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#### Saṁyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṁyutta

#### Sutta 11

#### Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

# Discourse on the Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dhamma

Translated from the Pali by John Kelly

[1][pts][bodh][than][ati-nymo][ati-piya][olds] Thus have I heard.

On one occasion, the Blessed one was staying at Benares in the Deer Sanctuary at Isipatana.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks of the group of five thus:

"Monks, these two extremes are not to be practiced by one who has gone forth. What are the two?

Just this, devotion to a life of luxury among sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, common, ignoble, and disadvantageous; and just this, devotion to self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and disadvantageous.

Monks, not approaching either of these extremes, the middle way, perfectly realized by the Tathāgata, produces insight, produces knowledge, and leads to calmness, higher knowledge, enlightenment, and Nirvana.

And what, monks, is this middle way, perfectly realized by the Tathāgata, which produces insight, produces knowledge, and leads to calmness, higher knowledge, enlightenment, and Nirvana?

Just this noble eightfold path, that is – right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

This, monks, is the middle way, perfectly realized by the Tathāgata, which produces insight, produces knowledge, and leads to calmness, higher knowledge, enlightenment, and Nirvana.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of suffering:
birth is suffering,
old age is suffering,
sickness is suffering,
death is suffering,
association with the unpleasant is suffering,
dissociation from the pleasant is suffering,
not getting what one wants is suffering;
in short, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering:
this very craving leading to rebirth,
connected with passionate delight,
finding pleasure here and there,
namely:
craving for sensual pleasures,
craving for existence,
and craving for non-existence.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering:
the complete fading away and cessation
of this very craving,
the giving up and forsaking of it,
freedom from it,
and non-attachment to it.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering:
it is this noble eightfold path,
that is – right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

'This is the noble truth of suffering':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of suffering ought to be fully understood':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of suffering has been fully understood':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of the origin of suffering ought to be abandoned': thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of the origin of suffering has been abandoned':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of the cessation of suffering ought to be realized': thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering':
thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering ought to be developed': thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

'Now this noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed': thus, monks, in regard to teachings not heard by me before, insight, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and illumination arose.

So long as, monks, my knowledge and vision just as it is of these four noble truths was not well-purified, in three rounds and twelve ways thus, then, monks, I did not claim, in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its recluses and Brahmins, devas and humans:
"I have completely realized unsurpassed perfect enlightenment".

And since, monks, my knowledge and vision just as it is of these four noble truths was indeed well-purified, in three rounds and twelve ways thus, then, monks, I did claim, in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its recluses and Brahmins, devas and humans:
"I have completely realized unsurpassed perfect enlightenment".

The knowledge and vision then arose in me –
'Unshakable is liberation in me, this is my last birth, now there is no more existence again'.

Thus said the Blessed One.
Delighted, the monks of the group of five rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.

Then when this explication was being spoken, there arose in the venerable Kondañña the vision of the Dhamma, free from defilement or stain –
"Whatever is subject to arising,
all that is subject to cessation".

And then on the setting in motion of the Wheel of the Dhamma by the Blessed One, the terrestrial devas raised a shout –
"The unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One,
at Baranasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana,
and this cannot be turned back by any recluse or Brahmin or deva or Mara or Brahma or by anyone in the world".

Having heard the shout of the terrestrial devas, the Four Great Kings raised a shout –
"The unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One,
at Baranasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana,
and this cannot be turned back by any recluse or Brahmin or deva or Mara or Brahma or by anyone in the world".

Having heard the shout of the Four Great Kings,
the Tavatimsa devas . . . etc . . .
the Yama devas . . . etc . . .
the Tusita devas . . . etc . . .
the Nimmanarati devas . . . etc . . .
the Paranimmitavasavatti devas . . . etc . . .
the devas of Brahma's body raised a shout –
"The unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One,
at Baranasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana,
and this cannot be turned back by any recluse or Brahmin or deva or Mara or Brahma or by anyone in the world".

At that moment,
at that instant,
at that second,
the shout arose in the Brahma world.
And this ten thousandfold world trembled, quaked, and shook violently.
And an unlimited noble radiance appeared in the world surpassing the divine majesty of the devas.

Then the Blessed One uttered a paean of joy –
"Kondañña indeed has understood! Kondañña indeed has understood! In this way "Kondañña-who-has-understood" became the name of the venerable Kondañña.

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