Dharma Wheel Iconography

[Jhanananda]

The dharma wheel is a significant feature of Buddhist Iconography.  So, I added some dharma wheels to examine.  The lotus is a key feature of many dharma wheel designs.  The lotus is a link to Hinduism.  I think Western Buddhism will need to incorporate both the dharma wheel and the lotus motifs.


Another key feature of Buddhist Iconography is three, note above, which could link to the Trinitarianism of Christianity, but the Trinitarianism of Christianity is clearly a corruption of Greco-Roman Christianity, where it worships Jesus as god, when we was just a contemplative who became a mystic.  For future mystics, I believe, the GWV needs to down-play the personality cult of religion and emphasize that possibility of enlightenment for all people.

I am inclined toward a simplified Iconography, such as is represented by this icon, and the next.




I like the mulit-cultural aspect of this icon.

[Jhanananda]

So, this is an attempt to develop a Western Buddhist Dharma Wheel, which has the cross incorporated into it.  What do you think?

[violet]

I like it.

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you Violet, so people can have it how they want it, to emphasize Buddhism, verses Christianity.

It occurred to me that some of us Western contemplatives have been equally inspired by Daoism, so perhaps a yin yang symbol should be added?


Then maybe a star of David symbol for the JewBoos.



And, then contemplative Muslim should be included


I also like the Coexist efforts

[violet]

That may be a good idea, like adding each symbol in each petal of the flower. It would make a complicated logo, but it would show what the GWV is all about; acknowledging that the mystic can be found in all cultures, religions, places and times.

[Jhanananda]

That may be a good idea, like adding each symbol in each petal of the flower. It would make a complicated logo, but it would show what the GWV is all about; acknowledging that the mystic can be found in all cultures, religions, places and times.

That is a very good idea.  Thanks, Violet.  I will work on that, because my research proves that liberation from anxiety, neuroses and addiction; and spiritual enlightenment, and the religious experience, is not the property of any one religion, because the literature of all religions shows that they all produced mystics who had remarkably similar practices, experiences and results.

[Jhanananda]

Here are two more dharma wheel designs I am working on

This one might be too simple for people to recognize as a dharma wheel

This one is more traditional, but it might be too elaborate for what I am looking for.