Posted by Debi Phillpotts

We all have busy lives on many levels. When you think of it we are like tiny components of one big mechanism churning our activities to the rhythm of the days flowing into the revolving change of seasons then rolling into the constant planetary shifts in our galaxy of infinite galaxies… Like one big wheel! Sometimes it feels as though we are spinning on the wheel hanging on for dear life, wanting the ride to stop even for just a minute. How do we find stillness? Stillness is a rarity for most of us. Often I use the wheel metaphor with clients overwhelmed with stress suggesting they sit in the middle of the wheel for clarity and stillness. In Buddhism, the wheel is used as a metaphor as rapid spiritual change with each spoke representing the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddha’s teachings:

Right beliefs
Right aspirations
Right speech
Right conduct
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right meditational attainment

The shape, a circle, represents the perfection of the teaching with the wheel being called the Dharmachakra or “wheel of law” Dharma = law chakra = wheel. The spokes represent the paths mentioned above and the rim holds the spokes, which refer to mindfulness, holding everything together. The hub stands for discipline or meditation where we find stillness. So maybe the next time you are feeling the need to get on the right path or even feeling out of your mind, think of the wheel and find your way to the hub in the middle where there is stillness, then you just might know the “right path” to take.

References: Dharmachakra from Wikipedia

Photo Credits // 1 Pxleyes // 2 Jing Reed // 3 Pinterest // 4 Pinterest