Saɱyutta Nikāya
V. Mahā Vagga
56. Saccasaɱyutta
Sutta 11
Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta
The Formula
of the Revolution
of the
Wheel of Experience
Translated from the Pali by Bhante M. Puññaji, Mahā Thera
This work may be reproduced without permission for non-commercial purposes
THUS I HAVE HEARD:
The Sublime One was liviing in Banares; Isipatana at Migadaye.
While there, the Sublime One addressed the renunciates:
"These two extremes should be avoided by the progressor:
The devotion that is dependence
on the pleasure in sense pleasures
which is inferior,
secular,
common,
not extra-ordinary,
and futile.
The devotion that is self-mortification,
which is uneasy,
not extra-ordinary,
and futile.
Without entering on these two extremes
the Realized One is super-awakened
to the Middle Path
which bestows vision,
bestows understanding,
which evolves into inner tranquility,
to super-understanding,
to awakening,
and to serenity (Nirvana).
What, renunciates, is this Middle Path
which the Realized One has super-awakened to?
Which bestows vision,
bestows understanding
which evolves into inner tranquility,
to super-understanding,
to awakening,
and to serenity (Nirvana)?
It is this Extra-ordinary Eightfold Way, namely:
harmonious perspective
harmonious visualization
harmonious speech
harmonious action
harmonious practice
harmonious awareness
harmonious mental repose
This, renunciates, is the Middle Path
which the Realized One has super-awakened to,
which bestows vision
bestows understanding
which evolves into inner tranquility,
to super-understanding,
to awakening,
and to serenity (Nirvana).
This renunciates, is the Extra-Ordinary Truth of Unease:
Birth is unease
decay is unease
disease is unease
death is unease
associatiuon with the unpleasant is unease
disassociation from the pleasant is unease
non-fullfillment of desire is unease
in essence, the five aggregates of identification are unease.
This, renunciates, is the Extra-Ordinary Truth of the Arising of Unease:
That which is the recurring urge
accompanied by pleasure and passion,
finding pleasure everywhere.
Namely:
The urge for sense desire
the urge for existence
the urge for non-existence
This, renunciates, is the Extra-Ordinary Truth of the Stopping of Unease:
Whatever is the non-residual,
dispassionate,
stopping of that urge;
it's sacrifice,
it's complete renunciation,
and the freedom and disattachment from it.
This, renunciates, is the Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Path leading to the stopping of Unease:
It is the Extra-Ordinary Eightfold Way, namely:
harmonious perspective;
harmonious visualization;
harmonious speech;
harmonious action;
harmonious practice;
harmonious awareness;
harmonious mental repose."
The revolution of the wheel of experience from unease to ease
With the realization,
'This is the Extra-Ordinary Truth of Unease',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth of Unease
is to be completely understood',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth of Unease
has been completely understood',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This is the Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Arising of Unease',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Arising of Unease
is to be given up',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Arising of Unease
has been given up',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This is the Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Stopping of Unease',
renunciates, an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Stopping of Unease
is to be realized (in action)',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Stopping of Unease
has been realized (in action)',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This is the Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Path leading to the Stopping of Unease',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Path leading to the Stopping of Unease
is to be developed',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
With the realization,
'This Extra-Ordinary Truth
of the Path leading to Arising of Unease
has been developed',
renunciates,
an eye (vision) arose in me,
understanding arose,
prime understanding arose,
sentience arose,
light arose,
concerning experience ...
unheard of before.
So long, renunciates,
as these four Extra-Ordinary Truths
did not become clear to me
through this twelve-fold tripple revolutionary
understanding and vision
of how things have come to exist,
I did not know
that in the world consisting of gods,
devils, gods, saints, priests,
and the common people,
of celestial and human beings,
I am one super-awakened
to that unsurpassble harmonious awakening.
When, renunciates,
these four Extra-Ordinary Truths
became clear to me
through this twelve-fold triple revolutionary
Understanding and vision
of how things have come to exist,
then I knew
that in the world consisting of gods,
devils, Gods, saints, priests,
and the common people,
of celestial and human beings,
I am one super-awakened
to that unsurpassable harmonious awakening.
Understanding and vision has arisen in me;
unexcitable is my emotional freedom;
this is my last birth;
no more are these recurrences of existence.
Thus spoke the Sublime One.
Approving, the group of five renunciates
were extremely delighted with what the Sublime One spoke.
While being spoken to,
in this way of expression,
the undefiled, unstained eye of (vision) of experience
arose for the Venerable Kondanna:
'What ever is experienced as arisen,
all that is experienced (also) as stopped.'
New York City, 1979
