Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

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轉輪聖王

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: wheel-turning sage king

Senses:

  • In pre-Buddhist Indian tradition, this refers to a sagely, benevolent, just, and capable ruler, who eminently handles the domain; somewhat of an ideal, mythical vision of the perfect king, who is able to rule by righteousness rather than by force (cakravartī-rāja). In Buddhism, a special meaning is implied, with this ruler possessing a buddhaʼs enlightenment and abilities. He is said to have thirty-two distinguishing marks 三十二相 and to rule the world by rolling the wheels bestowed on him at his enthronement by a heavenly deity. The wheel is of four kinds: gold, silver, copper, and iron. The gold wheel-turning king ruleｓ the four continents; the silver wheel-turning king, the eastern, western, and southern continents; the copper wheel-turning king, the eastern and southern continents; and the iron wheel-turning king, the southern continent (Jambu-dvīpa 閻浮提). The highest cakravartī uses the wheel or thunder-bolt as a weapon and 'hurls his chakra into the midst of his enemies,' but the Buddha 'meekly turns the wheel of doctrine and conquers every universe by his teaching.' Transliterated as 遮迦越羅 and 斫迦羅伐辣底; abbreviated as 轉輪王 and 轉王. (Cf. 四洲)

    According to Wonhyoʼs commentary on the Brahmāʼs Net Sutra, the religious attainment of the wheel-turning Sage Kings ranges from those who have not yet reached the first bodhisattva ground 初地 up to the bodhisattvas of the tenth ground 十地, including iron wheel-turning kings 鐵輪王, copper wheel-turning kings 銅輪王, silver wheel-turning kings 銀輪王, and gold wheel-turning kings 金輪王 (Skt. cakravartin, cakra-vartitva, cakravarti-rājya, bala-cakravartin, rājācakra-vartī, nṛpatva; cakravarti-nṛpa, cakravartiśvara, rāja-śrī; Pāli cakkavattī-raja). 〔梵網經菩薩戒本私記 HBJ 1.599a〕

    [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, Soothill, Hirakawa, Yokoi, Iwanami]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 763

    Bulgyo sajeon 769a

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 599

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 281

    Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary (Yokoi) 773

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 991a

    Fo Guang Dictionary 6624

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 1138

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)3826a,3483c,3711b,3821b

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1259-1

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1997-09-15

    Updated: 2022-09-26