| .
The
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
"The Turning of
the Wheel of Dharma" Sutra
The Buddha's First Sermon
Including
The Four Noble Truths
and The Noble
Eight-Fold Path
being Seven Lessons, posted
from June 23 to August 11, 2006
(technology willing)
The idea is
simple: Read a Lesson every Friday; post a comment before the
following Wednesday; and view your (and others') comments on
Friday as you prepare to view the next lesson.
I have
divided this brief-but-essential sutra into seven lessons; the
sixth is a bit longer (almost 550 words), but the others are under
350 words (in Venerable Piyadassi Thera's translation).
Mainly, we have to absorb. Only absorb.
See the Index
page for "The Rules"
The
Lessons
1. The Middle Way and the Eightfold Path
2. The First Noble Truth: Suffering
3. The Second Noble Truth: The Cause of Suffering
4. The Third Noble Truth: The Cessation of Suffering
5. The Fourth Noble Truth: The Eight-Fold Path to the Cessation of Suffering
6. The Four Noble Truths x The Three Aspects = The Twelve Ways
7. The Attainment of Kondañña and the Declaration of the Devas
The
Schedule
Lesson
Number |
Lesson
Posted |
Comments
"Deadline"* |
Comments
Posted |
| 1 |
June
30 |
July
5 |
July
7 |
| 2 |
July
7 |
July
12 |
July
14 |
| 3 |
July
14 |
July
19 |
July
21 |
| 4 |
July
21 |
July
26 |
July
28 |
| 5 |
July
28 |
August
2 |
August
4 |
| 6 |
August
4 |
August
9 |
August
11 |
| 7 |
August
11 |
August
16 |
August
18 |
| . |
*Remember,
this is only a deadline for those keeping pace with the
lessons. Comments are welcome any time, and the
Comments section of the Lessons will be updated with
"late" comments as time permits. |
The
Text
Because of
the brevity of the text, I thought this would be a good chance to
dig into the "real meaning" of the words. So I
have given three translations, side-by-side (known as
"parallel translations"). All three were found on
the amazing Access
to Insight pages, home to hundreds of Pali sutta
translations.
The three
translators are monks in the Southern Buddhist (Theravada)
tradition, the Keepers of the Flame of the Pali Canon.
Ñanamoli Thera
(an
Englishman). Source: From Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha
(in
China) (WH 17), translated from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1981). Copyright © 1981 Buddhist Publication
Society. Access to Insight edition © 1993 (link)
(in
China)
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
(also known as Ajaan Geoff, an
American). Source: Copyright © 1993 Thanissaro
Bhikkhu. Access to Insight edition © 1993 (link)
(in
China)
Piyadassi Thera
(a
Sri Lankan). Source: From The Book of
Protection (in
China), translated by Piyadassi Thera (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1999).
Copyright © 1999 Buddhist Publication Society. Access to Insight edition ©
1999 (link)
(in
China)
. |
