Buddha's First Sermon and Last Words

1. Buddha's First Sermon:

            SETTING IN MOTION THE WHEEL OF TRUTH
               (Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta)

Thus have I heard.  The Blessed One was once living in the
Deer Park at Isipatana (the Resort of Seers) near Baranasi
(Benares).  There he addressed the group of five bhikkhus:
  'Bhikkhus, these two extremes ought not to be practised by one
who has gone forth from the household life.  What are the two?
There is devotion to the indulgence of sense-pleasures, which is
low, common, the way of ordinary people, unworthy and
unprofitable; and there is devotion to self-mortification, which is
painful, unworthy and unprofitable.
  'Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata has realized the
Middle Path: it gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to
calm, to insight, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.  And what is that
Middle Path ... ? It is simply the Noble Eightfold Path, namely,
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
This is the Middle Path realized by the Tathagata, which gives
vision, which gives knowledge, and which leads to calm, to
insight, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.
   'The Noble Truth of suffering (Dukkha) is this: Birth is
suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is
suffering; sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair are
suffering; association with the unpleasant is suffering; dissocia-
tion from the pleasant is suffering; not to get what one wants is
suffering - in brief, the five aggregates of attachment are suffering.
  'The Noble Truth of the origin of suffering is this: It is this
thirst (craving) which produces re-existence and re-becoming,
bound up with passionate greed.  It finds fresh delight now
here and now there, namely, thirst for sense-pleasures; thirst for
existence and becoming; and thirst for non-existence (self-
annihilation).
  'The Noble Truth of the Cessation of suffering is this: It is
the complete cessation of that very thirst, giving it up, renouncing
it, emancipating oneself from it, detaching oneself from it.
  'The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of
suffering is this: It is simply the Noble Eightfold Path, namely
right view; right thought; right speech; right action; right
livelihood; right effort; right mindfulness; right concentration.
  '"This is the Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha)": such was
the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light,
that arose in me with regard to things not heard before.  "This
suffering, as a noble truth, should be fully understood": such was
the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light, that
arose in me with regard to things not heard before.  "This suffer-
ing, as a noble truth, has been fully understood": such was the
vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light, that
arose in me with regard to things not heard before.
  '"This is the Noble Truth of the Origin of suffering": such was
the vision, . . . "This Origin of suffering, as a noble truth,
should be abandoned": such was the vision, . . . This Origin
of suffering, as a noble truth, has been abandoned": such was
the vision, . . . with regard to things not heard before.
  '"This is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of suffering":
such was the vision, . . . "This Cessation of suffering, as a noble
truth, should be realized": such was the vision, . . . "This
Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, has been realized":
such was the vision, . . . with regard to things not heard
before.
  '"This is the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation
of suffering": such was the vision, . . . "This Path leading to the
Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, should be followed
(cultivated)": such was the vision, . . . "This Path leading to the
Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, has been followed
(cultivated)": such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom,
the science, the light, that arose in me with regard to things
not heard before.
  'As long as my vision of true knowledge was not fully clear in
these three aspects, in these twelve ways, regarding the Four
Noble Truths, I did not claim to have realized the perfect
Enlightenment that is supreme in the world with its gods, with
its Maras and Brahmas, in this world with its recluses and
brahmanas, with its princes and men.  But when my vision
of true knowledge was fully clear in these three aspects, in these
twelve ways, regarding the Four Noble Truths, then I claimed
to have realized the perfect Enlightenment that is supreme in the
world with its gods, its Maras and Brahmas, in this world with its
recluses and brahmanas, with its princes and men.  And a vision
of true knowledge arose in me thus: My heart's deliverance is
unassailable.  This is the last birth.  Now there is no more re-
becoming (rebirth).
  This the Blessed One said.  The group of five bhikkhus was
glad, and they rejoiced at his words.


2. Buddha's Last Words:

               THE LAST WORDS OF THE BUDDHA
   (Mahaparinibbana-sutta of the Digha-nikaya, Sutta No. 16)

Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ananda: 'It
may be, Ananda, that to some of you the thought may come:
"Here are (we have) the Words of the Teacher who is gone; our
Teacher we have with us no more".  But Ananda, it should not
be considered in this light.  What I have taught and laid down,
Ananda, as Doctrine (Dhamma) and Discipline (Vinaya), this will,
be your teacher when I am gone.
  'Just as, Ananda, the bhikkhus now address one another with
the word "Friend" (Avuso), they should not do so when I am
gone.  A senior bhikkhu, Ananda, may address a junior by his
name, his family name or with the word "Friend"; a junior
bhikkhu should address a senior as "Sir" (Bhante) or "Venerable"
(Ayasma).
  'If the Sangha (the Community, the Order) should wish it,
Ananda, let them, when I am gone, abolish the lesser and minor
precepts (rules).
  'When I am gone, Ananda, the highest penalty should be
imposed on the Bhikkhu Channa.'
  'But, Sir, what is the highest penalty?'
  'Let the Bhikkhu Channa say what he likes, Ananda; the
bhikkhus should neither speak to him, nor advise him, nor
exhort him.'
  Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: 'It may be,
Bhikkhus, that there may be doubt or perplexity in the mind of
even one bhikkhu about the Buddha, or the Dhamma, or the
Sangha, or the Path, or the Practice.  Ask Bhikkhus.  Do not
reproach yourselves afterwards with the thought: "Our Teacher
was face to face with us; we could not ask the Blessed One
when we were face to face with him".'
  When this was said, the bhikkhus remained silent.
  A second time and a third time too the Blessed One addressed
the bhikkhus ... as above.
  The bhikkhus remained silent even for the third time.
  Then the Blessed One addressed them and said: 'It may be,
Bhikkhus, that you put no questions out of reverence for your
Teacher.  Then, Bhikkhus, let friend speak to friend.'
  Even at this, those bhikkhus remained silent.
  Then the Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One: 'It is
wonderful, Sir.  It is marvellous, Sir.  I have this faith, Sir, in
the community of bhikkhus here, that not even one of them has any
doubt or perplexity about the Buddha, or the Dhamma, or the
Sangha, or the Path, or the Practice.'
  'You speak out of faith, Ananda.  But in this matter, Ananda,
the Tathagata (i.e. Buddha) knows, and knows for certain,
that in this community of bhikkhus there is not even one bhikkhu
who has any doubt or perplexity about the Buddha, or the
Dhamma, or the Sangha, or the Path, or the Practice.  Indeed,
Ananda, even the lowest in spiritual attainments among these
five hundred bhikkhus is a Stream-entrant (Sotapanna), not liable
to fall (into lower states), is assured, and is bound for Enlighten-
ment.'
  Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: 'Then,
Bhikkhus, I address you now: Transient are conditioned things.
Try to accomplish your aim with diligence.'
  These were the last words of the Tathagata.