The Ashoka Chakra, the central motif on the national flag of India, is a depiction of the Buddhist Dharma Chakra, or wheel of law. The wheel has 24 spokes, which represent the 12 Laws of Dependent Origination and the 12 Laws of Dependent Termination in Buddhism. The Ashoka Chakra symbolizes the continuous movement of the wheel of law.
The 24 spokes on the Ashoka Chakra are meant to signify that there is life and movement in dharma. Just as a wheel continuously moves, the dharma is ever-advancing and should not stagnate. The Ashoka Chakra represents the progressive and continuous march of dharma, in the life of an individual as well as that of the nation.
Origin of the Ashoka Chakra
The Ashoka Chakra can be traced back to the lion capital of Ashoka, an ancient monument dating from the 3rd century BCE. The capital, erected by Emperor Ashoka during the Mauryan dynasty, originally crowned a pillar at Sarnath, near Varanasi. The capital features four Asiatic lions standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull, and a lion. The abacus is girded by the Ashoka Chakra, which appears between a series of 24 smaller Dharma wheels, containing spokes.
Thus, the original depiction of the Dharma Chakra on the capital already featured 24 spokes. When the Chakra was later adopted as the central emblem on the flag of India, the 24 spokes design was maintained.
Significance of the 24 Spokes
The 24 spokes on the Ashoka Chakra represent:
- The 12 Laws of Dependent Origination (Pratītyasamutpāda) in Buddhism
- The 12 Laws of Dependent Termination (Pratītyasamutpāda)
The 12 Laws of Dependent Origination
In Buddhism, the 12 Laws of Dependent Origination describe the causal inter-connection between mental, emotional, and physical phenomena. The 12 links in the causal chain are:
- Ignorance
- Mental formations
- Consciousness
- Name and form
- Six senses
- Contact
- Feeling
- Craving
- Clinging
- Existence
- Birth
- Decay and death
Each spoke represents one of these 12 causal links. These laws state that each phenomena arises dependently, in reliance on other phenomena. Nothing exists independently or permanently, and everything comes into being dependent on multiple causes and conditions.
The 12 Laws of Dependent Termination
The 12 Laws of Dependent Termination are:
- Cessation of ignorance
- Cessation of mental formations
- Cessation of consciousness
- Cessation of mind and body
- Cessation of six senses
- Cessation of contact
- Cessation of feeling
- Cessation of craving
- Cessation of clinging
- Cessation of existence
- Cessation of birth
- Cessation of decay and death
These 12 laws relate to the cessation of the causal chain of dependent origination. They represent the liberation from samsara (the cycle of birth and death). Each spoke stands for the cessation of one link of dependent origination.
Just as the arising of phenomena is dependent on multiple causes and conditions, the cessation of these phenomena also depends on other factors leading to liberation. The 12 laws of dependent termination depict this process.
Other Significant Aspects
In addition to the 12 Laws of Dependent Origination and Dependent Termination, the 24 spokes of the Ashoka Chakra also represent:
- The 24 hours of a full day
- The 24 prahars (3 hour periods) of the day
- The 24 hours of Brahma (Hindu god)
So the 24 spokes signify the eternal cosmic order and the eternal vigilance of dharma. The depiction of 24 spokes assimilates different significances from Hinduism and Buddhism.
Conclusion
The Ashoka Chakra is a Buddhist symbol representing the continuous motion of the wheel of law and righteousness. It integrates Buddhist and Hindu spiritual concepts through its 24 spokes, which stand for:
- 12 Laws of Dependent Origination
- 12 Laws of Dependent Termination
- 24 hours of the day
- 24 prahars of the day
- 24 hours of Brahma
Together, the 24 spokes symbolize the eternal movement and vigilance of dharma, guiding the life of individuals and nations. The Ashoka Chakra is a profound spiritual concept depicted in a simple visual form.