Chakravartin
Chakravartin (Skt., also cakravartirāja; P. cakkavattin; T. ’khor lo sgyur ba’i rgyal po; C. zhuanlun wang; J. tenrin’ō; K. chŏllyun wang 轉輪王), literally "wheel-turning emporer", refers to a type of universal monarch within Buddhist cosmology who rules over his domain in accordance with the dharma. According to tradition, there is only one cakravartin at a time within a world system, in a similar way that there is only one buddha at a time. The cakravartin has similar physically attributes to a buddha, but lacks the mental and supernatural powers of a buddha.
The power of the charavartin derives from a mystical wheel with divine attributes.
Contents
Four classes of Cakravartin
The Abhidharma-kosha identifies four classes of cakravartin; each has a wheel forged from a different element (gold, silver, copper, or iron), which corresponds to their power and the size of thier domain.[1][2]
| Class | Wheel | Domain | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| suvarṇa-cakravartin[3] | gold | the four continents of a world system | Rival kings sponteously surrender their lands when the cakravartin's wheel enters their lands |
| rūpya-cakravartin | silver | three continents of a world system (excluding Uttarakuru) | Rival kings surrender when threatened by the cakravartin |
| tāmra-cakravartin | copper | two continents (Jambudvipa and Videha) | Cakravartin conquers territory after initiating battle with rivals |
| ayaś-cakravartin[4] | iron | one continent (Jambudvipa only) | Cakravartin conquers territory only after extended warfare with his rivals |
According to Buswell and Lopez, "the cakravartins discussed in the sūtras typically refers to a suvarṇa-cakravartin, who conquers the world through the sheer power of his righteousness and charisma."[5]
Comparison to a buddha
Similarities: phyical marks of a great person
Cakravartins have similar physical attributes to a buddha. Like the buddhas, a cakravartin is said to be endowed with the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor marks of a superior person.[2]
Differences
Cakravartins do not posess all of the mental and super-natural attributes of the buddhas. According to StudyBuddhism:
Although wheel-wielding emperors share the same bodily features of a Sambhogakaya and Supreme Nirmanakaya Buddha, they lack the other qualities of a Buddha and thus are not fitting objects indicating safe direction. For example, a wheel-wielding emperor cannot emanate innumerable bodies simultaneously throughout all universes in order to benefit all limited beings. Further, according to Mahayana, a Buddha’s enlightening body pervades all Buddha-fields (sangs-rgyas-kyi zhing) and all Buddha-fields appear in every pore of a Buddha’s enlightening body. Wheel-wielding emperor’s lack such inconceivable physical qualities.[2]
Etymology
Chakravartin is a bahuvrīhi compound word, figuratively meaning "whose wheels are moving", in the sense of "whose chariot is rolling everywhere without obstruction". It can also be analysed as an instrumental bahuvrīhi: "through whom the wheel is moving". The Tibetan word translates "monarch who controls by means of a wheel".
See also
Notes
- ↑
Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. Cakravartin - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
StudyBuddhism, The 32 Major Marks of a Buddha's Physical Body - ↑ Referred to in some texts as a caturdvīpaka-cakravartin, or “cakravartin of four continents”
- ↑ Some texts refer to a balacakravartin or “armed cakravartin,” which corresponds to this category
- ↑ Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. Cakravartin
References
Cakkavatti Sutta The Wheel-turning Emperor, Access to Insight- A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms, Access to Insight
- StudyBuddhism, The 32 Major Marks of a Buddha's Physical Body
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
Further reading
- Jamgön Kongtrul, Myriad Worlds (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1995), pages 134-138, ISBN 978-1559391887
- Robert Beer, The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols (Boston: Shambhala, 2003), pages 36-48.
External links
- StudyBuddhism, Chakravartin (glossary definition)
- StudyBuddhism, The 32 Major Marks of a Buddha's Physical Body
Universal monarch
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