dharmachakra

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Images

Gold dharma wheel with eight spokes flanked by two gold deer statues on the roof of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, against a clear blue sky.

Stone dharmachakra wheel with intricate carvings stands upright on a stone base at the Si Thep ruins in Thailand, with trees and ancient stone walls in the background.

Stone relief sculpture from the Kushan dynasty shows the Buddha seated and teaching surrounded by disciples, with deer and a dharma wheel below, representing the First Sermon at Sarnath.

Illustration of a golden dharma wheel (dharmachakra) on a red background, with each of its eight spokes labeled to represent the steps of the Buddhist Eightfold Path, including right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

Dharmachakramudra (wheel of dharma hand symbol)

Stone sculpture of four back-to-back lions atop a pillar, known as the Ashoka lions, the national emblem of India, with a carved wheel and animal figures below.

dharmachakra: References & Edit History

More Articles On This Topic

religious symbolism and iconography
Concepts of symbolization

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Charles Preston
Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	New article added.	Charles Preston	Jun 05, 2026