Rolling Forth The Wheel of The Dhamma (SN 56.11)

The first discourse the Buddha taught at Varanasi to the group of five ascetics. It begins by rejecting the extremes of asceticism and indulgence and recommends the middle way of the eightfold path. Then it defines the four noble truths and analyzes them in twelve aspects. It ends with Venerable Kondañña becoming the first person apart from the Buddha to realize the Dhamma.

Once, the Blessed One was staying in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Varanasi. There, the Blessed One addressed the group of five bhikkhus:

"Bhikkhus, two extremes should not be followed by one who has gone forth. Which two? That which is pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, common, ignoble, and unbeneficial; and that which is pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial. Avoiding both these extremes, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata has awakened to the Middle Way, which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.

And what, bhikkhus, is the Middle Way awakened to by the Tathāgata, which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna? It is this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right collectedness. This, bhikkhus, is the Middle Way awakened to by the Tathāgata, which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.

This, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering (discontentment, stress): birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering; association with the unpleasant is suffering, separation from the pleasant is suffering, not getting what one desires is suffering — in summary, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

This, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the arising of suffering: it is this craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there; namely, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence.

This, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading and cessation of that same craving, the forsaking and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, absence of reliance on it.

This, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this Noble Eightfold Path; namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right collectedness.

'In regards to the noble truth of suffering', bhikkhus, vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me (about things not heard before). 'This noble truth of suffering should be fully comprehended', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me. 'This noble truth of suffering has been fully comprehended', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me.

'In regards to the noble truth of the arising of suffering', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me (about things not heard before). 'This noble truth of the arising of suffering should be abandoned', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me. 'This noble truth of the arising of suffering has been abandoned', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me.

'In regards to this noble truth of the cessation of suffering', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me (about things not heard before). 'This noble truth of the cessation of suffering should be realized', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me. 'This noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me.

'In regards to this noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me (about things not heard before). 'This noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering should be developed', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me. 'This noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed', vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light arose in me.

As long as my knowledge and vision regarding these Four Noble Truths in their three phases and twelve aspects was not fully purified, I did not claim to have achieved the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its devas, Māra, Brahmā, with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans.

But when my knowledge and vision regarding these four noble truths in their three phases and twelve aspects was fully purified, then I claimed to have achieved the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its deities (devas), Māra, Brahmā (God), with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

And knowledge and vision arose in me: 'Unshakeable is my liberation, this is my last birth, there is no more rebirth for me.'"

This the Blessed One said. Satisfied, the group of five bhikkhus rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.

Moreover, while this exposition was being given, the venerable Kondañña's mind was freed from the taints through the absence of clinging: "Whatever arises is subject to cessation."

When the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth-bound devas proclaimed: "At Varanasi, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the Unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One, not to be halted by any ascetic, brahmin, deva, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone in the world."

Hearing the earth-bound deities, the deities of the Four Great Kings… the Tāvatiṁsa deities… the Yāma deities… the Tusita deities… the Nimmānaratī deities… the Paranimmitavasavattī deities… the Brahmās joined in: "At Varanasi, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the Unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One, not to be halted by any ascetic, brahmin, deity, Māra, Brahmā (God), or anyone in the world."

Thus, at that moment, that instant, that second, the cry reached as far as the Brahmā world, and this ten-thousandfold universe shook, quaked, and trembled, and a boundless, splendid radiance surpassed the divine majesty of the devas.

Then the Blessed One declared: "Truly, Kondañña has realized! Truly, Kondañña has realized!"

Thus, Venerable Kondañña became known as "Añña Kondañña—Kondañña Who Has Realized."

It is said that the Buddha taught the discourse to the five ascetics and rolled forth the wheel of Dhamma on this full moon eve.

Picture Credit: Tinh Xa Ngoc Chau Buddhist temple, The Life of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha preached His first sermon to the five monks at the Deer Park in Varanasi, Chau Doc, Vietnam

A handful of leaves 🍃 - Essential Teachings of the Buddha to Understanding The Four Noble Truths