols, are: | The 24 spokes represent the twelve causal links taught by the Buddha and [[paṭiccasamuppāda]] (Dependent Origination, Conditional Arising) in forward and then reverse order.<ref>Maha Nayaka Thera, http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110710/Plus/plus_10.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627225053/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110710/Plus/plus_10.html |date=27 June 2019 }}, The correct use of the 'Dharmachakra'</ref> The first 12 spokes represent 12 stages of suffering. Next 12 spokes represent no cause no effect. So, due to awareness of mind, formation of mental conditioning stops. This process stops the process of birth and death i.e. nibbāna. It also depicts the “wheel of time” . The twelve causal links, paired with their corresponding symbols, are: | ||
# [[Avidyā (Buddhism)|Avidyā]] ''ignorance'' | # [[Avidyā (Buddhism)|Avidyā]] ''ignorance'' | ||
# [[Asanskāra]] ''conditioning of mind unknowingly'' | # [[Asanskāra]] ''conditioning of mind unknowingly'' | ||
| Line 25: | Line 22: | ||
# [[Upādāna]] ''grasping<ref>See, for example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 149; and, Gombrich (2005).</ref>'' | # [[Upādāna]] ''grasping<ref>See, for example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 149; and, Gombrich (2005).</ref>'' | ||
# [[Bhava]] ''coming to be'' | # [[Bhava]] ''coming to be'' | ||
# [[ | # [[Jāti (Buddhism)|Jāti]] ''birth'' | ||
# [[Jarāmaraṇa]] ''old age<ref>See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 279, entry for "Jarā," retrieved 19 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.1:1:1721.pali | # [[Jarāmaraṇa]] ''old age<ref>See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 279, entry for "Jarā," retrieved 19 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [https://archive.today/20130626181803/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.1:1:1721.pali] . More than simply "old age," the PED provides the additional meanings of "decay, decrepitude"; and, these additional translations are reflected in the Buddha's reputed words in the Jarā Sutta (below). However, for the sake of semantic conciseness, the compound term jarā-maraṇa is here represented as "old age and death."</ref> and death<ref>See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 524, entry for "Maraṇa," retrieved 19 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [https://web.archive.org/web/20141017191553/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3896.pali] . The PED further contextualizes maraṇa with "death, as ending this (visible) existence, physical death...." That is, in Buddhism, maraṇa does not refer to death of the conscious process or the end of the associated suffering.</ref>'' – ''corpse being carried''. | ||
These 12 in forward and reverse represent a total 24 spokes representing the [[ | These 12 in forward and reverse represent a total 24 spokes representing the [[dhamma]]. | ||
The Ashoka Chakra is depicting the 24 principles that should be present in a human. | |||
== Inclusion in the national flag of India == | |||
Ashoka Chakra was included in the middle of the national flag of India.In fact, in 1942, in Varanasi, when Mohan Malviya invited Mahatma Gandhi to the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the university, Mahatma Gandhi also visited Sarnath. There he saw the Ashoka chakra . After this Gandhi used the Ashoka Chakra in the wheel of the flag. The flag with a spinning wheel with 24 spokes led the Quit India Movement of 1942. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-13|title=What is the meaning of 24 spokes of Ashok Chakra?|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/what-is-the-meaning-of-24-spokes-of-ashok-chakra-1502342983-1|access-date=2020-08-09|website=Jagranjosh.com|archive-date=2 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102084629/https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/what-is-the-meaning-of-24-spokes-of-ashok-chakra-1502342983-1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/evolution-indian-flag-independence-day-15th-august-288436-2015-08-15 |title=Independence Day Special: Evolution of the Indian flag |access-date=21 September 2020 |archive-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001171035/https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/evolution-indian-flag-independence-day-15th-august-288436-2015-08-15 |url-status=live }}</ref> Dr [[B. R. Ambedkar]] was instrumental in reviving the legacy of Ashoka, and using the Ashokan Wheel on the flag was one of the ways where he tried to memorializing the Buddhist king.<ref>{{Citation |title=History Dept |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qSwdJbMiPE |language=en |access-date=2022-03-11 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311103716/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qSwdJbMiPE |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
== | === Construction Sheet === | ||
Ashoka Chakra | [[File:Ashoka Chakra (Construction sheet).svg|center|thumb|500x500px|Construction sheet of the Ashoka Chakra]] | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[Buddhist symbolism]] | |||
* [[Chakra (disambiguation)]] | * [[Chakra (disambiguation)]] | ||
* [[Dharmachakra]] | |||
* [[Vergina Sun]] | * [[Vergina Sun]] | ||
Latest revision as of 11:03, 3 December 2022
,_in_the_Guimet_Museum_(Paris).jpg)
The Ashoka Chakra is a depiction of the Dharmachakra. It is called so because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Ashoka.[1] The most visible use of the Ashoka Chakra today is at the centre of the Flag of India (adopted on 22 July 1947), where it is rendered in a navy blue colour on a white background, replacing the symbol of charkha (spinning wheel) of the pre-independence versions of the flag. It is also shown in the Ashoka Chakra medal which is the highest award for gallantry in peacetime.
Symbolic history[edit | edit source]
When Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, he came to Sarnath. There, he found his five disciples Assaji, Mahānāman, Kondañña, Bhaddiya and Vappa, who had earlier abandoned him. He introduced his first teachings to them, thereby establishing the Dharmachakra;. This is the motif taken up by Ashoka and portrayed on top of his pillars.
The 24 spokes represent the twelve causal links taught by the Buddha and paṭiccasamuppāda (Dependent Origination, Conditional Arising) in forward and then reverse order.[2] The first 12 spokes represent 12 stages of suffering. Next 12 spokes represent no cause no effect. So, due to awareness of mind, formation of mental conditioning stops. This process stops the process of birth and death i.e. nibbāna. It also depicts the “wheel of time” . The twelve causal links, paired with their corresponding symbols, are:
- Avidyā ignorance
- Asanskāra conditioning of mind unknowingly
- Avijñāna not being conscious
- Nāmarūpa name and form (constituent elements of mental and physical existence)
- Ṣalāyatana six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind)
- Sparśa contact
- Vedanā sensation
- Taṇhā thirst
- Upādāna grasping[3]
- Bhava coming to be
- Jāti birth
- Jarāmaraṇa old age[4] and death[5] – corpse being carried.
These 12 in forward and reverse represent a total 24 spokes representing the dhamma. The Ashoka Chakra is depicting the 24 principles that should be present in a human.
Inclusion in the national flag of India[edit | edit source]
Ashoka Chakra was included in the middle of the national flag of India.In fact, in 1942, in Varanasi, when Mohan Malviya invited Mahatma Gandhi to the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the university, Mahatma Gandhi also visited Sarnath. There he saw the Ashoka chakra . After this Gandhi used the Ashoka Chakra in the wheel of the flag. The flag with a spinning wheel with 24 spokes led the Quit India Movement of 1942. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.[6][7] Dr B. R. Ambedkar was instrumental in reviving the legacy of Ashoka, and using the Ashokan Wheel on the flag was one of the ways where he tried to memorializing the Buddhist king.[8]
Construction Sheet[edit | edit source]
.svg)
See also[edit | edit source]
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "The 'Lion Capital': a Buddhist symbol that became India's National Emblem". The Heritage Lab. 4 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ↑ Maha Nayaka Thera, http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110710/Plus/plus_10.html Archived 27 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine, The correct use of the 'Dharmachakra'
- ↑ See, for example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 149; and, Gombrich (2005).
- ↑ See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 279, entry for "Jarā," retrieved 19 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [1] . More than simply "old age," the PED provides the additional meanings of "decay, decrepitude"; and, these additional translations are reflected in the Buddha's reputed words in the Jarā Sutta (below). However, for the sake of semantic conciseness, the compound term jarā-maraṇa is here represented as "old age and death."
- ↑ See Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), p. 524, entry for "Maraṇa," retrieved 19 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [2] . The PED further contextualizes maraṇa with "death, as ending this (visible) existence, physical death...." That is, in Buddhism, maraṇa does not refer to death of the conscious process or the end of the associated suffering.
- ↑ "What is the meaning of 24 spokes of Ashok Chakra?". Jagranjosh.com. 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ↑ "Independence Day Special: Evolution of the Indian flag". Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- ↑ History Dept, archived from the original on 11 March 2022, retrieved 11 March 2022