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The
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
"The Turning of
the Wheel of Dharma" Sutra
The Buddha's First Sermon
Lesson
6:
The Four Noble Truths x The Three Aspects =
The Twelve Ways
Before
you read:
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The
Text |
The
Text
Setting Rolling the Wheel of Truth
translated by
Ņanamoli Thera
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Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion
translated by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth
translated by
Piyadassi Thera
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| "'Suffering, as a noble truth, is this.' Such was the vision, the knowledge, the
understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to ideas 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 ideas 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 ideas not heard by me before.
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"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'... 'This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended'... 'This noble truth of
stress has been comprehended.'
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"'This is the Noble Truth of Suffering': such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom,
the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before. 'This
suffering, as a noble truth, should be fully realized': such was the vision, the
knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not
heard before. 'This suffering, as a noble truth has been fully realized': such was the
vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning
things not heard before.
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| "'The origin of suffering, 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... in
regard to ideas not heard by me before.
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"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'... 'This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be
abandoned' 1 ... 'This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.'
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"'This is the Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering': such was the vision, the
knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not
heard before. 'This Origin of Suffering as a noble truth should be eradicated': such was
the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me
concerning things not heard before. 'This Origin of suffering as a noble truth has been
eradicated': such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that
arose in me concerning things not heard before.
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| "'Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this.' 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 ideas not heard by me before.
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"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'... 'This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be directly
experienced'... 'This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been directly
experienced.'
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"'This is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering': such was the vision, the
knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not
heard before. 'This Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, should be realized': such
was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me
concerning things not heard before. 'This Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth has
been realized': such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light
that arose in me concerning things not heard before.
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| "'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 the cessation of suffering, as a
noble truth, has been developed.' Such was the vision... in regard to ideas not heard by
me before.
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"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'... 'This noble truth of the way of
practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed'... 'This noble truth of
the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.' 2
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"'This is the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation of suffering': such was
the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me
concerning things not heard before. 'This Path leading to the cessation of suffering, as
a noble truth, should be developed': such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the
science, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before. 'This Path
leading to the cessation of suffering, as a noble truth has been developed': such was
the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me
concerning things not heard before.
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| "As long as my knowing and seeing how things are, was not quite purified in these twelve
aspects, in these three phases of each of the four noble truths, I did not claim in the
world with its gods, its Maras and high divinities, in this generation with its monks
and brahmans, with its princes and men to have discovered the full Awakening that is
supreme. But as soon as my knowing and seeing how things are, was quite purified in
these twelve aspects, in these three phases of each of the four noble truths, then I
claimed in the world with its gods, its Maras and high divinities, in this generation
with its monks and brahmans, its princes and men to have discovered the full Awakening
that is supreme. 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.'"
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"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 present
-- was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled
in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & priests, its
royalty & commonfolk. But as soon as this knowledge & vision of mine
-- with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these four noble truths as they actually are
present -- was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right
self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras & Brahmas, with its
contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me:
'Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.'"
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1 Ven.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu's note on "noble truth":
Another argument for the lateness of the expression "noble truth" is that a truth
-- meaning an accurate statement about a body of facts -- is not something that should be
abandoned. In this case, only the craving is to be abandoned, not the truth about
craving. However, in Vedic Sanskrit -- as in modern English -- a "truth" can mean both a
fact and an accurate statement about a fact. Thus in this case, the "truth" is the fact,
not the statement about the fact, and the argument for the lateness of the expression
does not hold.
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2 Ven.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu's note on "the twelve ways":
The discussion in the four paragraphs beginning with the phrase, "Vision arose...,"
takes two sets of variables -- the four noble truths and the three levels of knowledge
appropriate to each -- and lists their twelve permutations. In ancient Indian
philosophical and legal traditions, this sort of discussion is called a wheel. Thus,
this passage is the Wheel of Dhamma from which the discourse takes its name.
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"As long as my knowledge of seeing things as they really are, was not quite clear in
these three aspects, in these twelve ways, concerning the Four Noble
Truths,1 I did not claim to have realized the matchless, supreme Enlightenment, in this world with its
gods, with its Maras and Brahmas, in this generation with its recluses and brahmanas,
with its Devas and humans. But when my knowledge of seeing things as they really are was
quite clear in these three aspects, in these twelve ways, concerning the Four Noble
Truths, then I claimed to have realized the matchless, supreme Enlightenment in this
world with its gods, with its Maras and Brahmas, in this generation with its recluses
and brahmanas, with its Devas and humans. And a vision of insight arose in me thus:
'Unshakable is the deliverance of my heart. This is the last birth. Now there is no more
re-becoming (rebirth).'"
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1 Ven. Piyadasi
Thera's note on "the three aspects":
As the previous paragraphs indicate, there are three aspects of knowledge with regard
to each of the Four Noble Truths: 1. The knowledge that it is the Truth (sacca-ņana). 2.
The knowledge that a certain function with regard to this Truth should be performed
(kicca-ņana). 3. The knowledge that the function with regard to this Truth has been
performed (kata-ņana). The twelve ways or modes are obtained by applying these three
aspects to each of the Four Noble Truths.
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The
Questions |
The
Questions
To
answer the Questions, please use the Comments
page. Please send your comments on this lesson by Wednesday, August 9, 2006. (Comments are welcome any time; this
"deadline" is just for those keeping pace with the
study.)
Question #1:
What are the "three aspects of knowledge" described in each
stanza? (See Piyadassi Thera's note.) What is the logical
relationship between them?
Question
#2: How do these "three aspects" create "twelve ways"? You might
try making a chart to answer this.
Question
#3: What do you make of these words (in Piyadassi Thera's
translation): "such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom,
the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not
heard before..."?
Question
#4: What led the Buddha to this realization: "'Unshakable is the
deliverance of my heart. This is the last birth. Now there is no
more re-becoming (rebirth)."
Question
#5: Buddhism is often said to be "rationalistic," devoid of
gods, superstitions, etc. Then why does the Buddha mention here
"this world with its gods, with its Maras and Brahmas, in this
generation with its recluses and brahmanas, with its Devas and
humans"?
Application
#1: Think of some "everyday examples" of the "Three Aspects of
Knowledge."
Application
#2: Have you ever had an original insight, never framed
in human thought before?
Application
#3: Have you ever had an realization: "unshakable
realization"?
Application
#4: What is your position on the existence of "supernaturals"?
Comments and questions regarding other aspects of this passage are also welcome.
Make
your Comments
here!
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The
Comments |
The
Comments
[Watch
here on or about Friday, August 11, 2006] |
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..Contents
other than translations (C) 2006 James Baquet
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