Discourses
Dhamma-cakkappavattana Sutta
The Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion
[Evam-me sutaṁ,] Ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā,
Bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.
Tatra kho Bhagavā pañca-vaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Vārāṇasi in the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:
“Dve’me bhikkhave antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā,
“These two extremes are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth—
Yo cāyaṁ kāmesu kāma-sukhallikānuyogo,
Hīno gammo pothujjaniko anariyo anattha-sañhito,
that which is devoted to sensual pleasure in sensuality: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable;
Yo cāyaṁ 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 saṁvattati.
Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathāgata—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 saṁvattati.
And what is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding?
Ayam-eva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo,
Seyyathīdaṁ, 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.
Ayaṁ kho sā bhikkhave majjhimā paṭipadā Tathāgatena abhisambuddhā,
Cakkhu-karaṇī ñāṇa-karaṇī upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.
This is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding.
Idaṁ kho pana bhikkhave dukkhaṁ ariya-saccaṁ:
Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress:
Jāti-pi dukkhā jarā-pi dukkhā maraṇam-pi dukkhaṁ,
Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful,
Soka-parideva-dukkha-domanass’upāyāsāpi dukkhā,
sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful,
Appiyehi sampayogo dukkho piyehi vippayogo dukkho yam-p’icchaṁ na labhati tam-pi dukkhaṁ,
association with what is unbeloved is stressful, separation from what is beloved is stressful, not getting what one wants is stressful,
Saṅkhittena pañc’upādānakkhandhā dukkhā.
In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
Idaṁ kho pana bhikkhave dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccaṁ:
And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress:
Yāyaṁ taṇhā ponobbhavikā nandi-rāga-sahagatā tatra tatrābhinandinī,
Seyyathīdaṁ,
Kāma-taṇhā bhava-taṇhā vibhava-taṇhā,
in other words, the craving that makes for further becoming—accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there—i.e., craving for sensuality, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
Idaṁ kho pana bhikkhave dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccaṁ:
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.
Idaṁ kho pana bhikkhave dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccaṁ:
And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress:
Ayam-eva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo,
Seyyathīdaṁ, 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.
Idaṁ dukkhaṁ ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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 stress.’
Taṁ kho pan’idaṁ dukkhaṁ ariya-saccaṁ pariññeyyanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Taṁ kho pan’idaṁ dukkhaṁ ariya-saccaṁ pariññātanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Idaṁ dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Taṁ kho pan’idaṁ dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccaṁ pahātabbanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Taṁ kho pan’idaṁ dukkha-samudayo ariya-saccaṁ pahīnanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Idaṁ dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Taṁ kho pan’idaṁ dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccaṁ sacchikātabbanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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 realized.’
Taṁ kho pan‘idaṁ dukkha-nirodho ariya-saccaṁ sacchikatanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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 realized.’
Idaṁ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Taṁ kho pan‘idaṁ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccaṁ bhāvetabbanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Taṁ kho pan‘idaṁ dukkha-nirodha-gāminī-paṭipadā ariya-saccaṁ bhāvitanti me bhikkhave,
Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu,
Cakkhuṁ udapādi ñāṇaṁ 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.’
Yāvakīvañ-ca me bhikkhave imesu catūsu ariya-saccesu,
Evan-ti-parivaṭṭaṁ dvādas’ākāraṁ yathābhūtaṁ ñāṇa-dassanaṁ na suvisuddhaṁ ahosi,
N’eva tāvāhaṁ bhikkhave sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake,
Sassamaṇa-brāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadeva-manussāya,
Anuttaraṁ sammā-sambodhiṁ abhisambuddho paccaññāsiṁ.
And, monks, as long as this—my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be—was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, with its contemplatives & brāhmans, its royalty & common people.
Yato ca kho me bhikkhave imesu catūsu ariya-saccesu,
Evan-ti-parivaṭṭaṁ dvādas’ākāraṁ yathābhūtaṁ ñāṇa-dassanaṁ suvisuddhaṁ ahosi,
Athāhaṁ bhikkhave sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake,
Sassamaṇa-brāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadeva-manussāya,
Anuttaraṁ sammā-sambodhiṁ abhisambuddho paccaññāsiṁ.
But as soon this—my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be—was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, with its contemplatives & brāhmans, its royalty & commonfolk.
Ñāṇañ-ca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi,
‘Akuppā me vimutti, Ayam-antimā jāti,
N’atthidāni punabbhavoti.’”
The knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.’”
Idam-avoca Bhagavā.
Attamanā pañca-vaggiyā bhikkhū Bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Imasmiñ-ca pana veyyā-karaṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne,
Āyasmato Koṇḍaññassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhamma-cakkhuṁ udapādi,
And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Koṇḍañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye:
Yaṅ-kiñci samudaya-dhammaṁ sabban-taṁ nirodha-dhammanti.
“Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”
Pavattite ca Bhagavatā dhamma-cakke,
Bhummā devā saddamanussāvesuṁ,
Now when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth devas cried out:
“Etam-Bhagavatā Bārāṇasiyaṁ isipatane migadāye anuttaraṁ dhamma-cakkaṁ pavattitaṁ,
Appaṭivattiyaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasminti.”
“At Vārāṇasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brāhman or contemplative, deva, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone at all in the cosmos.”
Bhummānaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Cātummahārājikā devā saddamanussāvesuṁ.
On hearing the earth devas’ cry, the devas of the Heaven of the Four Kings took up the cry.
Cātummahārājikānaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Tāvatiṁsā devā saddamanussāvesuṁ.
On hearing the cry of the devas of the Heaven of the Four Kings, the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-three took up the cry.
Tāvatiṁsānaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Yāmā devā saddamanussāvesuṁ.
On hearing the cry of the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yama devas took up the cry.
Yāmānaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Tusitā devā saddamanussāvesuṁ.
On hearing the cry of the Yama devas, the Tusita devas took up the cry.
Tusitānaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Nimmānaratī devā saddamanussāvesuṁ.
On hearing the cry of the Tusita devas, the Nimmanarati devas took up the cry.
Nimmānaratīnaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Paranimmita-vasavattī devā saddamanussāvesuṁ.
On hearing the cry of the Nimmanarati devas, the Paranimmita-vasavatti devas took up the cry.
Paranimmita-vasavattīnaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā,
Brahma-kāyikā devā saddamanussāvesuṁ,
On hearing the cry of the Paranimmita-vasavatti devas, the devas of Brahmā’s retinue took up the cry:
“Etam-Bhagavatā Bārāṇasiyaṁ isipatane migadāye anuttaraṁ dhamma-cakkaṁ pavattitaṁ,
Appaṭivattiyaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasminti.”
“At Vārāṇasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brāhman or contemplative, deva, Māra, Brahmā, 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 Brahmā world.
Ayañ-ca dasa-sahassī loka-dhātu,
Saṅkampi sampakampi sampavedhi,
And this ten-thousandfold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked,
Appamāṇo ca oḷāro obhāso loke pāturahosi,
Atikkammeva devānaṁ devānubhāvaṁ.
while a great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas.
Atha kho Bhagavā udānaṁ udānesi,
“Aññāsi vata bho Koṇḍañño,
Aññāsi vata bho Koṇḍaññoti.”
Then the Blessed One exclaimed: “So you really know, Koṇḍañña? So you really know?”
Iti h’idaṁ āyasmato Koṇḍaññassa,
Añña-koṇḍañño’tveva nāmaṁ, ahosīti.
And that is how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Koṇḍañña —Koṇḍañña who knows.
