Ancient Indian Symbolism: The wheel has been a symbol in Indian religions since ancient times, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth (samsara). The Dharma Wheel specifically emerged with the advent of Buddhism, adapting this existing symbol to represent core aspects of Buddhist teaching.

Association with Buddha's Teachings: The Dharma Wheel is directly associated with the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and his first sermon after his enlightenment. This sermon, given at Sarnath, India, is known as the "First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma," where Buddha first taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

The Wheel's Structure: Typically, the Dharma Wheel is depicted with eight spokes, which represent the Noble Eightfold Path, a central tenet of Buddhist practice that outlines the path to enlightenment. These spokes symbolize the right understanding, right intent, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Motion and Continuity: The circular nature of the wheel signifies the perfection of Buddha's teachings and the continuous cycle of birth and rebirth until one achieves Nirvana, the ultimate release from suffering.

The Hub, Rim, and Spokes: The hub stands for ethical discipline and moral foundation, the spokes represent wisdom, and the rim symbolizes concentration, keeping the practice intact. Together, these elements illustrate the interconnectedness of ethics, wisdom, and concentration in achieving spiritual liberation.

Buddhist Traditions: The Dharma Wheel is ubiquitous in Buddhist art and iconography, spanning across various cultures and schools of Buddhism, including Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions. Each tradition may interpret the symbol slightly differently, but its core representation remains consistent.

Artistic Depictions: The Wheel is often depicted in Buddhist art, monasteries, and temples. It can be found not only in statues and paintings but also in architectural elements like on the gates of stupas.

Symbol of the Buddha's Teachings: In many Buddhist communities, the Dharma Wheel is revered as a symbol of the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) and his method for achieving enlightenment. It is also sometimes accompanied by two deer, representing the location of the Buddha's first sermon at the Deer Park in Sarnath.

Global Representation: With the spread of Buddhism around the world, the Dharma Wheel has become a universal symbol representing Buddhist philosophy. It is recognized and respected across different cultures and is often used to denote Buddhist places of worship or spiritual practices.