Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
Buddhist tradition places the first sermon on the day of Asalha Puja, in the month of Ashadha. This event occurred within a deer sanctuary located at Isipatana. The location is now known as Sarnath, a small town near Varanasi in central India. Gautama Buddha delivered this discourse seven weeks after attaining Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. His audience consisted of five ascetics who had been his former companions. These men were Kondañña, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Mahānāma. They had shared six years of hardship with him before he renounced their ascetic ways. When they saw his radiance, they requested him to teach what he had learned.
The text introduces fundamental concepts such as the Middle Way and the Four Noble Truths. It describes two extremes to be avoided: sensual indulgence and self-mortification. The Middle Way offers a path between these opposing behaviors. Later versions center on insight into impermancy and the stilling of unwholesome mental drives. Earlier versions focus on different aspects of liberation. The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta also refers to dependent origination. A key moment involves the Opening of the Dhamma Eye for the first awakened disciple, Aññā Kondañña. He proclaimed that whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation. This realization marked the beginning of the Buddhist community.
Numerous parallel versions exist in various collections including Theravada, Sarvastivada, and Mahayana texts. The Theravada version appears in the Sañyutta Nikaya at sutta number 11. A Sarvâstivāda version exists in the Chinese translation of the Sañyukta Agama. Another Sarvâstivāda version resides in the Tibetan Canon under Toh 337. The Mūlasarvâstivāda Vinaya contains a version within its Kshudrakavastu section. A Mahīśāsaka version is found in their Five-Part Vinaya. A Dharmaguptaka version appears in their Four-Part Vinaya. Two versions are found in the Ekottarika Agama. A Mahāsāñghika version exists in the Mahāvastu. Not all versions contain all these elements regarding the four truths or the twelve insights.
Modern scholars agree that teachings were passed down orally for several hundred years before written recording. Inconsistencies in the oldest texts reveal developments in the earliest descriptions. Johannes Bronkhorst argues that the four truths were later added to earlier accounts. He suggests the original focus was on practicing the four dhyanas. Anderson and Norman believe the four truths were not part of this sutta initially. They think the twelve insights are also a later addition born from unease with general terms. Richard Gombrich notes that the discourse was identified as the first sermon only at a later date. Understanding what constituted the essence varied along with what was considered most central over time. Liberation came to be defined as insight into the four truths rather than just the dhyanas.
Multiple English translations exist for the Pali version found in the Samyutta Nikaya. Bhikkhu Bodhi translated Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma. Nyanamoli Thera produced a translation in 1993 titled Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. Thanissaro Bhikkhu released his version in 1993 under the title Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion. Bhikkhu Sujato published Rolling Forth the Wheel of Dhamma in 2018. Thich Nhat Hanh rendered the teaching in The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching in 1999. A Tibetan Missing Translator Colophon Version received a new translation by Erick Tsiknopoulos in 2013. Lapis Lazuli Texts provided a translation from the Chinese canon based on the Sarvastivadin Sanskrit version. The Lalitavistara Sutra contains a Mahayana version translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee in 2013.
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Common questions
When did Gautama Buddha deliver the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta?
Buddhist tradition places the first sermon on the day of Asalha Puja in the month of Ashadha. This event occurred seven weeks after attaining Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.
Where was the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta preached by Gautama Buddha?
The discourse took place within a deer sanctuary located at Isipatana, which is now known as Sarnath near Varanasi in central India. The location served as the setting for the first teaching delivered to five ascetics.
Who were the listeners of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta given by Gautama Buddha?
His audience consisted of five former companions named Kondañña, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Mahānāma. These men had shared six years of hardship with him before he renounced their ascetic ways.
What core concepts does the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta introduce regarding Gautama Buddha's teachings?
The text introduces fundamental concepts such as the Middle Way and the Four Noble Truths. It describes two extremes to be avoided: sensual indulgence and self-mortification while offering a path between these opposing behaviors.
Which versions of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta exist in different Buddhist traditions?
Numerous parallel versions exist including Theravada texts in the Sañyutta Nikaya and Sarvastivada versions in the Chinese translation of the Sañyukta Agama. Other versions reside in the Tibetan Canon under Toh 337 and various Vinaya sections like the Mūlasarvâstivāda Vinaya.