Dharmacakrapravartanādhyeṣaṇā

View on BuNay    + Add to BuNay    + Add to BCA

Key Term	dharmacakrapravartanādhyeṣaṇā
Hover Popup Choices	requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma; entreaty to teach the Dharma; urging to turn the wheel of dharma
In Tibetan Script	ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་བསྐོར་བར་བསྐུལ་བ་
Wylie Tibetan Transliteration	chos kyi 'khor lo bskor bar bskul ba
Devanagari Sanskrit Script	धर्मचक्रप्रवर्तनाध्येषणा
Romanized Sanskrit	dharmacakrapravartanādhyeṣaṇā
Romanized Pali	dhammacakkappavattanājjhesanā
Tibetan Phonetic Rendering	chö kyi khorlo korwar külwa
Chinese Script	請轉法輪
Chinese Pinyin	qǐng zhuǎn fǎlún
Japanese Transliteration	shinten bōrin
Korean Script	청전법륜
English Standard	requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma
Alternate Spellings	adhyeṣaṇā; bskul ba; requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma; entreaty to teach
Term Type	Noun
Source Language	Sanskrit
Basic Meaning	The request for the buddhas to teach in order to help guide living beings away from suffering and towards enlightenment
Has the Sense of	This request is part of the seven-limb prayer which is also know as Supreme Worship
NEW: Context Descriptions (Glossary-DefinitionTsadra)	Abhidharma (Indo-Tibetan): Within the context of mental processes, this practice is related to the mental factor of intention (cetanā) and attention (manasikāra). It serves as a stimulus or impetus that rouses the mind toward virtuous activity. As a formal practice, it counteracts the 'obscuration of Dharma-neglect,' creating a karmic connection that ensures the practitioner will continue to encounter and receive teachings in future lives. Mahāyāna (Indo-Tibetan): In the Mahāyāna path, requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma is established as the fifth of the seven branches of supreme worship (anuttarā-pūjā). It is modeled after the historical event where Brahmā Sahampati entreated the Buddha to teach, arguing that while some beings have 'much dust in their eyes,' others have little and would benefit from the path. Practically, it involves visualizing the Buddhas of the ten directions and requesting them to teach in accordance with the varied needs and capacities of sentient beings. This branch is specifically designed to clear away the negative karma associated with having criticized the Dharma or having prevented others from hearing the teachings. Vajrayāna (Indo-Tibetan): In Tantric ritual and sādhana practice, this entreaty is often used as a liturgical exhortation to rouse the deity's activity or to request the guru to grant empowerments and instructions. After the generation of the deity or the arrival of the lineage masters, the practitioner formally petitions them to remain active and to provide the 'nectar of the teachings' for the sake of all beings. It is a vital component in maintaining the samaya connection between the student and the teacher, ensuring that the flow of blessings and wisdom remains uninterrupted. Theravāda/Pāli Tradition Context: In the Pāli tradition, ajjhesanā refers to the formal invitation or request for a monk to speak or for the Buddha to reveal a teaching. The most significant instance is the Brahmā-yācanā, the request by the Great Brahmā for the newly enlightened Buddha to teach the world. This established the tradition that monks generally wait for a formal request before delivering a formal sermon, signifying respect for the Dharma and the readiness of the audience.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpBeginnerDefinition	A significant spiritual practice of formally requesting or entreating a Buddha or a qualified teacher to share the Dharma. It is part of a series of practices called the Supreme Worship and encourages the flourishing of the Dharma.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpScholarDefinition	A technical term denoting the formal entreaty addressed to a Buddha or spiritual master to 'turn the wheel of Dharma' (dharmacakrapravartana). In the Mahāyāna tradition, it is categorized as the fifth branch of the Seven-limb prayer (saptāṅga-pūjā). Making a request for teachings recognizes that teachings are most effective when sought with a sincere and ready heart, ensuring that the student is prepared to listen and the knowledge is shared at the appropriate time for the benefit of all. It commemorates the historical precedent of the deity Brahmā requesting the Buddha to teach shortly after his enlightenment when he had doubts as to whether anyone would understand his realization. Practitioners urge the Buddhas and teachers to turn the wheel of Dharma to combat the ignorance of all beings to guide sentient beings toward liberation.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionBodhicittaWiki	Dharmacakrapravartanādhyeṣaṇā is a crucial practice for a bodhisattva because it safeguards the presence of the Dharma in the world. By requesting Buddhas and masters to teach, the practitioner demonstrates that there are beings capable of receiving the truth, which acts as the 'condition' for the teachings to arise. For the development of bodhicitta, this branch counteracts the selfish tendency to remain indifferent to the spiritual needs of others. It cultivates the vast aspiration that the light of the Dharma should shine in every corner of the universe, ensuring that the path to liberation remains open for all sentient beings until saṃsāra is emptied.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionLotsawas	requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma; entreaty to teach; invitation to teach; requesting guidance; exhortation; entreaty; urging; prompting; invoking
Definitions