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	Discourses and teachings of Buddha
	The turning of the wheel of Dharma
	The way of mindfulness

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The turning of the wheel of Dharma

Introduction to the first discourse of Buddha at Benares

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (“The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma”) is considered to be very significant by the Buddhists because it contains the essence of Buddhism and its most fundamental teachings.

Please note that for the purposes of brevity and clarity, the repetition of insignificant words and certain archaic expressions have been removed.

“After abandoning extreme asceticism in favor of the Middle Path of self-restraint, Gautama achieved Enlightenment in a flash while meditating under a sacred pipal tree. He was now the Buddha.

Legend tells us he then proceeded to share the path to Enlightenment by preaching a sermon in a deer park at Benares in northeastern India to five ascetics, who became his first disciples. Buddhists refer to that initial sermon as ‘Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law,’ which means that the Buddha had embarked on a journey (turning the wheel) on behalf of the law of Righteousness (dharma).”

from T.W. Rhys Davids and Herman Oldenberg, trans, Vinyaya Texts, in F. Max Mueller, ed., The Sacred Books of the East, 50 vols., (Oxford: Clarendon, 1879-1910), Vol 13.

When the monks saw the Buddha approaching them, they decided not to accord him any special welcome and pay him any respects. But when he came nearer them, they failed to keep up their resolve. They all stood up and bowed to him reverently.

And the Blessed one thus addressed the five Bhikkhus (monks):

These two extremes, O monks, should not be practiced by one who has gone forth (from the household life). What are the two?

1. That which is linked with sensual desires, which is low, vulgar, common, unworthy, and useless;
2. and that which is linked with self-torture, which is painful, unworthy, and useless.
   By avoiding these two extremes the Tathagata (Buddha) has gained the knowledge of the middle path which gives vision and knowledge, and leads to calm, to clairvoyance, to enlightenment, to nirvana.

O monks, what is the middle path, which gives vision? It is the noble eightfold path: right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle path which gives vision:

1. Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, old age is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, grieving, dejection, and despair are suffering. Contact with unpleasant things is suffering, not getting what you want is also suffering. In short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.
2. Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the arising of suffering: that craving which leads to rebirth, combined with longing and lust for this and that — craving for sensual pleasure, craving for rebirth, craving for cessation of birth.
3. Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: It is the complete cessation without remainder of that craving, the abandonment, release from, and non-attachment to it.
4. Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering: This is the noble eightfold path.

Now monks, as long as my threefold knowledge and insight regarding these noble truths were not well purified I was not sure that I had attained the highest complete enlightenment in this world.

But when my threefold knowledge and insight in these noble truths with their twelve divisions were well purified, then, O monks, I was sure that I had attained the highest complete enlightenment. Now knowledge and insight have arisen in me, so that I know: My mind's liberation is assured; this is my last existence. For me there is no rebirth.

Explanation by Shakyamuni Shariputra

Soon after the Blessed One left, the venerable Shariputra said to the monks who were there:

Venerable monks, what is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering; aging is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, distress, misery, and despair are suffering; not getting what you want is suffering. In short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.

And what, sirs, is birth? It is the conception, production, degeneration, rebirth, the arising of various beings belonging to the various types of beings, the appearance of the aggregates, and the acquisition of the sense-spheres (yatana).

And what is aging? It is the aging, decrepitude, loss of teeth, gray hair, wrinkles, dwindling of the term of life, diminishment of the sense-faculties of various beings belonging to the various types of beings.

And what is death? It is the leaving, the passing away, the breaking up, the disappearance, dying, death, decrease, and dissolving of the aggregates, the leaving of the body.

And what is sorrow? It is the grieving, sorrowing, inner sorrow, the inner pain of someone experiencing some kind of trouble, afflicted by some kind of suffering. It is the crying, weeping, or wailing of someone experiencing some kind of trouble, afflicted by some kind of suffering.

And what is distress? It is physical distress, physical unpleasantness that arises from something affecting the body and experienced as distress, as unpleasantness.

And what is misery? It is mental suffering, mental unpleasantness that arises from something affecting the mind and experienced as distress, as unpleasantness.

And what is despair? It is despondency, despair, the despondency and despair of someone afflicted by some kind of calamity, burdened by some kind of suffering.

And what is “not getting what you want?” A wish like this arises in beings that are subject to birth: “May we not be subject birth and may birth not come to us.” But this is not gained just by wishing. Sirs, a wish like this arises in beings that are subject to aging, disease, death, to beings that are subject to sorrow, distress, misery, and despair: "May we not be subject to sorrow, distress, misery, and despair, and may sorrow, distress, misery, and despair not come to us." But this is not gained just by wishing.

And what, in brief, are the five aggregates of grasping that are suffering? They are: the aggregate of grasping for form, for feelings, for discriminations, for compositional factors, and for consciousness. This is called the noble truth of suffering.

And what is the noble truth of the arising of suffering? Whatever craving is associated with rebirth, accompanied by delight and attachment, finding delight in something, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for being, craving for cessation; this is called the noble truth of the arising of suffering.

And what is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering? Whatever is the cessation, with no remainder of attachment, of that very grasping, the renouncing of it, abandoning it, release from it, independence from it is called the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.

And what is the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering? It is the noble eightfold path itself: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

And what is right view? Sirs, whatever is knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the arising of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of the path leading to the cessation: this is called right view.

And what is right intention? Intention toward renunciation, intention toward non-harmfulness, intention toward non-injury: this is called right intention.

And what is right speech? Avoiding lying speech, slanderous speech, harsh speech, and gossip: this is called right speech.

And what is right action? Avoiding harming living beings, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct: this is called right action.

And what is right livelihood? Sirs, it is that by which a follower of the Noble One makes a living, avoiding wrong modes of making a living: this is called right livelihood.

And what is right effort? A follower of the Noble One applies the will, aspires, applies himself, exerts the mind, and works at stopping bad qualities that have not yet arisen, gets rid of those that have already arisen, cultivates good qualities that have not yet arisen, and establishes, keeps from deteriorating, multiplies, enlarges, develops, and perfects those good qualities that have already arisen. This is called right effort.

And what is right-mindfulness? A monk practices contemplating what the body is, what feelings are, what mind is, what mental factors are. A monk remains enthusiastic, alert, and mindful, free from the wants and dejections of the world. This is called right-mindfulness.

And what is right concentration? A monk, who is indifferent to sense pleasures, indifferent to non-virtuous mental states, enters into and abides in the first concentration, which is conceptual and analytical, arises from indifference, and is joyful and blissful. Due to decreasing conceptuality and analysis, with the mind subjectively pacified and focused on one point, one enters into and abides in the second concentration, which is non-conceptual and non-analytical, arises from concentration, and is joyful and blissful. Due to eliminating bliss, one enters into and abides in the third concentration, the fourth concentration: this is called right concentration. This is called the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

Print resources

• T.W. Rhys Davids and Herman Oldenberg, trans, Vinyaya Texts, in F. Max Mueller, ed., The Sacred Books of the East, 50 vols., (Oxford: Clarendon, 1879-1910), Vol 13.

“The turning of the wheel of Dharma” is licensed under the Free Documentation License.