1.
The Discourse on Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Teaching
1081.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana.
There the Blessed One addressed the group of five monks -
"There are these two extremes, monks, that should not be cultivated by one who has gone forth.
Which two?
That which is the pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit, and that which is the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, not connected with benefit.
Not approaching these two extremes, monks, the middle practice has been fully awakened to by the Truth-finder, giving vision, giving knowledge, leading to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna."
"And what, monks, is that middle practice that has been fully awakened to by the Truth-finder, giving vision, giving knowledge, leading to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna? It is just this noble eightfold path, as follows - right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This, monks, is that middle practice that has been fully awakened to by the Truth-finder, giving vision, giving knowledge, leading to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
"But this, monks, is the noble truth of suffering - birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, association with what is not dear is suffering, separation from what is dear is suffering, not getting what one wishes for is also suffering - in brief, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering. But this, monks, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering - It is this craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there, as follows - sensual craving, craving for existence, craving for non-existence. But this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering - that which is the complete fading away and cessation of that very craving without remainder, the giving up, the relinquishment, the freedom, the non-attachment. But this, monks, is the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering - It is just this noble eightfold path, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
'This is the noble truth of suffering' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose. 'But this noble truth of suffering is to be fully understood' - thus, monks, formerly, etc. arose. 'But this noble truth of suffering has been fully understood' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
'This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose. 'But this noble truth of the origin of suffering is to be abandoned' - thus, monks, formerly, etc. arose. 'But this noble truth of the origin of suffering has been abandoned' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
'This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose. 'That noble truth of the cessation of suffering is to be realised' - thus, monks, in the past, etc. arose. 'That noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realised' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
'This is the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose. 'That noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering is to be developed' - thus, monks, in the past, etc. arose. 'That noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed' - thus, monks, regarding things not heard before, vision arose for me, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.
"As long as, monks, my knowledge and vision as it really is of these four noble truths with three rounds and twelve aspects was not well purified, I did not acknowledge, monks, in the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, that I had fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
"But when, monks, my knowledge and vision as it really is of these four noble truths with three rounds and twelve aspects was well purified, then I acknowledged, monks, in the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, that I had fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. And knowledge and vision arose in me - 'Unshakable is my liberation, this is the last birth, there is now no more rebirth.' This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the group of five monks rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
And while this explanation was being spoken, the stainless, spotless eye of the Teaching arose in the Venerable Koṇḍañña - "Whatever has the nature of arising, all that has the nature of cessation."
And when the wheel of the Teaching had been set in motion by the Blessed One, the terrestrial gods proclaimed: "This unsurpassed wheel of the Teaching has been set in motion by the Blessed One at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana, not to be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world." Having heard the sound of the terrestrial gods, the gods ruled by the four great kings proclaimed: "This unsurpassed wheel of the Teaching has been set in motion by the Blessed One at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana, not to be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world." Having heard the sound of the gods ruled by the four great kings, the Thirty-three gods... etc. the Yāma gods... etc. the Tusita gods... etc. the Nimmānaratī gods... etc. the Paranimmitavasavattī gods... etc. the gods of Brahmā's company proclaimed: "This unsurpassed wheel of the Teaching has been set in motion by the Blessed One at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana, not to be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world."
Thus in that moment, in that instant, the sound rose up as far as the Brahmā world. And this ten-thousand world-system trembled, quaked, and shook violently, and an immeasurable, eminent light appeared in the world, surpassing the divine power of the gods.
Then the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance - "Koṇḍañña has indeed understood, Koṇḍañña has indeed understood!" Thus indeed the Venerable Koṇḍañña came to have the name 'Aññāsikoṇḍañña.' The first.