The First Sermon
of
Buddha at Benares
These two extremes, O monks, should not be practiced by one who has
gone forth [from the household life]. What are the two?
1- That which is linked with sensual desires, which is low, vulgar,
common, unworthy, and useless,
2- and that which is linked with self-torture, which is painful,
unworthy, and useless.
By avoiding these two extremes the Tathagata [Buddha] has gained the
knowledge of the middle path which gives vision and knowledge, and leads
to calm, to clairvoyances, to enlightenment, to nirvana.
O monks, what is the middle path, which gives vision...? It is the noble eightfold path: right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This, O monks, is the middle path, which gives vision....
1- Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, old age is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, grieving, dejection, and despair are suffering. Contact with unpleasant things is suffering, not getting what you want is also suffering. In short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.
2- Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the arising of suffering: that craving which leads to rebirth, combined with longing and lust for this and that--craving for sensual pleasure, craving for rebirth, craving for cessation of birth.
3- Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: It is the complete cessation without remainder of that craving, the abandonment, release from, and non-attachment to it.
4- Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering: This is the noble eightfold path....
Now monks, as long as my threefold knowledge and insight regarding these noble truths...were not well purified, so long, O monks, I was not sure that in this world...I had attained the highest complete enlightenment.
But when my threefold knowledge and insight in these noble truths with their twelve divisions were well purified, then, O monks, I was sure that in this world...I had attained the highest complete enlightenment. Now knowledge and insight have arisen in me, so that I know: My mind's liberation is assured; this is my last existence; for me there is no rebirth.
Explanation of this Doctrine:
Soon after the Blessed One left, the venerable Shariputra said to the monks who were there:
`Venerable monks...what is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering; aging is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, distress, misery, and despair are suffering; not getting what you want is suffering. In short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering....
`And what, sirs, is birth? It is the conception, production, degeneration, rebirth, the arising of various beings belonging to the various types of beings, the appearance of the aggregates, the acquisition of the sense-spheres (>yatana)....
`And what, sirs, is aging? It is the aging, decrepitude, loss of teeth, gray hair, wrinkles, dwindling of the term of life, diminishment of the sense-faculties of various beings belonging to the various types of beings....
`And what, sirs, is death? It is the leaving, the passing away, the breaking up, the disappearance, dying, death, decrease, and dissolving of the aggregates, the leaving of the body....
`And what, sirs, is sorrow? It is the grieving, sorrowing, inner sorrow, the inner pain of someone experiencing some kind of trouble, afflicted by some kind of suffering. It is the crying, weeping, or wailing of someone experiencing some kind of trouble, afflicted by some kind of suffering....
`And what, sirs, is distress? It is physical distress, physical unpleasantness that arises from something affecting the body and experienced as distress, as unpleasantness....
`And what, sirs, is misery? It is mental suffering, mental unpleasantness that arises from something affecting the mind and experienced as distress, as unpleasantness....
`And what, sirs, is despair? It is despondency, despair, the despondency and despair of someone afflicted by some kind of calamity, burdened by some kind of suffering....
`And what, sirs, is "not getting what you want?"...A wish like this arises in beings that are subject to birth: "May we not be subject birth and may birth not come to us." But this is not gained just by wishing....Sirs, a wish like this arises in beings that are subject to aging...disease... death...to beings that are subject to sorrow, distress, misery, and despair: "May we not be subject to sorrow, distress, misery, and despair, and may sorrow, distress, misery, and despair not come to us." But this is not gained just by wishing....
`And what, in brief, sirs, are the five aggregates of grasping that are suffering? They are: the aggregate of grasping for form...for feelings...for discriminations...for compositional factors...for consciousness....Sirs, this is called the noble truth of suffering.
`And what, sirs, is the noble truth of the arising of suffering? Whatever craving is associated with rebirth, accompanied by delight and attachment, finding delight in something--craving for sensual pleasures, craving for being, craving for cessation--this, sirs, is called the noble truth of the arising of suffering.
`And what, sirs, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering? Whatever is the cessation, with no remainder of attachment, of that very grasping, the renouncing of it, abandoning it, release from it, independence from it, sirs, is called the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.
`And what, sirs, is the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering? It is the noble eightfold path itself: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
`And what, sirs, is right view? Sirs, whatever is knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the arising of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of the path leading to the cessation: this, sirs, is called right view.
`And what, sirs, is right intention? Intention toward renunciation, intention toward non-harmfulness, intention toward non-injury: this, sirs, is called right intention.
`And what, sirs, is right speech? Avoiding lying speech, slanderous speech, harsh speech, and gossip: this, sirs, is called right speech.
`And what, sirs, is right action? Avoiding harming living beings, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct: this, sirs, is called right action.
`And what, sirs, is right livelihood? Sirs, it is that by which a follower of the Noble One makes a living, avoiding wrong modes of making a living: this, sirs, is called right livelihood.
`And what, sirs, is right effort? Sirs, a follower of the Noble One applies the will, aspires, applies himself, exerts the mind, and works at stopping bad qualities that have not yet arisen, gets rid of those that have already arisen, cultivates good qualities that have not yet arisen, and establishes, keeps from deteriorating, multiplies, enlarges, develops, and perfects those good qualities that have already arisen. This, sirs, is called right effort.
`And what, sirs, is right mindfulness? Sirs, a monk practices contemplating what the body is...what feelings are...what mind is...what mental factors are: a monk remains enthusiastic, alert, and mindful, free from the wants and dejections of the world. This, sirs, is called right mindfulness.
`And what, sirs, is right concentration? Sirs, a monk, who is indifferent to sense pleasures, indifferent to non-virtuous mental states, enters into and abides in the first concentration, which is conceptual and analytical, arises from indifference, and is joyful and blissful. Due to decreasing conceptuality and analysis, with the mind subjectively pacified and focused on one point, one enters into and abides in the second concentration, which is non-conceptual and non-analytical, arises from concentration, and is joyful and blissful. Due to eliminating bliss...one enters into and abides in the third concentration...the fourth concentration: this, sirs, is called right concentration. This, sirs, is called the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.'