Thus have I heard. At one
time the Exalted One was staying at Benares in the Deer Park at Isipatana (the
Resort of Seers). There he addressed the Bhikkhus of the group of five: -
Bhikkhus, these two
extremes ought not to be cultivated by one gone forth to homelessness. What are
the two? There is devotion to indulgence of pleasure in the objects of sensual
desire, which is inferior, low, vulgar, ignoble, and leads to no good; and there
is devotion to self-torment, which is painful, ignoble, and leads to no good.
The middle way discovered
by a Perfect One avoids both these extremes: it gives vision, it gives
knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to
Nibbāna. And what is that middle way? It is simply the noble eightfold path,
that is to say, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the
middle way discovered by a Perfect One, which gives vision, which gives
knowledge, and which leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to
Nibbāna.
Suffering,[1]
as a noble truth, is this: Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is
suffering, death is suffering, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair
are suffering, association with the loathed is suffering, dissociation from the
loved is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering - in short, suffering
is the five grasped-at groups.
The origin of suffering,
as a noble truth, is this: It is the craving that produces renewal of being,
accompanied by enjoyment and lust, and enjoying this and that; in other words,
craving for sensual desire, craving for being, craving for non-being.
Cessation of suffering, as
a noble truth, is this: It is remainder less fading and ceasing, giving up,
relinquishing, letting go and rejecting, of that same craving.
The way leading to
cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is simply the noble
Eightfold path, that is to hay, right view, right intention, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort right mindfulness, right concentration.
‘Suffering, as a noble
truth, is this’: such was the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the
finding, the light, that arose in regard to dhammas not heard by me before.
‘This suffering, as a noble truth, can be diagnosed’: such was the vision, the
knowledge, the understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to
dhammas not heard by me before. ‘This suffering, as a noble truth, has been
diagnosed’: such was the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the finding,
the light, that arose in regard to dhammas not heard by me before.
‘The origin of sufferings,
as a noble truth, is this:’ such was the vision … ‘This origin of suffering, as
a noble truth, can be abandoned’: such was the vision … ‘This origin of
suffering as a noble truth, has been abandoned’: such was the vision … ‘This
cessation of suffering as a noble truth, can be verified’: such was the vision …
‘This cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, has been verified’: such was the
vision … in regard to dhammas not heard by me before.
‘The way leading to
cessation of suffering as a noble truth, is this’: such was the vision … ‘This
way leading to cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, can be developed’: such
was the vision … ‘This way leading to cessation of suffering as a noble truth,
has been developed’: such was the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the
finding, the light, that arose in regard to dhammas not heard by me before.
As long, Bhikkhus, as my
knowledge and insight according to reality was not quite purified in these
twelve aspects - in these three phases of each of the four noble truths - I did
not claim to have discovered the full awakening that is supreme in the world
with its gods, its angels of death and high divinity, in this generation with
its monks and divines, with its princes and men. But as soon as my knowledge and
insight according to reality was quite purified in these twelve aspects - in
these three phases of each of the four noble truths - then I claimed to have
discovered the full awakening that is supreme in the world with its gods, its
angels of death and high divinity, in this generation with its monks and
divines, with its princes and men. Knowing and seeing arose in me thus: My
heart’s deliverance is unassailable. This is the last birth. Now there is no
renewal of being.
Thus spoke the Lord.
Delighted, the Bhikkhus of the group of five rejoiced in the Exalted One’s
words.
Now during this utterance,
there arose in the venerable Kondaññā the spotless, immaculate vision of the
Dhamma: Whatever is subject to arising, all that is subject to cessation.
When the Wheel of Dhamma
had thus been set rolling by the Exalted One the earth-gods raised the cry: ‘At
Benares, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the incomparable wheel of Dhamma has
been set rolling by the Exalted One, not to be stopped by monk or divine or god
or death-angel or high divinity or anyone in the world’.
On hearing the earth-gods’
cry, all the gods in turn in the six paradises of the sensual sphere took up the
cry till it reached beyond the Retinue of High Divinity in the sphere of pure
form. And so indeed in that hour, at the moment, the cry soared up to the World
Of High Divinity, and this ten-thousand-fold world-element shook and rocked and
quaked, and a great, measureless radiance surpassing the very nature of the gods
was displayed in the world.
Then the Exalted On
uttered the exclamation: „Truly Kondaññā knows! Indeed Kondaññā knows!“ and that
is how that venerable one acquired the name, Añña-Kondaññā - Kondaññā who knows.
(Related Collection, LV1, II. Based on the translation by
Ñānamoli Thera. See Wheel 17, B.P.S.)
Thus have I heard. At one
time the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthi at the Jeta Grove,
Anāthapindika’s monastery. Then the Exalted One addressed the Bhikkhus, saying:
„O Bhikkhus“. “Lord“, they replied. The Exalted One spoke thus:
Here (in-this Teaching),
Bhikkhus, are these four lineages of the Noble Ones, known as highest, known as
oldest, known as the (true) lineage, pure from ancient times, unstained of old,
neither suspect now nor will they be suspect in future, and not despised by
samanas, brahmins and (other) wise men. What are the four?
1.
Here, a Bhikkhu is content with this or that robe and he speaks in praise
of contentment with any sort of robe. For the sake of a robe he does not go
about seeking it wrongly, in an unbecoming way. If he does not obtain a robe he
is not worried while if he gets it he is not attached, not infatuated, not in
bondage to it but seeing this danger he knows how to use it as a support (for
his life). Yet he does not exalt himself because of contentment with any sort of
robe, nor does he disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this matter, not lazy
but clearly understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu who stands firm in
this ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
2.
Then again, a Bhikkhu is content with this or that alms food and he
speaks in praise of contentment with any sort of alms food. For the sake of alms
food he does not go about seeking it wrongly, in an unbecoming way. If he does
not obtain alms food, he is not worried while if he gets it he is not attached,
not infatuated, not in bondage to it, but seeing this danger he knows how to use
it as a support. Yet he does not exalt himself because of contentment with any
sort of alms food, nor does he disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this
matter, not lazy but clearly understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu
who stands firm in this ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
3.
Then again, a Bhikkhu is content with this or that lodging and he speaks
in praise of contentment with any sort of lodging. For the sake of a lodging he
does not go about seeking it wrongly, in an unbecoming way. If he does not
obtain a lodging he is not worried while if he gets it he is not attached, not
infatuated, not in bondage to it but seeing this danger he knows how to use it
as a support. Yet he does not exalt himself because of contentment with any sort
of lodging, nor does he disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this matter, not
lazy but clearly understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu who stands
firm in this ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
4.
Then again, a Bhikkhu enjoys development (of good mental states[2]*)
and delights in it; he enjoys abandonment (of evil mental states) and delights
in it. Yet because of his enjoyment and delight in development and because of
his enjoyment and delight in abandonment he does not exalt himself, nor does he
disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this matter, not lazy but clearly
understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu who stands firm in this
ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
These, Bhikkhus, are the
four lineages of the Noble Ones, known as highest, known as oldest, known as the
(true) lineage, pure from ancient times, unstained of old, neither suspect now
nor will they be suspect in future, and not despised by samanas, brahmins and
other wise men.
A Bhikkhu having these
four lineages of the Noble Ones may dwell in the East or in the West, in the
North or in the South and wherever he dwells, aversion (to wholesome mental
states, boredom with helpful environments) does not overpower him but he
overcomes aversion. For what reason? The steadfast sage, O Bhikkhus, has
overcome both aversion and delight.
Thus spoke the Exalted
One. the Wellfarer, the Teacher then further said: