Buddhas First Sermon

Introduction: Buddha preached his rst sermon, the Dhamma-cakkapava ana-su a (The Su a of Se ing the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion), at
Sarnath near Benares to his ve companions, with whom he had practice
austere asceticism before his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Its teaching of the
Middle Way (majjhima patipada),The Four Noble Truths (ca ari ariya
saccani) and the Noble Eightfold Path (ariya a hangiko magga) contains
the fundamental principles of Buddhism. It has come down in several slightly
dierent versions. The most famous one belongs to the Samyu anikaya (V.
420) of thePali Canon of Sri Lanka.
(see also AHOI, Ch.2, section: The Rise of Buddhism)
(Translated by Edward J. Thomas, The Life of Buddha as Legend and
History, New York 1931, p. 87)

Buddhas First Sermon

These two extremes, O monks, are not to be practiced by one who has
gone forth from the world. What are the two? That conjoined with the
passions, low, vulgar, common, ignoble, and useless, and that
conjoined with self-torture, painful ignoble, and useless. Avoiding
these two extremes the Tathgata Buddha has gained the knowledge of
the Middle Way, which gives sight and knowledge, and tends to calm,
to insight, enlightenment, Nirvn
a.
What, O monks, is the Middle Way, which gives sight ? It is the noble
Eightfold Path, namely, right views, right intention, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right eort, right mindfulness, right
concentration. This, O monks, is the Middle Way
(1) Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of pain: birth is painful, old
age is painful, sickness is painful, death is painful, sorrow, lamentation,
dejection, and despair are painful. Contact with unpleasant things is
painful, not ge ing what one wishes is painful. In short the ve
khandhas of grasping are painful.
(2) Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the cause of pain: that
craving, which leads to rebirth, combined with pleasure and lust,
nding pleasure here and there, namely the craving for passion, the
craving for existence, the craving for non-existence.

craving for existence, the craving for non-existence.

(3) Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of pain: the
cessation without a remainder of that craving, abandonment,
forsaking, release, non-a achment.
(4) Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the way that leads to the
cessation of pain: this is the noble Eightfold Path, namely, right views,
right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right eort,
right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the noble truth of pain.
Thus, O monks, among doctrines unheard before, in me sight and
knowledge arose, wisdom, knowledge, light arose. This noble truth of
pain must be comprehended. Thus, O monks, among doctrines
unheard before, by me was this truth comprehended. And thus, O
monks, among doctrines unheard before, in me sight and knowledge
arose.