Setting the Wheel in Motion

Thus have I heard. The Blessed One was once living in the Deer Park at Isipatana, near Vārāṇasī. There he addressed the company of five monks:

There are two extremes, monks, which one who has gone forth should not pursue.

What two?

The pursuit of sensual pleasure — which is low, common, ordinary, ignoble, and unbeneficial — and the pursuit of self-mortification — which is painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial.

Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathāgata has realized the middle way, which gives vision, gives knowledge, leads to peace, to direct knowing, to awakening, to nirvāṇa.

And what is the middle way, realized by the Tathāgata, which gives vision, gives knowledge, leads to peace?

It is this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

Now this, monks, is the Noble Truth of Suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not getting what one wants is suffering. In short, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering.

Now this is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering: it is craving — craving that leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there.

Now this is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering: the complete fading away and cessation of that very craving, its giving up, its relinquishment, its release, its letting go.

Now this is the Noble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: it is this Noble Eightfold Path.

These were the four noble truths, monks, things never before heard. As I directly knew them as they actually are, vision arose, knowledge arose, wisdom arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.

While this teaching was being given, the spotless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in the venerable Koṇḍañña: whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.

And the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance: Koṇḍañña has truly understood! Koṇḍañña has truly understood!

And so the venerable Koṇḍañña became known as Aññā Koṇḍañña — Koṇḍañña Who Knows.