Episode 11 Introducing the Buddha #buddha #dhamma #wheelofdhamma #sacredtexts #wisdom #divine #self

The "Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta" (dhumma-chak-ka-pawat-tana soot-a), or, the “Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma” Sutta, Buddhism is everywhere, and nowhere. I meet people all the time who say things like, “yeah, I’m really into Buddhism…” but who seem to have no idea what the Buddha actually taught. This Episode will get our toes in the water, or as he might have said it, “get the wheel rolling…” IYKYK! I am using the translation of the sutta by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, ie., monk Thanissaro (birth name, Geoffrey DeGraff). The sutta explored in this episode can be found here: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN56_11.html. Here is a site where all of his works can be accessed: www.dhammatalks.org. For anyone wishing to compare translations of this Sutta, or others, "Access to Insight" is a very helpful resource: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html. The site is technically “retired” but is a treasure trove of resources, translations, and backgrounds to the many translators, etc. And here is the portion of the Sutta we are looking at in this Episode: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikku On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Baraṇasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five thus: “Bhikkhus, these two extremes should not be followed by one who has gone forth into homelessness. What two? Oe pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial; and the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathagata has awakened to the middle way, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. “And what, bhikkhus, is that middle way awakened to by the Tathagata, which gives rise to vision ... which leads to Nibbāna? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This, bhikkhus, is that middle way awakened to by the Tathagata, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.