Dhamma-cakkappavattana Sutta The Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion

[Evam-me sutaṃ,] Ekaṃ samayaṃ Bhagavā,

Bārāṇasiyaṃ viharati isipatane migadāye.

Tatra kho Bhagavā pañca-vaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi.

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Varanasi

in the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:

"Dveme bhikkhave antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā,

"There are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth —

Yo cāyaṃ kāmesu kāma-sukhallikānuyogo,

Hīno gammo pothujjaniko anariyo anattha-sañhito,

That which is devoted to sensual pleasure in sensual objects: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable;

Yo cāyaṃ atta-kilamathānuyogo,

Dukkho anariyo anattha-sañhito.

and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable.

Ete te bhikkhave ubho ante anupagamma,

Majjhimā paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā,

Cakkhu-karaṇī ñāṇa-karaṇī upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.

Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathagata — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.

Katamā ca sā bhikkhave majjhimā paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā,

Cakkhu-karaṇī ñāṇa-karaṇī upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.

And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding?

Ayam-eva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo,

Seyyathīdaṃ,

Sammā-diṭṭhi sammā-saṅkappo,

Sammā-vācā sammā-kammanto sammā-ājīvo,

Sammā-vāyāmo sammā-sati sammā-samādhi.

Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

Ayaṃ kho sā bhikkhave majjhimā paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā,

Cakkhu-karaṇī ñāṇa-karaṇī upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.

This is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that — producing vision,producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.

Idaṃ kho pana bhikkhave dukkhaṃ ariya-saccaṃ,

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress:

Jātipi dukkhā jarāpi dukkhā maraṇampi dukkhaṃ,

Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful,

Soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassupāyāsāpi dukkhā,

Sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful,

Appiyehi sampayogo dukkho piyehi vippayogo dukkho yamp'icchaṃ na labhati tampi dukkhaṃ,

Association with things disliked is stressful, separation from things liked is stressful, not getting what one wants is stressful,

Saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.

In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.

Idaṃ kho pana bhikkhave dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccaṃ,

And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress:

Yāyaṃ taṇhā ponobbhavikā nandi-rāga-sahagatā tatra tatrābhinandinī,

Seyyathīdaṃ,

Kāma-taṇhā bhava-taṇhā vibhava-taṇhā,

the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for no-becoming.

Idaṃ kho pana bhikkhave dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccaṃ,

And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress:

Yo tassā yeva taṇhāya asesa-virāga-nirodho cāgo paṭinissaggo mutti anālayo,

the remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release,& letting go of that very craving.

Idaṃ kho pana bhikkhave dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccaṃ,

And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress:

Ayam-eva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo,

Seyyathīdaṃ,

Sammā-diṭṭhi sammā-saṅkappo,

Sammā-vācā sammā-kammanto sammā-ājīvo,

Sammā-vāyāmo sammā-sati sammā-samādhi.

precisely this Noble Eightfold Path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

Idaṃ dukkhaṃ ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illuminationarose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This is the noble truth of stress.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkhaṃ ariya-saccaṃ pariññeyyanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkhaṃ ariya-saccaṃ pariññātanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of stress has been comprehended.'

Idaṃ dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This is the noble truth of the origination of stress.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccaṃ pahātabbanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccaṃ pahīnanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.'

Idaṃ dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccaṃ sacchikātabbanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be directly experienced.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccaṃ sacchikatanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been directly experienced.'

Idaṃ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccaṃ bhāvetabbanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed.'

Taṃ kho pan'idaṃ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccaṃ bhāvitanti me bhikkhave,

Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,

Cakkhuṃ udapādi ñāṇaṃ udapādi paññā udapādi vijjā udapādi āloko udapādi.

Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.'

Yāvakīvañca me bhikkhave imesu catūsu ariya-saccesu,

Evan-ti-parivaṭṭaṃ dvādas'ākāraṃ yathābhūtaṃ ñāṇa-dassanaṃ na suvisuddhaṃ ahosi,

Neva tāvāhaṃ bhikkhave sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake,

Sassamaṇa-brāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadeva-manussāya,

Anuttaraṃ sammā-sambodhiṃ abhisambuddho paccaññāsiṃ.

And, monks, as long as this knowledge & vision of mine — with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these four noble truths as they actually are — was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people.

Yato ca kho me bhikkhave imesu catūsu ariya-saccesu,

Evan-ti-parivaṭṭaṃ dvādas'ākāraṃ yathābhūtaṃ ñāṇa-dassanaṃ suvisuddhaṃ ahosi,

Athāhaṃ bhikkhave sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake,

Sassamaṇa-brāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadeva-manussāya,

Anuttaraṃ sammā-sambodhiṃ abhisambuddho paccaññāsiṃ.

But as soon as this knowledge & vision of mine — with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these four noble truths as they actually are — was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṃ udapādi,

Akuppā me vimutti,

Ayam-antimā jāti,

N'atthidāni punabbhavoti."

The knowledge & vision arose in me: 'My release is unshakable. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.'"

Idam-avoca Bhagavā,

Attamanā pañca-vaggiyā bhikkhū Bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinanduṃ.

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words.

Imasmiñca pana veyyā-karaṇasmiṃ bhaññamāne,

Āyasmato Koṇḍaññassa virajaṃ vītamalaṃ dhamma-cakkhuṃ udapādi,

And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye:

Yaṅkiñci samudaya-dhammaṃ sabban-taṃ nirodha-dhammanti.

"Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation."

Pavattite ca Bhagavatā dhamma-cakke,

Bhummā devā saddamanussāvesuṃ,

Now when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth deities cried out:

"Etam-Bhagavatā Bārāṇasiyaṃ isipatane migadāye anuttaraṃ dhamma-cakkaṃ pavattitaṃ,

Appaṭivattiyaṃ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasminti."

"At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahman or contemplative, deity, Māra, Brahma, or anyone at all in the cosmos."

Bhummānaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Cātummahārājikā devā saddamanussāvesuṃ.

On hearing the earth deities' cry, the deities of the Heaven of the Four Kings took up the cry.

Cātummahārājikānaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Tāvatiṃsā devā saddamanussāvesuṃ.

On hearing the cry of the deities of the Heaven of the Four Kings, the deities of the Heaven of the Thirty-three took up the cry.

Tāvatiṃsānaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Yāmā devā saddamanussāvesuṃ.

On hearing the cry of the deities of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yama deities took up the cry.

Yāmānaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Tusitā devā saddamanussāvesuṃ.

On hearing the cry of the Yama deities, the Tusita deities took up the cry.

Tusitānaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Nimmānaratī devā saddamanussāvesuṃ.

On hearing the cry of the Tusita deities, the Nimmanarati deities took up the cry.

Nimmānaratīnaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Paranimmita-vasavattī devā saddamanussāvesuṃ.

On hearing the cry of the Nimmanarati deities, the Paranimmita-vasavatti deities took up the cry.

Paranimmita-vasavattīnaṃ devānaṃ saddaṃ sutvā,

Brahma-kāyikā devā saddamanussāvesuṃ,

On hearing the cry of the Paranimmita-vasavatti deities, the deities of Brahma's retinue took up the cry:

"Etam-Bhagavatā Bārāṇasiyaṃ isipatane migadāye

anuttaraṃ dhamma-cakkaṃ pavattitaṃ,

Appaṭivattiyaṃ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasminti."

"At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahman or contemplative, deity, Māra, Brahma, or anyone at all in the cosmos."

Itiha tena khaṇena tena muhuttena,

Yāva brahma-lokā saddo abbhuggacchi.

So in that moment, that instant, the cry shot right up to the Brahma world.

Ayañca dasa-sahassī loka-dhātu,

Saṅkampi sampakampi sampavedhi,

And this ten-thousandfold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked,

Appamāṇo ca oḷāro obhāso loke pāturahosi,

Atikkammeva devānaṃ devānubhāvaṃ.

while a great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the deities.

Atha kho Bhagavā udānaṃ udānesi,

"Aññāsi vata bho Koṇḍañño,

Aññāsi vata bho Koṇḍaññoti."

Then the Blessed One exclaimed: "So you really know, Kondañña? So you really know?"

Itihidaṃ āyasmato Koṇḍaññassa,

Añña-koṇḍañño'tveva nāmaṃ, ahosīti.

And that is how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Kondañña — Kondañña who knows.