As Kondanna Did

Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma

Raj Arumugam (Director, TTS – www.ttsworld.com.au)

 

After six years searching for the answers in his spiritual quest, Siddhartha gains nirvana when he is thirty-five years old. This happens in Bodhgaya. He becomes known from henceforth as the Buddha.
He now walks about a hundred and fifty miles to Isipatana, the Deer Park – also known as Sarnath.

Here at the Deer Park the Buddha delivers his first sermon to five of his former companions in the spiritual quest.

This sermon is known as the Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma.

The Buddha declares it is possible for all to gain nirvana through practice of the Dharma. This is gained through direct knowledge.

And so the Buddha outlines the Dharma – the Four Noble Truths.

 

The Noble Truth of Dhukka

Life (being and becoming) is characterized by dhukka.
(Dhukka is popularly translated as sorrow but the word can be properly understood if one includes concepts implied in words like: unsatisfactoriness; incompleteness…)

 

The Noble Truth of the Origin of Dhukka

The origin of dhukka is tanha (desire, attachment, craving).

 

The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Dhukka

Can dhukka be removed? It can certainly be done – when desire and craving are removed, dhukka is removed.

 

The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to

the Cessation of Dhukka

And how can one do this? How can one bring about the cessation of dhukka? The answer is the Noble Eightfold Path which can be summarized as:

Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action

Right Livelihood

Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration

As the Buddha delivers the sermon, Kondanna – one of the five ascetics – perceives directly the truth of the Dharma. And the vision arises in him that all that is subject to arising is also subject to cessation. Thus, as the Buddha said in the beginning of this sermon, the Dharma, the truth, nirvana, is gained by direct knowledge. Kondanna understands. He gains direct knowledge.

 

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Complete translations of the sermon are easily available online. Online commentaries by Buddhist scholars and leaders are also available.

But no matter how many translations one peruses or how many experts one listens to, it is important to develop one’s own intuitive understanding of the Four Noble Truths.
As Kondanna did.
Commentaries and translations or even the original version will not help as much as direct knowledge.
An intellectual understanding of the Four Noble Truths may be valuable in an academic environment – but direct knowledge by insight and intuition is vital if one’s understanding is to be useful in one’s own spiritual journey.

 

 

 

Raj Arumugam (Director, TTS www.ttsworld.com.au)

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