Introduction

After the Enlightenment which transformed Siddhattha Gotama into the Lord Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree on the banks of the River Nera~njaraa, Bodhgayaa on the full moon night of the month of Visaakha (May), the Buddha sat further to absorb the bliss of his Enlightenment and further to consider the Dhamma which he had learned, for a period of another seven days before finishing his meditation. The Buddha then moved to continue his consideration of the Dhamma under the Ajapaalanigrodha Tree for another seven days. The Buddha then spent another seven days doing the same underneath a Jik Tree. From there he spent another seven days underneath a Ketaka Tree. Thus it was only twenty-eight days after his Enlightenment that he returned to sit beneath the Ajapaalanigrodha Tree again. As the Lord Buddha was considering the Dhamma there the Brahmaa Sahampati and a retinue of 10,000 bade the Buddha to have compassion and to teach what he had known for the benefit of the beings of the world. The Buddha surveyed the potential of the beings of the world to profit from what he had learned. He agreed to teach the Dhamma, but remained undecided as to exactly who he should teach first. Eventually, the Buddha decided to make the journey to teach the 'Group of Five' [pa~ncavaggiya] who were residing at the Isipatana Deer Park close to Benares.

The inaugural teaching which the Lord Buddha preached to the 'Group of Five' was the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta. The reason why the Sutta was thus named, was because it was compared to a 'royal chariot of Dhamma' which the Lord Buddha would use to transport the beings of the world out of the Cycle of Existence [va.d.da samsaara] to the eternal safety of Nirvana - with the Buddha himself at the reins.

One indispensable component of such a chariot, necessary for it to reach its destination, would be its wheels [cakka]. Thus as the chariot was a 'Dhamma chariot' then the wheels would-be Dhamma wheels [dhammacakka].

Any wheel has three important components: hub, spokes and rim. The Dhammacakka was also composed of these three components: the Lord Buddha compared the hub to the Thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment1; the spokes were compared to the Links of Dependent Origination2; and the rim was compared to the Four Noble Truths.

For as long as the components were separated, they could not be called a wheel. Just as, a skilled wheelwright can assemble the components to make a strong wheel ready to be put to work, the Buddha, through his preaching of the three groupings of Dhamma to the 'Group of Five', and relating them, gave rise to a 'Dhammacakka' which would bear the practitioner towards benefit and ultimately liberation. There is no other spiritual teacher apart from the Buddha who could expound the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta to fulfil the same function.

We find that after the Buddha had expounded the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta to the 'Group of Five' on this occasion, he never taught it again throughout the forty-five years of his dispensation - however, all the teaching which the Buddha gave during this time were simply expansions upon the details of the Sutta. Furthermore, it is well known to scholars, that the expounding of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta is the traditional first sermon which is given not only by Gotama Buddha, but every Buddha down the ages.

The Recording of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta

The Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta which is recorded for us in the Buddhist Scriptures, is preserved for us by Aananda who when he accepted the post of personal attendant to the Buddha, did so on the condition that if the Buddha should give any teachings in his absence, then those teachings should be repeated to him at a later date.

The Main Issues of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta

After the Buddha had developed the wish to transport the beings of the world out of the cycle of existence to the shores of Nirvana, each of his teachings, whether short or long, is given with the intention of leading the listener to the attainment of Nirvana. In the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, further to the clarification of the profitable path of practice, the Buddha stipulates paths of practice that are unprofitable and might even be harmful. The Buddha is able to explain the dangers of these other paths because, He himself had practised all three paths of practice, namely: sensual-indulgence [kaamasukhallikaanuyoga]; 2. Self-mortification [attakilamathaanuyoga], and; 3. the Middle Way between these two extremes [majjhimaa pa.tipadaa].

1. The Path of Sensual Indulgence

The path of sensual pleasure [kaamasukhallikaanuyoga], is to seek for pleasures through the channels of the five outer senses: eyes, ears, nose, mouth and physical contact. Such pleasures reduce the seeker to worldly mundaneness. The more you let your mind be influenced by sense pleasures, the more defilements will accrue in the mind, in just the same way that the brightness of the sun can be covered up by clouds, defilements will cover up the innate brightness of the mind, and cripple its ability to perceive [magga~naa.na] the fetters that hold the mind back from Enlightenment or the wisdom to know the Sadhamma to the appoint of attaining transcendental [lokuttara] attainments.

The path of sense pleasure fools the beings of the world into being contented with delusion, making them have to endure endless suffering in the Cycle of Existence. The Buddha taught us that the path of sense pleasure is sordid, worldly (i.e. for those still defiled), without benefit, ignoble, inappropriate for monks (because it is no path to release from defilements). These conclusions came from the supreme wisdom of the Lord Buddha.

2. The Path of Self-Mortification

According to the Buddha, the practice of self-mortification [attakilamathaanuyoga] is fruitless. He said that it is not a practice in keeping with the tenets of Buddhism because the way in which defilements are purportedly removed are by practices of physical self-denial such as lying on a heap of thorns, burning oneself in the sun, burning oneself in front of a fire, beating one's shins with a piece of wood, walking around under the weight of a burden of sand or severe fasting. Some eat only fruit or pickled vegetables, or the tips of rice grains, rice alone or rice husks. Lying on a heap of thorns produces such pain that all thoughts of sexual pleasure disappear temporarily. However, such practitioners, misunderstand that they have rid themselves of their defilements. Roasting oneself in the sun or in front of the fire, certainly burns the practitioner making them forget temporarily about the pleasures of the senses, and making them misunderstand that they have overcome their defilements. Some beat their shins each time they have a sensual thought and the shock makes them forget their desires temporarily. Some carry sand until they have built a huge sand heap and their tiredness seems to keep their desires in check. Eating insufficient food weakens the body to a point where there doesn't seem to be any further sensual desire.

Because only temporary respite from craving can be found by such practices, the Buddha taught that such practices are fruitless - the practice of fools who claim wisdom - the practice of those with False View. Such practices are of no benefit, and they are certainly not the practice of the Noble Ones. Therefore they are not practices suitable for monks because they do not lead to liberation from defilements. These conclusions came from the supreme wisdom of the Lord Buddha.

3. The Middle Way

The Middle Way [majjhima pa.tipadaa] is a path of practice that avoids the extremes of either sensual indulgence or self-mortification. It is a path of practice that is conducive to taming the mind, supreme knowledge, virtuous knowledge, the extinguishing of craving and for liberation from defilements. It is the practice of the Noble Ones, fitting for monks who have gone to the trouble to raise themselves from the status of householders. Monks should practice the Middle Way according to the Noble Eightfold Path [a.t.tha"ngikamagga], namely:

1. Right View [Sammaa Di.t.thii]
2. Right Intention [Sammaa Sa"nkappa]
3. Right Speech [Sammaa Vaacaa]
4. Right Action [Sammaa Kammanta]
5. Right Livelihood [Sammaa Aajiiva]
6. Right Effort [Sammaa Vaayaama]
7. Right Mindfulness [Sammaa Sati]
8. Right Concentration [Sammaa Samaadhi]

Sometimes the Noble Eightfold Path is summarized in three components, i.e. the Higher Training in Self-Discipline [adhisiilasikkhaa]; the Higher Training of the Mind [adhicittasikkhaa]; and the Higher Training in Wisdom [adhipa~n~nasikkhaa]. These trainings are the path by which Prince Siddhattha became enlightened as the Lord Buddha, and gained insight into the Four Noble Truths which comprise:

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering [dukkha ariyasacca];
2. The Noble Truth of the Causation of Suffering [dukkhasamudaya ariyasacca];
3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering [dukkhanirodha ariyasacca];
4. The Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering [dukkhanirodhagaaminii ariyasacca].

Apart from allowing Prince Siddhattha to attain an end of defilements and become the Buddha, the Middle Way also allowed him to attain Nirvana while still alive [sa-upaadisesanibbaana] - eradicating all defilements from his mind even before the break up of his own psychophysical constituents or aggregates [khandha]. It also prepared him for the day of his death when he would pass away into permanent Nirvana [anupaadisesanibbaana] - at the break up of his aggregates and only his body of enlightenment [dhammakaaya] remained, the latter would take its place permanently in the sphere of Nirvana [aayatananibbaana].

It is for all these reasons that the Lord Buddha dared to compare the Supreme Dhamma of the Noble Eightfold Path to a precious jewel - because it has the potential to lead whoever practises it to the attainment of Nirvana. These conclusions came from the supreme wisdom of the Lord Buddha.

Seeing & Knowing: Three Cycles & Twelve Components

The insight gained by the Lord Buddha into the Four Noble Truths, was gained in three successive cycles of examination. Only then did he dare to announce that he had attained Enlightenment. Thus, three cycles of examination of four Noble Truths gives us a total of twelve components in his examination:

1. Sacca~naa.na: This first cycle of examination of the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths established the knowledge of the Truth of their Existence. Thus he was to find out: 'this is the Noble Truth of Suffering'; 'this is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering'; 'this is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering'; 'this is the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering'.

2. Kicca~naa.na: This second cycle of the examination of the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths established the knowledge of one's duty in relation to them. Thus he was able to find out: 'this is what should be done in relation to the Noble Truth of Suffering'; 'this is what should be done in relation to the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering'; 'this is what should be done in relation to the Cessation of Suffering'; 'this is what should be done in relation to the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering'.

3. Kata~naa.na: This third cycle of the examination of the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths established the knowledge of the fulfilment of one's duty in relation to them. Thus he was able to find out: 'what needs to be done has been done in relation to the Noble Truth of Suffering'; 'what needs to be done has been done in relation to the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering'; 'what needs to be done has been done in relation to the Cessation of Suffering'; 'what needs to be done has been done in relation to the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering'.

TABLE I:

Insights gained from fulfilling the Three Cycles & Twelve Components

The stages of the knowledge accrued during the twelve stages of the cycle of examination in three cycles can be shown in table form as shown in Table I.

The attainment of all twelve of the stages of the cycle of examination, are what made the Buddha dare to testify to his Enlightenment for the benefit of the 'Group of Five' - Enlightenment that is supreme in the human world, angel world, Maara-world, Brahmaa-world, animal-world, world of monks, world of brahmins, world of angels or men - Enlightenment from which there will be no relapse into defilements and no further rebirth.

First Disciple: the most seasoned in the Perfections

At the end of the Lord Buddha's sermon, Ko.n.da~n~na, the leader of the 'Group of Five', became a Stream-Enterer [sotaapana]. He had seen with the eye of (the body of) enlightenment that 'Whatever is of the nature of arising, has the nature of cessation' and in his context, he saw that his own aggregates were of such a nature - all of the nature of arising and cessation.

The earth-sprites [bhuumadevata] unanimously praised the supremacy of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, saying that it was incomparable with anything taught by monks, brahmins, angels, Maaras, gods or anyone in the world. The praises resounded amongst the angels sequentially higher and higher in the various levels of heaven until it reached the Brahmaa-world. The cosmos quaked and there arose limitless brightness.

The Buddha knew of the attainment of Ko.n.da~n~na and exclaimed 'A~n~naasi vata bho Ko.n.da~n~no, a~n~naasi vata bho Ko.n.da~n~no' ('Ko.n.da~n~na now you know') and for this reason Ko.n.da~n~na was henceforth known as 'A~n~nako.n.da~n~na' (Ko.n.da~n~na who knows).

In fact, the 'group of five' had already been ordained for a long time, and were already endowed with self-discipline and meditation. However, they still lacked the wisdom to see the path out of suffering. After the Buddha had clarified the harmfulness of the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification, and advocated the following of the Middle Way or Noble Eightfold Path, the 'group of five', especially Ko.n.da~n~na who was most seasoned in his Perfections was able to become a Stream-Enterer - the first to attain Enlightenment under the dispensation of our Lord Buddha.