The Buddhist Cosmos

by Punnadhammo Mahathero

  The cakkavatti moreover enjoys four special powers (iddhi). First, he is more beautiful than other humans. Second, he has a lifespan surpassing that of other men. Third, he enjoys excellent health, freedom from illness and good digestion. And fourth, he is greatly beloved by everyone in his realm, like a father is loved by his children. It is said that once a cakkavatti was driving through the park to take the air and people asked the charioteer whether he would drive slower so that they could enjoy the sight of their monarch longer (MN 129). All classes of people cherish not only the sight, but also the words of a cakkavatti. When addressing one of their assemblies, they are delighted and cannot hear enough of his speech. The commentary preserves brief summaries of these speeches. To the khattiyas (warrior-nobles) he says, “How, fathers (tāta, a respectful endearment), are the duties of a king fulfilled? By preserving the traditions.” To the brahmins he says, “How, teachers (ācariya), are the mantras (i.e. the Vedas) recited and taught to your students? By your obtaining offerings and cloth and keeping the precepts.” To the householders he says, “How is it, fathers, (tātā) that the royal authority rules not by the use of the rod, or fetters or oppression? By the king (deva, often used metaphorically for royalty) rightfully bestowing wealth, so that the crops may prosper.” To the samaṇas he says, “How, venerable sirs (bhante) are the requisites of the going-forth obtained? By diligence in the duties of a samaṇa” (AN-a 4:130).

  There is a striking parallelism between a Buddha and a cakkavatti, especially in regard to the symbolism of the wheel. Just as the Buddha is said to have turned the wheel of the Dhamma (dhammacakka) “which cannot be turned back by any samaṇa or brahmin or deva or māra or brahmā or anyone in the world,” (SN 56:11) so too the cakkavatti is said to turn the wheel by the Dhamma (dhammena cakkaṃ vatteti) which cannot be turned back by any hostile human being (AN 5: 131). The commentary to this passage specifies that this is the āṇācakka, “the wheel of power,” in distinction to the wheel of Dhamma turned by the Buddha. (We will examine the important theme of the cakkavatti’s wheel below). Both of these “wheel-turnings” represent moments of profound cosmic-historical significance, one on the worldly and one on the spiritual planes. The cakkavatti possesses five qualities by which he effects this turning. He knows what is proper (atthaññu), that is, he knows the role of a king. He knows the doctrine (dhammaññu), that is, he knows the traditional teachings. He knows the measure (mattaññu), that is, he knows the proper limits of punishment and force. He knows the time (kālaññu), that is, he knows when it is time to enjoy the bliss of kingship, when it is time to pass judgement and when it is time to tour his lands. And he knows the assemblies (parisaññu), that is, he knows that this is the assembly of the khattiyas, this of the brahmins, this of the vessas, this of the suddas and this of the samaṇas.249 The same text goes on to ascribe a parallel set of five factors to the Buddha.

  The happiness experienced by a cakkavatti is like a pebble compared to the Himavā Mountains when it is compared to the happiness experienced in the deva realm (MN 129). Nevertheless, the life of a cakkavatti is said to be the pinnacle of joy and pleasure possible for anyone in the human realm, because of the seven treasures and the four powers. It would take an individual of extraordinary character indeed to renounce this world dominion. When the young Siddhattha Gotama left home to begin his spiritual quest, as he stood at the town gate Māra tempted him with these words, “My dear, do not depart. Here, in seven days’ time, the wheel-treasure will manifest for you and you will have the rulership of the four great island-continents and the two thousand lesser islands. Remain hear, my dear.” But the Bodhisatta refused this blandishment, “having the cakkavatti kingship placed in his hand, he tossed it aside like a lump of spittle” (Jāt-nid 2).

  We have seen that the idea of kingship is problematic for Buddhism. Although it has a purely mundane origin as a socio-political mechanism to keep order, and is in practice often an oppressive, violent and rapacious institution, nevertheless it is not entirely without a sacred component. The cakkavatti resolves this dilemma and represents the ideal perfection of kingship. The cakkavatti is truly a universal monarch, uniting the entire earth under one rule, including distant countries not ordinarily within the ken of the folk of the majjhimadesa. Furthermore he does this “by Dhamma” without the use of violence. As we shall see in the following sections, all the kings of the earth submit to his moral force without warfare. As well, he is not a looter of his subjects but a benefactor, bestowing security and wealth to all classes of people. We shall see below that one unusual source of revenue available to a cakkavatti is the vast store of precious gems and gold available on the floor of the ocean, which he harvests by the supernormal power of the wheel-treasure. In his personal life, too, he is exemplary. It is true that he enjoys an abundance of sense pleasure, like any Indian mahārāja, but he knows the limits and the proper times for that and never neglects his duties. Furthermore, he always keeps the precepts and the uposatha vows.

  This ideal of the cakkavatti, ruling by Dhamma, was influential as a model for later kings in Buddhist Asia, even if only as a propagandistic trope.250 Obviously, no king in historical times has managed a truly universal monarchy. However, King Asoka, who united all of the Indian sub-continent and attempted to rule according to principles of Dhamma, has been accorded status as a dīpacakkavatti, which is a lesser kind of cakkavatti who unites only the single island-continent of Jambudīpa (Vin-a Pār 2). Buddhist tradition predicts that there will be one final cakkavatti in this kappa, Saṅkha, who will rule at the same time as the appearance of the last Buddha in this kappa, Metteyya (DN 26).

  3:1:11 CAKKARATANA—THE WHEEL TREASURE

  One of the defining attributes of a cakkavatti is the possession of seven wonderful “treasures” (ratana). The first and most important of these is the cakkaratana, the “Wheel Treasure.” This is a marvellous Wheel that appears in the sky and signifies a deserving king as a cakkavatti. It is integral to his career and is the defining symbol of his status. Its appearance in the sky over his palace marks the outset of his reign as a cakkavatti, and he peacefully conquers the world by following in its wake. Should he fail in his duties, the Wheel disappears and his power is at an end.

  In the commentary to the Mahāsudassana Sutta (DN-a 17) there is a detailed description of the cakkaratana (“Wheel Treasure”). It is an uposatha-night and King Sudassana, having made much merit by extravagant alms-giving, has retired to an inner chamber and sits cross-legged, meditating on the virtue of his generosity when the Wheel appears:

  It manifests like a mass of sapphire, cleaving the surface of the eastern sea. Displaying a divine splendour it is thousand-spoked, complete with nave and rim, perfect in every way.

  The nave is made of sapphire. In the middle are tubes251 made of finest silver which gleam like a row of pure teeth in a smiling mouth. The central opening is like the full moon. Both inside and outside are lined with plates of silver. These plates surround the tubes and in the place where they join, can be seen clear well-made inscriptions. The nave is perfect in every way.

  There are a thousand spokes made of the seven precious things.252 They are radiant like the rays of the sun. At their ends are jeweled capitals,253 where can be seen clear well-made inscriptions. The spokes are perfect in every way.

  The rim sparkles with rays like the rising sun. Like a smiling mouth, it is made of dark red smooth pure coral. But the joints are like the splendour of the evening sun, or like Jambu gold.254 Around the circle at the places of junction can be seen clear well-made inscriptions. The rim is perfect in every way.

  On the back of the rim in between every ten spokes there is a coral pole with a hole cut into it, like a flute. When the wind moves through it, it makes a sound like very skillful music played by a five piece orchestra. The sound is lovely, delightful, pleasing and intoxicating. The coral stick has above it a white parasol. On both sides flow down wreaths of flowers. Two rows thus of flowers held by one hundred parasol
s255 adorn the rim.

  On two of the pipes in the nave there are the faces of lions,256 from which there comes a red woolen ball like the rising sun, the size of a palm tree trunk, glorious and resplendent with rays like the full moon. From these there hang down two strings of pearls, like a smiling face, like the sky-river.257

  When the Wheel turns in the sky it seems like three wheels are turning there. Thus it is perfect in every way.

  When the Wheel manifests, it is first seen by the people of the royal city:

  As the people, after eating their supper, sit in their doorways or engage in friendly conversation in the streets and cross-roads and their children play at games, the dhammacakka258 approaches through the air. It flies neither too high nor too low, but just at the level of the tree-tops. From the distance of twelve yojana, the sweet delightful sound reaches the ears of the people in the town. From the distance of one yojana, the shining, resplendent array of many colours reaches their eyes as the Wheel approaches the royal city.

  When they hear the sound, they ask, “Where is this sound coming from? Who is making it?” As they consider this in their hearts, a brilliant light is seen approaching from the eastern direction. One person says to another, “It is a marvel! Formerly the moon was alone in the sky, now there are two full moons like a pair of royal swans travelling through the sky!” Another person says, “What are you saying? That is not a second moon, surely it is the sun, with its brilliant red and gold rays.” Yet another says, “You are mad! How could the sun be chasing through the sky after the moon? Surely it is a vimāna,259 brilliant and covered in many gems, produced by meritorious deeds.” But someone else says, “Friends, you are talking nonsense. This is a very auspicious sign that a cakkaratana (“Wheel Treasure”) should come to be!”

  This friendly talk ceases as the Wheel moves away from the disc of the moon and approaches the city. Someone asks, “For whom has this Wheel arisen?” He is answered, “It can be no other, but our own Mahārāja (“Great King”) who has fulfilled the duties of a Wheel-Turning Monarch (cakkavatti) for whom this wheel has come.” So the crowd of people, now seeing and knowing, follow the Wheel as it makes a circuit of the city walls, clockwise seven times, as if to make clear its intention in coming for the king. The king’s harem stands in the windows of the palace; overcome with happiness and wonder they honour the Wheel by throwing flowers.

  The king is told about this wonder by his retinue, gets up from his meditation seat and goes out onto the audience balcony260 to see it by himself.

  The king thinks, “I have heard that that when a properly anointed khattiya king, after having rinsed his head and performed the uposatha kamma on the fifteenth day of the month, then sees this cakkaratana appearing at the upper storey of the palace, complete and perfect with a thousand spokes, with rim and nave, then this king is a cakkavatti (’Wheel Turner’).”261 The Wheel then moves up and down in the sky by one or two inches, in confirmation. The king takes a golden pitcher with a spout like an elephant’s trunk and sprinkles water onto the Wheel saying, “Conquer, Sir Wheel!”262 Thus has been done by all cakkavattis throughout the course of time.

  An interesting question to raise at this point in the narrative is the size of the Wheel. This is nowhere clearly stated and actually appears to be variable. On the one hand, the tubes that make up a small part of its structure are said to be as big as palm-tree trunks and the approaching Wheel is visible to the townsfolk from a yojana away. On the other hand, when it approaches the palace it hovers just outside the king’s balcony and indicates its affirmation by moving up and down a couple of inches. This does not seem to support the idea of a massive size implied earlier.

  As soon as these words are spoken, the cakkaratana rises into the sky and turns. The king mounts his carriage and it rises into the air to follow the Wheel. Then the king’s attendants also rise up into the air, carrying the royal parasol, fly-whisk, cowrie shell and so forth, and so does his harem. Then the royal army, arrayed in various kinds of armour and mail, arrayed in various splendid and glorious ways, raising aloft banners and pennants, also rise up in the air. Finally the three officers, the viceroy (uparāja), the general (senāpati) and the overlord (pabhu) mount a vehicle and rise up to follow the king. The king’s servants in the town go around beating a drum and announcing, “Our king has become a cakkavatti, everyone should adorn themselves according to their means and assemble.” Then all the townsfolk pay homage in various ways to the Wheel, throwing flowers and so forth. They all rise up into the air to follow the king.

  His retinue extends over the space of twelve yojana, and there is among them not one with a broken body or soiled garments; pure is the company of the cakkavatti.

  The company of the cakkavatti travels through the air like wizards (vijjādharapurisa), as if they were going along a flat surface strewn with sapphires. The company travels along just above the tree-tops, neither too high nor too low, as they cross the country. Anyone who wishes to gather flowers or fruits from the trees can do so. The people standing on the ground are able to clearly observe them and to say, “There is the king, there is the viceroy, there the general.” As the people travel along, they can assume any posture they like and can even work at their various arts and crafts, just as if they were on the ground.

  Taking the company of the cakkavatti along with it, the cakkaratana goes around the left side of Mount Sineru, travels for seven thousand yojana across the great ocean and comes to the island-continent of Pubbavideha. And at whatever place the Wheel comes to rest, the king establishes a settlement, together with his four-fold army.263 There in a space twelve yojana across, thirty-six yojana around, they make camp. There all necessities are easily obtained; there is shade and water on a piece of pleasant, smooth and level ground. Above stands the Wheel, as a sign.264 Seeing this sign, the people descend and having bathed and taken some food, they build themselves dwellings wherever they like.

  The foreign kings come to this settlement of the cakkavatti, but not to make battle against it. In the presence of the cakkaratana, there is no one who would venture to raise their weapons against its majestic power (ānubhāva). The kings having come there, one by one, offering their wealth and their sovereignty, pay homage to the cakkavatti by bowing down with their jeweled top-knots to the cakkavatti’s feet and say, “Come great king! Welcome great king! We are yours, please admonish us.” And the cakkavatti advises them in this way, “Do not kill living beings! Do not take that which is not given! Tell no lies! Take no intoxicating drink! Enjoy your food!”265 How far do these kings follow this advice, considering that not everyone now follows the advice of the Buddha? They do follow it, because they are wise and learned.

  After giving this admonishment to the kings of Pubbavideha, the cakkavatti’s people eat their breakfast, then again take to the air, following the Wheel across the eastern ocean. Then the Wheel plunges into the sea to a depth of a yojana. Wherever the Wheel strikes the waves, the water draws back like a cobra that has smelled poison; the waters of the sea fall away and become like walls of lapis-lazuli. In that instant, as if to display the fortune and merit of the cakkavatti, the floor of the sea is exposed, strewn with many kinds of jewels. The company of the king, seeing the jewels, takes up as many as they wish, filling their laps and so forth. When they have taken their fill, the Wheel turns around again and begins to ascend. The waters of the ocean are overpowered by the majesty of the cakkaratana and draw away from the circle of its rim.

  Having conquered Pubbavideha, the cakkavatti turns south over the ocean, desirous of conquering Jambudīpa.

  The Wheel-Turning King with his army and retinue repeat the performance on Jambudīpa, Aparagoyāna and Uttarakuru, each time establishing a camp, receiving the submission of the local monarchs and giving them the formal admonishment. After each continental conquest, the Wheel again plunges into the sea and the king’s people take up the jewels lying strewn on the sea-bed.

  Thus King Mahāsudassana established his sovereignt
y over the four quarters of the earth. In order to observe his domain, the king together with his company rises up high into the sky and looks over the four island-continents together with the five hundred minor islands, just like looking at four lotus flowers in a mountain lake. Then according to the wish of the king, the Wheel returns to the royal capital city. Thereafter it stands near the inner city, its radiance dispelling the darkness of night, so that no lamps or torches are needed there (DN-a 17).

  Having obtained the sovereignty of the whole cakkavāḷa the cakkavatti is not idle. He examines the condition of the people and at the right time he sits in judgement. Those who ought to be admonished, he admonishes. Those who ought to be raised up, he raises up. Everywhere he puts everything into its proper place. (AN-a 1: 188)

  3:1:12 THE SEVEN TREASURES

  A cakkavatti is possessed of seven wonderful treasures (ratana). The first and most important of these is the Wheel-Treasure (cakkaratana), already described, which appears first and acts as the emblem of his authority.

  The second to appear is the Elephant-Treasure (hatthiratana).

  After the appearance of the Wheel-Treasure, the counsellors of the king prepare a suitable place for an auspicious elephant. They make a piece of ground level and clean and smear it with sandalwood paste and sweet fragrances. Below, it is strewn with various fragrant flowers, and above it they place a golden canopy, adorned with sparkling stars. It has a pleasing appearance like a deva’s vimāna.

  “The Divine Elephant Treasure (deva hatthiratana) will come here,” they say.

  As previously, the king, having made a great act of giving, takes the eight precepts and sits, contemplating his merit and by the power of that merit calls forth an elephant of the Chaddanta or of the Uposatha tribe,266 who wishes to enjoy the king’s honour and hospitality.