oOo
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Varanasi in the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:
'There are these two extremes which are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. What two? That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with reference to sensual objects: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable; and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathagata -- producing vision, producing knowledge -- leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
'And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata which -- producing vision, producing knowledge -- leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right consideration, right speech, right undertaking, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathagata -- producing vision, producing knowledge -- leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
'Now this, monks, is the absolute truth of stress: Birth is stressful, ageing is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five substances for sustenance are stressful.
'And this, monks, is the absolute truth of the origination of stress: the craving which makes for further becoming -- accompanied by passion and delight, relishing now here and now there -- i.e. craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
'And this, monks, is the absolute truth of the stopping of stress: the remainderless fading and stopping, renunciation, relinquishment, release and letting go of that very craving.
'And this, monks, is the absolute truth of the way leading to the stopping of stress: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path -- right view, right consideration, right speech, right undertaking, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
'Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: 'This is the absolute truth of stress'... 'This absolute truth of stress is to be comprehended'... 'This absolute truth of stress has been comprehended'... 'This is the absolute truth of the origination of stress'... 'This absolute truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned'... 'This absolute truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned'... This is the absolute truth of the stopping of stress'... 'This absolute truth of the stopping of stress is to be directly experienced'... 'This absolute truth of the stopping of stress has been directly experienced'... 'This is the absolute truth of the way leading to the stopping of stress'... 'This absolute truth of the way leading to the stopping of stress is to be developed'... 'This absolute truth of the way leading to the stopping of stress has been developed.'
That is what the Blessed One said. Glad at heart, the group of five monks delighted at his words...[...]
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