Introduction 3.1.3: Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaṃ - Avoiding Two Extremes and Pursuing the Middle Path
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.1.3
Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaṃ, Part One – Avoiding Two Extremes and Pursuing the Middle Path
The Buddha held his famous first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattanasutta, near Bārāṇasi in the deer park of Isipatane. This sutta is presented in this course in two parts according to the emphasis and suitability to the respective chapter.1
After the Buddha had achieved full enlightenment under the Bodhi tree2 (bodhirukkhamūle) at Uruvelā he remained there meditating for seven days enjoying the delight of liberation.
… sattāhaṃ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṃvedī
It was at the end of this period during the last night3 that he realised the paṭiccasamuppada, the ‘dependent origination’ (also known as ‘casually originated arising’ or the ‘working of cause and effect’), which turned into the core element of his teaching.4 After that the Buddha dwelled and meditated under the following nearby trees for seven days each —ajapālanigrodhamūle;5 mucalindamūle;6 rājāyatanamūle.7
The Mahāvaggapāḷi8 recounts only these four weeks under the trees while the commentary and the Jātakanidāna extends his stay in the vicinity of his enlightenment to forty-nine days (sattasattāha)9 by adding three more weeks.10 It relates that the Buddha then stood for seven days with a fixed gaze11 looking at the Bodhi-tree (animisacetiya), then walked up and down for the same period (later termed the ‘jewelled walk’12 or ratanacaṅkamacetiya) and finally meditated in the house of gems (ratanagharacetiya).13 Later he received his first food at the rājāyatanamūle from the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, who were the first to take refuge in the Buddha and the Dhamma.
ete mayaṃ, bhante, bhagavantaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāma dhammañca, upāsake no bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupete saraṇaṃ gate.
The Mahāvaggapāḷi describes that at end of his meditation under the Rājāyatana tree, the thought not to teach Dhamma to others14 arose in the Bhagavā.
… evaṃ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
adhigato kho myāyaṃ dhammo gambhīro duddaso duranubodho15 santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro16 nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo. Ālayarāmā17 kho panāyaṃ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā.18
… the following thought arose in his mind:
this Dhamma attained by me is profound, hard to perceive, difficult to comprehend, peaceful, excellent, not attainable by reason, subtle, intelligible to the wise. These beings indeed are attached to sensual pleasures, delighting in sensual pleasures and rejoicing in sensual pleasures.
Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṃ idaṃ ṭhānaṃ yadidaṃ idappaccayatāpaccasamuppādo;19 idampi kho ṭhānaṃ sududdasaṃ yadidaṃ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho20 sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo21 taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṃ. Ahañceva kho pana dhammaṃ deseyyaṃ, pare ca me na ājāneyyuṃ, so mamassa kilamatho, sā mamassa vihesā”ti.
For beings attached to sensual pleasures, delighting in sensual pleasures and rejoicing in sensual pleasures this is a matter difficult to perceive, that is the arising by cause and effect, it is further a matter far more difficult to perceive that is the calming of all mental conditioning, the complete eradication of all attachments, the extinction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. Therefore, if I were to teach the Dhamma and others were not to understand it would be weariness to me, it would be frustration to me.
Kicchena me adhigataṃ, halaṃ dāni pakāsituṃ; rāgadosaparetehi, nāyaṃ dhammo susambudho. Paṭisotagāmiṃ22 nipuṇaṃ, gambhīraṃ duddasaṃ aṇuṃ23; rāgarattā na dakkhanti, tamokhandhena āvuṭā.24
What I have acquired through my hard work, why should I teach it, overcome by craving and aversion, they will not easily understand this Dhamma!’ Doing hard work that is subtle, profound, difficult to understand and minute, those who delight in craving and whose faculties are hindered by darkness will not see it!
It was Brahma Sahampati, the ruler of the Brahma worlds, who understood the intention and then appeared in front of the Buddha to request him to teach the Dhamma to the people in spite of his hesitation.
Desetu, bhante, bhagavā dhammaṃ, desetu sugato dhammaṃ. Santi sattā apparajakkhajātikā,25 assavanatā dhammassa parihāyanti, bhavissanti dhammassa aññātāro
May the Bhagavā teach, Bhante, the Dhamma. May the Well-gone One teach the Dhamma. There are beings with little defilements, if they do not hear the Dhamma, they will come to ruin! They will understand the Dhamma!
After the third time this request was repeated26 the Buddha finally agreed and surveyed the world for beings, fit to be taught.27
kassa nu kho ahaṃ paṭhamaṃ dhammaṃ deseyyaṃ?
Ko imaṃ dhammaṃ khippameva ājānissatī?
To whom shall I teach Dhamma first, who will be able to grasp it quickly?
Out of gratefulness he first remembered his former teachers Āḷāra Kālāma and Udako Rāmaputto, but both had already passed away.28 He then turned his thoughts to the five companions, the ‘group of five’ (pañcavaggiyā bhikkhu), who had left him before his final enlightenment.29
They were at that time dwelling at the deer park of Isipatane (isipatana migadāya), which was a sacred park connected to the history of many sages of former times.30 When the ‘group of five’ noticed the Buddha approaching they made the decision to neither pay their respects nor to accept his bowl or his robes but agreed to simply prepare a seat for him to sit down.31
They had the misunderstanding that Gotama had not undertaken sufficient efforts by pursuing his spiritual quest in line with what they felt indispensable.32 But as the Buddha approached, they could not resist to fully honour and serve him. Even so they continued to address him as ‘friend’ and by his name.33 Here the Buddha requested them thrice to use a suitable address for someone who was going to teach the Dhamma, and announced that he had realised full liberation and had become a Tathāgata.
mā, bhikkhave, tathāgataṃ nāmena ca āvusovādena ca samudācaratha34 Arahaṃ, bhikkhave, tathāgato sammāsambuddho, odahatha,35 bhikkhave, sotaṃ, amatamadhigataṃ, ahamanusāsāmi, ahaṃ dhammaṃ desemi.
Do not, Bhikkhus, address a Tathāgata by name and as friend. Bhikkhus, a Tathāgata is an Arahat, a fully Enlightened One, now listen carefully, the deathless has been attained, I will instruct, I will teach you the Dhamma.
Then the Buddha set in motion the wheel of Dhamma on the full moon day of Āsāḷha by preaching this Dhammacakkappavattanasutta.36