Mahākhandhako The Great Chapter - Ancient Buddhist Texts

I. The First Teachings - 53
[Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaṁ]
[9: The Discourse Setting the Dhamma Wheel Rolling] 121
Atha kho Bhagavā pañcavaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then the Gracious One addressed the group-of-five monks, saying:
“Dveme bhikkhave antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā,
“There are these two extremes, monks, that one who has gone forth ought not to
associate with,
yo cāyaṁ: kāmesu kāmasukhallikānuyogo,
which is this: devotion and clinging to the pleasure in sense pleasures,
hīno, gammo, pothujjaniko, anariyo, anatthasaṁhito;
which is low, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, and not connected with the goal;
yo cāyaṁ: attakilamathānuyogo,
and this: devotion to self-mortification,
dukkho, anariyo, anatthasaṁhito.
which is painful, ignoble, and not connected with the goal.
Ete te bhikkhave ubho ante anupagamma, majjhimā paṭipadā
Not having approached either of these two extremes, monks, the middle practice
Tathāgatena abhisambuddhā, cakkhukaraṇī, ñāṇakaraṇī,
was awakened to by the Realised One, which produces vision, produces knowledge,
upasamāya abhiññāya Sambodhāya Nibbānāya saṁvattati.
and which leads to peace, deep knowledge, Complete Awakening, and Emancipation.
Katamā ca sā bhikkhave majjhimā paṭipadā,
Now what is this middle practice, monks,
Tathāgatena abhisambuddhā, cakkhukaraṇī, ñāṇakaraṇī,
that was awakened to by the Realised One, which produces vision, 122 produces
knowledge,
upasamāya abhiññāya Sambodhāya Nibbānāya saṁvattati
and which leads to peace, deep knowledge, Complete Awakening, and Emancipation
121 Cf. SN 56, Saccasaṁyuttaṁ, 11. Jā Nid: paññatte Varabuddhāsane nisinno
Uttarāsāḷhanakkhattayoge vattamāne aṭṭhārasahi Brahmakoṭīhi parivuto Pañcavaggiye
There āmantetvā Dhammacakkappavattanasuttantaṁ desesi; sitting on the best of Buddha
seats that had been prepared, at the conjunction of the Uttarāsāḷha constellation, surrounded
by 180,000,000 Brahmās, after addressing the Group-of-Five elders, he taught the Discourse
Setting the Dhamma Wheel Rolling.
122 Comm: paññācakkhuṁ sandhāyāha; said in reference to the eye of wisdom.