Deeds of the Buddha’s Life:
- Turning of the wheel of Dharma
Deeds of the Buddha’s Life
Motivation & Salutations
Generate the motivation of bodhicitta. As much as possible generate a strong thought of impermanence-death, which allows your mind to become Dharma. Then generate compassion and strong bodhicitta toward sentient beings.
Then think of those you have a karmic responsibility towards, those close to you, those recently deceased, and bring them all along with you on pilgrimage!
Prostrations
OṂ NAMO MAÑJUŚHRIYE / NAMAḤ SUŚHRĪYE / NAMA UTTAMAŚHRIYE SVĀHĀ (3x)
Refuge & Bodhicitta
I go for refuge until I am enlightened
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly.
By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, May I become a buddha to benefit all sentient beings. (3x)
Seven Limb Prayer
Reverently I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind;
I present clouds of every type of offering, actual and imagined;
I declare all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time, and rejoice in the merit of all holy and ordinary beings.
Please, remain until the end of cyclic existence, and turn the wheel of Dharma for living beings.
I dedicate my own and other’s merits to the great enlightenment.
Mandala Offering
This ground, anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers,
Adorned with Mount Meru, four continents, the sun and the moon:
I imagine this as a buddha-field and offer it.
May all living beings enjoy this pure land!
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALA KAM NIRYATA YAMI
Slideshow of the Area
Location Map
Random Notes
Lion Capital of Ashoka – The four-lion column at Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh)) erected by Emperor Ashoka circa 250 BC. also called the “Asoka Column” . Four lions are seated back to back. At present the Column remains in the same place whereas the Lion Capital is at the Sarnath Museum. This Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath has been adopted as the National Emblem of India and the wheel “Ashoka Chakra” from its base was placed onto the centre of the flag of India. The lions probably originally supported a Dharma Chakra wheel with 24 spokes, such as is preserved in the 13th century replica erected at Wat U Mong near Chiang Mai, Thailand by a Thai king.
Standing 2.15 metres (7 feet) high including the base, it is more elaborate than the other very similar surviving capitals. It is carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, and was always a separate piece from the column itself. It 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, separated by intervening spoked chariot-wheels. The whole sits upon a bell-shaped lotus. The capital was originally probably crowned by a ‘Wheel of Dharma’ (Dharmachakra popularly known in India as the “Ashoka Chakra”), with 24 spokes, of which a few fragments were found on the site.[4] A 13th-century replica of the Sarnath pillar and capital in Wat U Mong near Chiang Mai, Thailand built by King Mangrai, preserves its crowning Ashoka Chakra or Dharmachakra. The wheel on the capital, below the lions, is the model for the one in the flag of India.
Rediscovery – The Capital on the ground at Sarnath, before 1911, probably 1904-05. There were no surviving traces above ground of the Sarnath pillar, mentioned in the accounts of medieval Chinese pilgrims, when the Indian Civil Service engineer F.O. Oertel, with no real experience in archaeology, was allowed to excavate there in the winter of 1904-05. He first uncovered the remains of a Gupta shrine west of the main stupa, overlying an Ashokan structure. To the west of that he found the lowest section of the pillar, upright but broken off near ground level. Most of the rest of the pillar was found in three sections nearby, and then, since the Sanchi capital had been excavated in 1851, the search for an equivalent was continued, and it was found close by. The pillar appeared to have been deliberately destoyed at some point.
Symbolism – What is being preached may be symbolised by the group of four lions of the capital. A group of four lions joined back to back symbolizes a group of four things of equal importance. The lion is frequently used as a symbol of the Buddha, and the animals on the abacus below also have symbolic meaning in Buddhism. The capital is clearly Buddhist and Mauryan in origin and thus probably symbolizes the spread of Dharma, and perhaps the extent of the Maurya Empire in all directions, or four parts of the empire. Alternatively, the group of four lions and bell jointly symbolize preaching of ‘the Four Noble Truths’ of Buddhism to all; those that emphasize the Middle Path. The symbol U with a vertical line placed symmetrically inside it symbolizes ‘The Middle Path’.
Sutra to Read
The Dharma Wheel Sutra
In the Indian Language: Dharmachakra Sūtra [dharmacakra-sūtra]
In the Tibetan Language: Chhö kyi Khorlo’i Do [chos kyi ‘khor lo’i mdo]
In the English Language: The Dharma Wheel Sūtra [The Sūtra of the Dharma Wheel]
Adoration to the comprehensively understanding one!
Thus have I heard these words: At one time the Buddha, the Sublime Master, was residing in the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition in Vārāṇasī, and it was from there that the Sublime Master bestowed teaching upon the the five-fold group of spiritual mendicants:
[The First Phase]
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “The noble truth of suffering is this itself.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “Suffering is this itself. The origination of suffering is this itself. The stopping of suffering is this itself. The path leading to the stopping of suffering is this itself.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
[The Second Phase]
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “I must directly know the noble truth of suffering, and thereby comprehensively understand it.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “I must directly know the noble truth of suffering’s origination, and thereby comprehensively eradicate it.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “I must directly know the noble truth of realizing suffering’s stopping, and thereby comprehensively actualize it.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “I must directly know the noble truth of the path leading to suffering’s stopping, and thereby comprehensively cultivate it.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
[The Third Phase]
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “The noble truth of suffering has been directly known, and thereby comprehensively understood.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “The noble truth of suffering’s origination has been directly known, and thereby eradicated.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “The noble truth of suffering’s stopping has been directly known, and thereby actualized.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard before, as I progressively contemplated, “The noble truth of the path leading to suffering’s stopping has been directly known, and thereby cultivated.” Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.”
“Seekers of virtue, for so long as I had not given rise to vision, given rise to understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization in regard to the Four Noble Truths, enumerated into their three phases and consequent twelve modes, I was not emancipated from this world with its Devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, with its living beings including spiritual contemplatives and priests, with its gods and humans; I did not have liberation and definitive deliverance, did not abide amongst the multitudes with a mind of utter freedom, without distortion, and, O seekers of virtue, I did not know what is called ‘the unparalleled authentically complete awakening of manifestly complete Buddhahood’.”
“Seekers of virtue, when I had given rise to vision, given rise to understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization in regard to the Four Noble Truths, enumerated into their three phases and consequent twelve modes, thereafter I was emancipated from this world with its Devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, with its living beings including spiritual contemplatives and priests, with its gods and humans; I did have liberation and definitive deliverance, did abide amongst the multitudes with a mind of utter freedom, without distortion, and, O seekers of virtue, thereafter I did know what is called ’the unparalleled authentically complete awakening of manifestly complete Buddhahood’.”
When the teaching on this section of Dharma was bestowed, the Venerable Kaundinya and eighty thousand gods gave rise to the dustless and stainless Dharma Eye.
Then, the Sublime Master granted instruction to Venerable Kaundinya:
“Kaundinya, have you understood all of the Dharma?”
[Kaundinya:] “Bhagavān, I have fathomed it.”
[The Buddha:] “Kaundinya, have you understood it all?”
[Kaundinya:] “Sugata, I have fathomed it all indeed, I have fathomed it all indeed.”
Because Venerable Kaundinya had understood all of the Dharma, Venerable Kaundinya was therefore dubbed with the moniker ĀjñātaKaundinya, “All-Understanding Kaundinya”.
The earth-dwelling yaksas broadcast the announcement: “Kaundinya has understood all of the Dharma!”, and then boomed a song, which went:
Friends! The Bhagavān, in the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition, in Vārāṇasī, has turned the Dharma Wheel, imbued with the Dharma, enumerated into its three phases and consequent twelve modes, which has gone unturned in accordance with the Dharma by anyone in the world, whether spiritual contemplatives, priests, gods, Māras, or Brahmās, for the sake of helping many living beings, for the happiness of many living beings, out of compassionate love for the world, for the benefit, support, and welfare of humans and gods, and thus, the abodes of gods shall deeply thrive, and the abodes of anti-gods shall utterly decline!
Having heard the uproar of the earth-dwelling yakṣas, the announcement was then resounded from the abodes of the sky-traveling yakṣas, to those of the Four Great Kings, to the heavens of the gods of the Thirty-Three, to those of the gods of Joyous, Conflict-Free, Emanation Delight, and Mastery Over Others’ Emanations, within that single moment, within that single instant, within that very second, at that moment, instant, and very second, all the way up to the world of Brahmā. The gods of the Brahmā abode also broadcast the announcement as follows:
Friends! The Bhagavān, in the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition, in Vārāṇasī, has turned the Dharma Wheel, imbued with the Dharma, enumerated into its three phases and consequent twelve modes, which has gone unturned in accordance with the Dharma by anyone in the world, whether spiritual contemplatives, priests, gods, Māras, or Brahmās, for the sake of helping many living beings, for the happiness of many living beings, out of compassionate love for the world, for the benefit, support, and welfare of humans and gods, and thus, the abodes of gods shall deeply thrive, and the abodes of anti-gods shall utterly decline!
Because the Sublime Master had thus turned the Dharma Wheel, imbued with Dharma, enumerated into its three phases and consequent twelve modes, at the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition in Vārāṇasī, this section of Dharma was designated with the title ‘The Turning of the Dharma Wheel’.
The Sutra of the Dharma Wheel is complete.
Colophon: Translated by Erick Tsiknopoulos, October-November 2013, in the Sanctuary of Yearning for Release (Thardö Ling), McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, India. Special thanks to Géshé Lobsang Chögyël Rinpoché for his profound and powerful teachings and commentary on this discourse on the holy day of Chhökhor Düchhen, the ‘great time (celebration) of the Dharma Wheel’, for which I had the good fortune to interpret for a group of about ten people in Rinpoché’s room, and to Dr. Lobzang Gyamtso for his insightful and erudite commentary on the Tibetan text. Also thanks to Gésheyma candidate Ven. Zangmo for her kind and lucid explanation of Illuminating Emancipation’s Path: An Exposition on the Four Noble Truths & Dependent Arising (bden bzhi dang rten ‘brel gyi rnam par bzhag pa thar lam gsal byed ces bya ba bzhugs so) by Choné Jetsün Drakpa Shaydrup (co ne rje brtsun grags pa bshad sgrub).
Dedication Prayers
Dedicate that you too may complete the Twelve Deeds of a buddha. Dedicate for your friends and family and those you have responsibility for, that you may lead them all to enlightenment. Make any other specific dedications for the end of war, the halt of climate change, the eradication of all pandemics and disease, and the success of all your spiritual endeavours.
Dedication
Due to the merits of these virtuous actions
May I quickly attain the state of a Guru-Buddha
And lead all living beings, without exception,
Into that enlightened state
Bodhicitta Verse
May the supreme jewel bodhicitta
Not yet born, arise and grow
May that born have no decline
But increase forever more
Long Life Prayer for HH Dalai Lama
The wish-granting wish-fulfilling jewel,
Source of every single benefit and happiness in this world,
To the incomparably kind Tenzin Gyatso, I beseech:
May all your holy wishes be spontaneously fulfilled.
Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You who uphold the Subduer’s moral way, who serve as the bountiful bearer-of-all,
Sustaining, preserving, and spreading Manjunath’s
victorious doctrine;
Who masterfully accomplish magnificent prayers honouring the Three Jewels:
Savior of myself and others, your disciples, please, please live long!