Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

DDB Top Page 
 
 
  XML source

金輪

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: metal wheel

Senses:

  • Gold wheel; from Buddho-Indian mytho-cosmology. Above the primordial void are three layered wheels, which eventually give support to the earth. The lowest is the 'wind wheel.' This is followed by the water wheel and metal wheel (Skt. kāñcana-maṇḍala). [Charles Muller; source(s): Nakamura]
  • As an abbreviation of 金輪寶, the first of the seven treasures (, , , , 主藏臣, 玉女, 主兵臣) of the wheel-turning sage kings (轉輪聖王). In this case there are four wheels (Skt. cakra, or rings, which are made of gold, silver, copper and iron. The "wheel-turning King" takes his name from the fact that he takes the uppermost wheel and on it distributes the four great continents and their respective contents. This thousand-spoked golden wheel treasure, originally a symbol of the ruling authority of the wheel-turning King is borrowed into Buddhism, where it is used to symbolize the authority of the King of the Dharma (the Buddha), and his exposition of true reality comes to be referred to as 'turning the wheel of the Dharma.' Because of this, in Buddhist iconography and art, the Buddha is depicted as having the physical marks of thousand spoke wheels on the palms of his hands and the undersides of his feet. [Charles Muller]
  • Abbreviation of gold wheel-turning king 金輪王. [Charles Muller]
  • (Skt. kāñcana-cakra, sauvarṇaṃcakram, suvarṇamaya, kāñcanamayīmahāpṛthivī) [Charles Muller; source(s): Hirakawa]
  • 瑜伽論 T 1579.30.289a19, 成唯識論 T 1585.31.59c15〕 [Charles Muller]
  • CJKV-E
  • Search SAT
  • Search INBUDS Database

  • Feedback

    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 325

    Bulgyo sajeon 102a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 369d

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 193

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 249c →こんりん , 423c

    Fo Guang Dictionary 3588

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 1187

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)1380b,1696a

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 507-3*858-2-20*858-2-28



    Entry created: 1993-09-01

    Updated: 2008-05-06