Turning the Wheel of the Dharma
Dhamma Cakka Pavattana Sutta ( The Middle Path )
Once the World-Honored One, the Buddha, was staying near Varanasi. At that time, the Buddha addressed the group of five monks, saying,
“Bhikkhus, there are two extremes that a monk should avoid. What are the two?”
“The first is the adherence to sensual desire and the pleasure that results from indulging in sensual desire. Such adherence is useless, worldly, unworthy and base.”
“The second is adherence to harsh austerity. Such adherence is painful, unworthy and unbeneficial.”
“By not following either of these extremes, one has realized the Middle Way that gives rise to seeing and understanding. This Middle Path opens the door for peace, knowledge, awakening and nirvana.”
What is the Middle Way?
It is the Noble Eightfold Path, consisting of Right View, Right Thinking, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Diligence, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
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This is the Middle Way that once realized gives rise to seeing and understanding which are at the base of peace, knowledge and awakening.
When one realizes that the causes of suffering need to be given up, seeing, understanding, insight, wisdom and light arise with regard to things one had not heard before.
When one realizes the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the end of suffering, insight, wisdom and light arise.
The Path that leads to the end of suffering needs to be practiced.
As long as insight and understanding of the Four Noble Truths in their three stages and twelve aspects had not been realized, one could not say that in the world someone had realized the highest awakening.
One needs to realize that everything that is of the nature to arise is of the nature to cease.
At that hour, at that moment, in an instant of time, the Dharma Wheel had been turned by the World-Honored One.
