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KPI Congress 15 th 47

The Pãli canonical discourses contain a very important stock passage that
records the essential characteristics of the wheel-turning monarch. The wheel-turning
monarch is: (i) a righteous king of the dhamma (dhammiko dhammarãjã) who rules in
accordance with righteousness, (ii) a lord of the four corners (caturanto), (iii) a
conqueror (vijitãvĩ) and protector of his people, (iv) an owner of the seven treasures
(the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the gem, the woman, the house-father and the
counsellor), (v) one who possesses “a thousand sons” who are “heroes, vigorous of
frame, crushers of the hosts of the enemy,” (vi) one who has conquered “this earth
to its ocean bounds,” (vii) and one who has established himself as the sovereign
neither “by the scourge [adandena], not by the sword [asatthena] but by
righteousness [dhammena]” (D.II.16; D.III.59, 142; Rhys Davids 1989: 13; Rhys
Davids 1991: 60, 137).

Two important features are stated about the cakkavatti. The first feature is that
the cakkavatti gets and retains his power without any use of violence whatsoever.
This feature disqualifies most of Buddhist kings, including Emperor A oka, who
failed to live up to the ideal of cakkavatti because he had to resort to war to
establish his power and authority as an emperor. Emperor A oka gave up violence
only after establishing himself as the emperor and converting to the Buddhist tradition.
This feature of renouncing violence in establishing power prevents a lot of rulers who
projected an image of cakkavatti to be included and considered as a wheel-turning
monarch.

The second feature is that the cakkavatti cannot become an enlightened person
while functioning as the ruler. This feature, thus, conveys the idea that it is not
possible to discuss the role of king as an enlightened monarch. The historical Buddha
himself had to choose one out of the two paths available to him: becoming a
cakkavatti or a fully awakened Buddha. It is not possible to conceive the existence of
the two ideals in one person.

In the Buddha’s words, “Dhamma is the ruler over a Cakakavatti.” As a religious
concept, the dhamma plays a central function in the governance of the wheel-turning
monarch. The Buddha further elaborated how the wheel-turning monarch rule in
accordance with the dhamma by giving priority to issues of justice and fairness.

Herein, Monks, a cakkavatti, a just and righteous ruler, rests on dhamma
(dhamma yeva nissãya), honours dhamma (dhamma sakkaronto), respects
dhamma (dhamma garukaronto), esteems dhamma (dhamma apacãyamãno),
with dhamma as his banner (dhammaddhajo), with dhamma as his standard International panel discussion
(dhammaketu), with dhamma as his overlord (dhammãdhipateyyo), he keeps
constant watch and ward justly among his subjects (dhammika rakkhãvaranagutta
saãvidahati). He rules according to dhamma (dhammeneva cakka pavattati)
(A.I.109-110, III.149).