Buddha's first discourse
Ven. Dickwelle Mahinda
Everybody knows that
Vesak Day is the most significant day for Buddhists where the they live in the
West or in the East. The birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away of the
Buddha all occurred on this day. In memory of these significant events, the
Buddhists celebrate Vesak. On this Vesak full moon day, intelligent Buddhists
pay their respects to the supreme Buddha by observing the eight or ten
precepts. Others pay their respects to The Enlightened One by celebrating
festivals. But the praiseworthy way to honour the
Master is by example and by precept.
Now let
us consider what did the Buddha realize on Vesak ?.On
Vesak day the Supreme Buddha realized the Four Noble Truths which are mentioned
in the first discourse. This discourse, known as the Dhammacakkappavattana
Sutta sets forth the basic eternal truths of life comprehended by the Buddha
during his illumination under the Bodhi tree, and explains them in so clear and
direct a manner as to lead the hearer to a similar understanding.
In the
Sutta, the Buddha explains that there are two extremes which should be avoided.
What are they? They are the extreme of self-indulgence and the extreme of
self-mortification. The men who devote themselves to these two extremes,
ignoble and profitless, go astray and fail to perceive the true Dhamma.
Abandoning these two extremes, the Buddha continues, He, the Tathàgata, has discovered the Middle Path (Majjhima Patipada) which promotes
sight and wisdom, and which tends to peace, to higher wisdom, enlightenment,
and Nibbana.
What is
this Middle Path discovered and expounded by the Enlightened One more than two
thousand five hundred yeas ago.
It is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely Right Understanding, Right Thoughts,
Right speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness,
and Right concentration. The Path is commonly divided into three factors- such
as Sila, Samadhi, Panna (morality, concentration, and
wisdom).
By
developing these three factors we can eradicate the cause of suffering and
thereby the suffering itself which follows as its consequence. The cause of
suffering the Buddha teaches, as craving (tanha), manifesting itself as the
defilements (kilesa) of the mind .
We cannot eradicate craving all at once. But we can eliminate it by degrees.
First we should practice morality, then with morality as our foundation,
develop concentration, (samatha) insight meditation
(vipassana).When the mind is filled with defilements,
virtue, concentration and wisdom disappear. When the mind is filled with
virtue, concentration and wisdom, then the defilements disappear. The
defilements can be removed momentarily by efficacy of morality(Sila).They can be removed temporarily by the efficacy of
concentration(Samadhi)and craving, the cause of suffering, can be eradicated
forever by the efficacy of wisdom (panna). The end is unshakeable deliverance
of the mind which is the goal of the Buddhist path, and man who has eradicated
all defilements and achieved the goal is called as Arahat.
According
to the discourse, the Buddhist should do four things. What are they? There are
to perceive the Truth of Suffering to eradicate the Truth of its cause, to
realize the Truth of its cessation, which is Nibbana, and practice the Truth of
the path that is leading to the cessation of suffering, which is the Noble
Eightfold Path.
Within
the scope the Four Noble Truths, The Buddha describes to us Kamma
and vipaka or Kamma and
rebirth, otherwise called Hetu and Phala. The cause of suffering refers to Kamma
or Hetu, the Truth of suffering to Vipaka, rebirth or Phala. when we
practice the Noble Eightfold Path the cause of suffering will automatically
disappear. When a man completely eradicates his craving, forever he attains Kilesa parinibbana. Nibbana has
two aspects the complete destruction of craving and other defilements in the
course of life is called Kilesa Parinibbna
the subsequent dissolution of the physical and mental aggregates (Kandhas) on the passing away of the Arahat
and ending of rebirth is the second aspect of Nibbana. With this the final goal
of the Buddha's teaching is completed and nothing remains to be done.