Buddhist SuttasBuddhismAccepted ScripturePaliShareDhamma-Cakka-Ppavattana Sutta 1T. W. Rhys Davids / SBE vol. 11 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableT. W. Rhys Davids / SBE vol. 11LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 1Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 2Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 3Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 4Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 5Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 6Dhamma-Cakka-Ppavattana Sutta 1Tevigga Sutta 1Tevigga Sutta 2Tevigga Sutta 3Akankheyya Sutta 1Cetokhila Sutta 1Maha-Sudassana Sutta 1Maha-Sudassana Sutta 2Sabbasava Sutta 1›Dhamma-Cakka-Ppavattana Sutta 1: Foundation of the Kingdom of RighteousnessDhamma-Cakka-Ppavattana Sutta 1ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Thus have I heard. The Blessed One was once staying at Benares, at the hermitage called Migadctya. And there the Blessed One addressed the company of the five Bhikkhus \ and said: 2‘There are two extremes, O Bhikkhus, which the man who has given up the world 2 ought not to follow—the habitual practice, on the one hand, of those things whose attraction depends upon the passions, and especially of sensuality—a low and pagan 3 way (of seeking satisfaction) unworthy, un¬ profitable, and fit only for the worldly-minded — and the habitual practice, on the other hand, of asceticism (or self-mortification), which is painful, unworthy, and unprofitable. 3‘There is a middle path, O Bhikkhus, avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata 1 —a path which opens the eyes, and bestows under¬ standing, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana! 4‘ What is that middle path, O Bhikkhus, avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathdgata—that path which opens the eyes, and bestows understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana? Verily! it is this noble eightfold path; that is to say: ‘ Right views; Right aspirations; Right speech; Right conduct; Right livelihood; Right effort; Right mindfulness; and Right contemplation. ‘This, O Bhikkhus, is that middle path, avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata— that path which opens the eyes, and bestows under‘Avoiding these two extremes’ should perhaps be referred to the TatMgata, but I prefer the above rendering. L 2 standing, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana! 5‘Now 1 this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering. ‘ Birth is attended with pain 2, decay is painful, disease is painful, death is painful. Union with the unpleasant is painful, painful is separation from the pleasant; and any craving that is unsatisfied, that too is painful. In brief, the five aggregates which spring from attachment (the conditions of individuality and their cause) 3 are painful. ‘ This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth con¬ cerning suffering. 6‘ Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering. ‘Verily, it is that thirst (or craving), causing the renewal of existence, accompanied by sensual de¬ light, seeking satisfaction now here, now there— that is to say, the craving for the gratification of the passions, or the craving for (a future) life, or the craving for success (in this present life) 4. One might express the central thought of this First Noble Truth in the language of the nineteenth century by saying that pain results from existence as an individual. It is the struggle to maintain one’s individuality which produces pain—a most preg¬ nant and far-reaching suggestion. See for a fuller exposition the Fortnightly Review for December, 1879. ‘ This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth con¬ cerning the origin of suffering. 7‘ Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering. ‘Verily, it is the destruction, in which no passion remains, of this very thirst; the laying aside of, the getting rid of, the being free from, the harbouring no longer of this thirst. ‘ This then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth con¬ cerning the destruction of suffering. 8‘Now this, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the way 1 which leads to the destruction of sorrow. Verily! it is this noble eightfold path 2; that is to say: correspond very exactly to the first and third of these three tawhas. ‘ The lust of the flesh, the lust of life, and the pride of life,’ or ‘ the lust of the flesh, the lust of life, and the love of this present world,’ would be not inadequate renderings of all three. The last two are in P&li bhava-tawhfl and vibhava-ta«ha, on which Childers, on the authority of Vigesiraha, says: ‘The former applies to the sassata-di//^i, and means a desire for an eternity of existence; the latter applies to the u£Meda-di/Mi, and means a desire for annihilation in the very first (the present) form of existence.’ Sassata-di///zi may be called the ‘ever¬ lasting life heresy,’ and uM/zeda-di/A&i the ‘let-us-eat-and-drinkfor-to-morrow-we-die heresy.’ These two heresies, thus implicitly condemned, have very close analogies to theism and materialism. Spence Hardy says (‘ Manual of Buddhism,’ p. 496): ‘ Bhawata«ha signifies the pertinacious love of existence induced by the supposition that transmigatory existence is not only eternal, but felicitous and desirable. Wibhawa-tawha is the love of the present life, under the notion that existence will cease therewith, and that there is to be no future state.’ Yibhavain Sanskrit means, 1. development; 2. might, majesty, prosperity; and 3. property: but the technical Buddhist sense, as will be seen from the above, is something more than this. I 50 FOUNDATION OF KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. ‘ Right views; Right aspirations; Right speech; Right conduct; Right livelihood; Right effort; Right mindfulness; and Right contemplation. ‘Th is then, O Bhikkhus, is the noble truth con¬ cerning the destruction of sorrow. 9‘ That this was the noble truth concerning sorrow, was not, O Bhikkhus, among the doctrines handed down, but there arose within me the eye (to perceive it), there arose the knowledge (of its nature), there arose the understanding (of its cause), there arose the wisdom (to guide in the path of tranquillity), there arose the light (to dispel darkness from it) \ 10‘ And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should com¬ prehend that this was the noble truth concerning sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 11‘And again, O Bhikkhus, that I had compre¬ hended that this was the noble truth concerning sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 12‘ That this was the noble truth concerning the origin of sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye; but there arose within me the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 13‘And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should put away the origin of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 14‘ And again, O Bhikkhus, that I had fully put away the origin of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light..15. ‘ That this, O Bhikkhus, was the noble truth concerning the destruction of sorrow, though it was not among the doctrines handed down; but there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wis¬ dom, there arose the light. 16‘And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should fully realise the destruction of sorrow though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 17‘ And again, O Bhikkhus, that I had fully realised the destruction of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 18‘That this was the noble truth concerning the way which leads to the destruction of sorrow, was not, O Bhikkhus, among the doctrines handed down; but there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 19‘And again, O Bhikkhus, that I should be¬ come versed in the way which leads to the destruc¬ tion of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 20‘ And again, O Bhikkhus, that I had be¬ come versed in the way which leads to the destruc¬ tion of sorrow, though the noble truth concerning it was not among the doctrines handed down, there arose within me the eye, there arose the knowledge, there arose the understanding, there arose the wisdom, there arose the light. 21‘So long, O Bhikkhus, as my knowledge and insight were not quite clear, regarding each of these four noble truths in this triple order, in this twelve¬ fold manner—so long was I uncertain whether I had attained to the full insight of that wisdom which is unsurpassed in the heavens or on earth, among the whole race of Sama/zas and Brihmans, or of gods or men. 22‘But as soon, O Bhikkhus, as my knowledge T 53 and insight were quite clear regarding each of these four noble truths, in this triple order, in this twelvefold manner—then did I become certain that I had attained to the full insight of that wisdom which is unsurpassed in the heavens or on earth, among the whole race of Samaras and Brahmans, or of gods or men. 23‘And now this knowledge and this insight has arisen within me. Immovable is the emancipation of my heart. This is my last existence. There will now be no rebirth for me!’ 24Thus spake the Blessed One. The company of the five Bhikkhus, glad at heart, exalted the words of the Blessed One. And when the discourse had been uttered, there arose within the venerable Konda/Ha the eye of truth, spotless, and without a stain, (and he saw that) whatsoever has an origin, in that is also inherent the necessity of coming to an end 1. 25And when the royal chariot wheel of the truth had thus been set rolling onwards by the Blessed One, the gods of the earth gave forth a shout, saying: ‘ In Bendres, at the hermitage of the Migadaya, the supreme wheel of the empire of Truth has been set rolling by the Blessed One—that wheel which not by any Sama/za or Brahman, not by any god, They are in Pdli ya m kira^i samudaya-dhammaw, sabba m ta m nirodha-dhammaw, literally, ‘whatever has the quality of beginning, that has the quality of ceasing.’ not by any Brahma or Mara, not by any one in the universe, can ever be turned back!’ 26And when they heard the shout of the gods of the earth, the attendant gods of the four great kings 1 (the guardian angels of the four quarters of the globe) gave forth a shout, saying: ‘ In Benares, at the hermitage of the Migadiya, the supreme wheel of the empire of Truth has been set rolling by the Blessed One—that wheel which not by any Samara or Brahman, not by any god, not by any Brahma or Mara, not by any one in the universe, can ever be turned back!’ 27[And thus as the gods in each of the heavens heard the shout of the inhabitants of the heaven beneath, they took up the cry until the gods in the highest heaven of heavens] gave forth the shout, saying: ‘ In Benires, at the hermitage of the Migadaya, the supreme wheel of the empire of Truth has been set rolling by the Blessed One—that wheel which not by any Samara or Brahman, not by any god, not by any Brahma or Mara, not by any one in the universe, can ever be turned back 2!’ 6Paranimmitavasavatti Deva. 28And thus, in an instant, a second, a moment, the sound went up even to the world of Brahma: and this great ten-thousand-world-system quaked and trembled and was shaken violently, and an immeasurable bright light appeared in the universe, beyond even the power of the gods! 29Then did the Blessed One give utterance to this exclamation of joy: ‘ Konda^«a hath realised it. Konda?Ma hath realised it! ’ And so the vener¬ able Konda«»a acquired the name of A««ataKonda nnz. (‘ the Konda/Ha who realised ’) 1. ‹Previous chapterMaha-Parinibbana Sutta 6Next chapterTevigga Sutta 1›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain 1881 English translation