The Discourse on Turning the Wheel of Dhamma

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares. There the Blessed One addressed the group of five disciples: Disciples, there are these two extremes that should not be followed by one who has gone forth.

There is the pursuit of sense satisfaction in sensual objects, which is low, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, and unbeneficial; and there is the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial.

Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata has realized the Middle Way, which gives vision, gives knowing, and leads to peace, to direct knowing, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

And what is that Middle Way realized by the Tathagata, which gives vision, gives knowing, and leads to peace, to direct knowing, to enlightenment, to Nibbana?

It is this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.

This is the Middle Way realized by the Tathagata, which gives vision, gives knowing, and leads to peace, to direct knowing, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

Now this is the noble truth of suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

Now this is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: It is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and greed, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.

Now this is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: It is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it.

Now this is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: It is this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: Right View ...

Right Concentration.

This is the noble truth of suffering: such was the vision, knowing, wisdom, true knowing, and light that arose in me regarding things not heard before.

This noble truth of suffering is to be fully known: such was the vision, knowing, wisdom, true knowing, and light that arose in me regarding things not heard before. This noble truth of suffering has been fully known: such was the vision, knowing, wisdom, true knowing, and light that arose in me regarding things not heard before.

This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose. This noble truth of the origin of suffering is to be abandoned in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose.

This noble truth of the origin of suffering has been abandoned in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose.

This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose.

This noble truth of the cessation of suffering is to be realized in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose. This noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose.

This is the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose.

This noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering is to be developed in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose. This noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed in things unheard before, vision arose, knowing arose, wisdom arose, insight arose, light arose.

As long as my knowing and vision of these four noble truths in their three phases and twelve aspects was not thoroughly purified, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its gods, Māras, Brahmās, with its ascetics and brahmins, its princes and people.

But when my knowing and vision of these four noble truths in their three phases and twelve aspects was thoroughly purified, then I claimed to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its gods, Māras, Brahmās, with its ascetics and brahmins, its princes and people.

Knowing and vision arose in me: Unshakable is my liberation, this is my last birth, now there is no more renewed existence.

The Blessed One spoke thus.

The group of five disciples were delighted with the Blessed One's words.

And while this explanation was being given, the stainless, dust-free vision of the Dhamma arose in the Venerable Kondañña: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.

And when the Blessed One set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma, the earth-dwelling deities proclaimed: This unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares, which cannot be stopped by any ascetic or brahmin or deity or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world.

Hearing the sound of the earth-dwelling deities, the deities of the Four Great Kings proclaimed: This unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares, which cannot be stopped by any ascetic or brahmin or deity or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world.

Hearing the sound of the deities of the Four Great Kings, the deities of the Thirty-Three ...

the Yāma deities ...

the Tusita deities ...

the Nimmānaratī deities ...

the Paranimmitavasavattī deities ...

the Brahmā deities proclaimed: This unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma has been set in motion by the Blessed One in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares, which cannot be stopped by any ascetic or brahmin or deity or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world.

Thus at that moment, at that instant, at that second, the sound reached up to the Brahma world.

And this ten-thousandfold world system shook, quaked, and trembled, and an immeasurable, magnificent light appeared in the world, surpassing the divine majesty of the deities.

Then the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance: Kondañña has indeed known!

Kondañña has indeed known! Thus, the Venerable Kondañña received the name Kondañña who has known.