The Connected Discourses 56.11
Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma
At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling at Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana.
There the Bhagavā addressed the group of five bhikkhus:
“These two extremes, bhikkhus, should not be practiced by one gone forth.
Which two?
This devotion to the pleasure and happiness of sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, ordinary, ignoble, and not connected with benefit; and this devotion to self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and not connected with benefit.
Without approaching both these extremes, bhikkhus, the middle way has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata; it gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, and leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to awakening, to nibbāna.
And what, bhikkhus, is that middle way that has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata, which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, and leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to awakening, to nibbāna?
It is just this noble eightfold path, namely:
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right sati [sammāsati], right samādhi [sammāsamādhi].
This, bhikkhus, is that middle way that has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata, which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, and leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to awakening, to nibbāna.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of dukkha:
birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, illness is dukkha, death is dukkha, association with the unloved is dukkha, separation from the loved is dukkha, not obtaining what one wants is dukkha; in brief, the five aggregates of upādāna [pañcupādānakkhandhā] are dukkha.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the arising of dukkha:
it is this taṇhā that leads to renewed bhava, accompanied by delight and passion, delighting here and there, namely:
taṇhā for sensual pleasures, taṇhā for bhava, taṇhā for non-bhava.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha:
the remainderless fading away and cessation of that very taṇhā, its giving up, relinquishment, release, and letting go.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha:
it is just this noble eightfold path, namely:
right view … right samādhi [sammāsamādhi].
‘This is the noble truth of dukkha,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This noble truth of dukkha is to be fully understood,’ bhikkhus: before … arose in me.
‘This noble truth of dukkha has been fully understood,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This is the noble truth of the arising of dukkha,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This noble truth of the arising of dukkha is to be abandoned,’ bhikkhus: before … arose in me.
‘This noble truth of the arising of dukkha has been abandoned,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This noble truth of the cessation of dukkha is to be directly realized,’ bhikkhus: before … arose in me.
‘This noble truth of the cessation of dukkha has been directly realized,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha,’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
‘This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha is to be developed [bhāvetabbaṁ],’ bhikkhus: before … arose in me.
‘This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha has been developed [bhāvitaṁ],’ bhikkhus: in regard to dhammas unheard of before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
So long, bhikkhus, as my knowledge and vision of these four noble truths as they truly are, with their three turnings and twelve aspects, was not fully purified, I did not claim, bhikkhus, in the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans: ‘I have fully awakened to unsurpassed right full awakening.’
But when, bhikkhus, my knowledge and vision of these four noble truths as they truly are, with their three turnings and twelve aspects, was fully purified, then I claimed, bhikkhus, in the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans: ‘I have fully awakened to unsurpassed right full awakening.’
And knowledge and vision arose in me:
‘Unshakable is my liberation; this is my final birth; now there is no renewed bhava.’”
The Bhagavā said this.
Glad at heart, the group of five bhikkhus rejoiced in the Bhagavā’s statement.
And while this exposition was being spoken, the stainless, dust-free eye of dhamma arose in Venerable Koṇḍañña:
“Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease.”
And when the wheel of dhamma had been set in motion by the Bhagavā, the earth-dwelling devas raised this cry:
“At Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the unsurpassed wheel of dhamma has been set in motion by the Bhagavā, not to be turned back by any ascetic or brahmin or deva or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.”
Having heard the cry of the earth-dwelling devas, the devas of the Four Great Kings raised this cry:
“At Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the unsurpassed wheel of dhamma has been set in motion by the Bhagavā, not to be turned back by any ascetic or brahmin or deva or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.”
Having heard the cry of the devas of the Four Great Kings, the Tāvatiṁsa devas …
the Yāma devas …
the Tusita devas …
the Nimmānaratī devas …
the Paranimmitavasavattī devas …
the devas of Brahmā’s Host raised this cry:
“At Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the unsurpassed wheel of dhamma has been set in motion by the Bhagavā, not to be turned back by any ascetic or brahmin or deva or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.”
Thus, in that instant, in that moment, in that flash, the sound rose up as far as the Brahmā world.
And this ten-thousandfold world system shook, quaked, and trembled, and an immeasurable, sublime radiance appeared in the world, surpassing the divine radiance of the devas.
Then the Bhagavā uttered this inspired utterance:
“Koṇḍañña has indeed understood! Koṇḍañña has indeed understood!”
And so Venerable Koṇḍañña received the name “Koṇḍañña Who Has Understood.”
The first.