The Great Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma

leads to development of sila, samadhi and pannd, all other practices are wrong practices and taking them as right practices amount to wrong belief as regards the practice.

Not seeing the Truth,

Keeping aside the Path,

Hoping for lasting happiness,

Tis wrong belief in practice.

Everything that appears at the six doors of senses constitute the Five Groups of Grasping, namely, rupa and nama, the Truth of suffering. Meditating on rupa and nama is practising the Path by which the Four Noble Truths will be understood. Believing in and practising any other method, which keeps aside the Magga Path and which does not lead to understanding the Four Noble Truths, is wrong belief in the practice. (silabbata paramasa ditthi)

There are people who are preaching that "It is not necessary to practise meditation nor to observe the precepts (sila). It is sufficient to listen to sermons and leam by heart the nature of-rupa and nama." It will be necessary to consider whether such views amount to silabbata paramasa. In our opinion, such preachments amount to teaching wrong view in practice as this method excludes the three disciplines of sila, samadhi and vipassana insight.

A sotapanna being well established in the knowledge of the right vipassana practice is not liable to hold the wrong view of silabbata paramasas. In future existences, there is no danger for him to fall into this wrong belief. This is calming the kilesd by virtue of the Noble Path.

TEMPORARY PUTTING AWAY

When a sense object under contemplation is noted as impermanent, suffering unsubstantial, the defilements of mind (kilesas) which would accrue by wrongly holding them as permanent, pleasant, and substantial, would have no chance to arise. This amounts to temporary putting away of kilesd, just as light despels darkness by virtue of mutually opposing natures, as explained in Visuddhi Magga.

This is how kilesds, lymg dormant in the sense object (Arammnénusaya) which would have risen if not noted, is removed by means of a fraction of vipassana insight. Wise people should ponder well over this illustration given in the Visuddhi Magga.

If, as some people hold, contemplating the knowledge ac“quired by mere leaming (Suta-maya-nana) leads to vipassana, the question arises which kilesa lying dormant in which sense objects is eradicated by that vipassana. It would be difficult to answer that question in the absenee of a definite object of awareness.

For the yogi who, following the Satipatthana method, observes the rupa and nama in the process of their formation, there are definite objects of awareness to take note of. At the same time there are also objects of awareness that escape his notice. Thus he can eradicate the kilesds lying dormant in the objects he has noted; while those lying dormant in the objects he has failed to note, remain uneradicated. The answer is very simple for him.

After eradicating temporarily the kilesas lying dormant in the objects noted by him, there remain in the yogi latent kilesas which are removed only by the Anya Magga. Thus the first stream-winner _ (sotGpanna) has reached the stage where he has eradicated personilitybelief (Sakkdya ditthi), perplexity (vicikicchG) and wrong view in practice (silabbata) and all difilements which are liable to cause rebirth in regions of purgatory. In the sagaddgdmi, all the coarse forms of lust and ill-will are eradicated. The Andgdmi becomes free from finer forms of lust and ill-will while the Arahat is fully liberated from all forms of defilements.

In this way Vipassana Magga and Anya Magga are capable of either putting away kilesds temporarily or uprooting them out permanently. The Blessed One was having this fact in mind when he said that the Middle Path leads to calm, tranquility (Upasamaya samvattati).

ARISING OF SUPER-KNOWLEDGE

The Middle Path also leads to super-knowledge (Abhinndya Samvattati). Abhinnana is akin to vision or knowledge but its effect

is more pronounced; hence its mention, separately. The Four Noble Truths become known by virtue of this super-knowledge in consequence of Vipassana Magga and Ariya Magga. The Vipassana Magga developed before hand enabled the Vipassana nana which is developed later to know the four Noble Truths. Actually only the Truth’ of suffering or the Group of Grasping(upddanakkhanda) which happens to be noted in the course of meditation is concemed here.

Nama and rupa or the truth of suffering is seen as impermanent, as suffering or non-self. Every time they are seen thus, there is no chance for craving and clinging to make their appearance. Thus there is liberation from craving and clinging. It is called Pahanabhisamaya, knowing Samudaya by abandonment, though not by realization.Every time rupa and nama become subjected to his awareness, the meditator is free from ignorance, avijjd, that could lead him to the wrong path. Being thus free from avijja, he is free from ills of sankhGra and vinndna. This is temporary cessation of ills, tadanga nirodha sacca. This temporary cessation of ills is realized by Vipassana at every instant of noting, but not as its object of contemplation.

Every.act of awareness develops Vipassana Magga headed by sammdditthi. This is called bha@vanabhisamaya, knowing Vipassana Magga sacca by developing it is one's person. This knowledge is achieved, though, not by contemplating at the moment of noting. But having it developed in oneself, it could be clearly perceived through reflection. Knowing the Truth of suffering, through noting the phenomenon of nama and rupa leads simultaneously to the knowledge of the three remaining truths also. This is knowing the four truths by means of special vipassana nana. ‘Hence the Middle Path is said to produce super-knowledge of the truths, abhinna.

Further more it also causes arising of special Anya Magga Nana. As vipassana nana attains full maturity, Nibbana is realized and Ariya Maggas developed. Then the four truths become known as they should be known by means of Anya Magga Nana. For this reason too the Middle Path is said to give rise to abhinna.

PENETRATIVE INSIGHT

Tke Middle Path also leads to penetrative Insight (Sambodhayha Samvatiati). Abhinn& means super-knowledge about Vipassana Insight and Ariya Magga Nana, which was not previously developed. sambodha refers to penetrative Insight. Things hidden behind big curtains or thick walls become visible when these barriers are shattered asunder or windows are opened out. Likewise the Four Noble Truths are kept hidden behing avijj@ which takes note of that which is wrong but covers up that which is nght. By developing ‘the Eightfold Path through meditation exercises, Truths which were not known before become apparent through Vipassananana and Anya Magga nana. Thus avijja@ has been penetrated and Noble Truths become known by means of penetrative insight.

It is quite obvious that kamasukhallika and attakilamatha practices can never give mse to super-knowledge nor penetrative insight (Abhinna nor Sambodha).

REALIZATION OF NIBBANA

Finally, the Middle Path, the Fightfold Noble Path leads to realization of Nibbana (nibbana samvattati), Penetrating to the Four Noble Truths by means of the Arahatta Magga Nana amounts to realization of Nibbana. But as Nibbana is the final and the noblest goal of those who work for liberation from the rouinds of suffering it was mentioned again as a separate attamment by the Blessed One.

By developing the Eightfold Noble Path, penetration of the Four Noble Truths will be attamed by means of Ariya Magga; finally Nibbana will be realized through the Arahattaphala. Having thus realized Nibbana, the last conscious moment of Parinibbana will not lead to new existence for new forms of: mind and matter. It is the cessation of all suffering. In this way the Eightfold Path leads to realization of Nibbana, cessation of all sufferings.

To summarise the benefits that will be derived from practising the Middle Path:

1. Avoid sensual pleasures.

2. Avoid self-mortifdication.

3. Avoid both extremes being wrong paths.

4. The Middle Path is the nght one.

5. Following the right path, Insight will be developed and

Nibbana realized.

Benefits that will accrue from following the Middle Path has been exhaustively expounded. They represent the highest goal aimed at by persons working for liberation from the sufferings of the rounds of existence. Thereis nothing more that they should need.

It now remains only to know what constitutes the Middle Path. In order to explain the Path, the Blessed One started off with a question in accordance with the traditional usages of those times.

Katama ca sé, bhikkhavd, majjhima patipada

Tathdgatena abhisambuddha -- Cakkhukarani,

Nanakarani, upasamdaya, abhinndya, Sambodhaya,

Nibbandya Samvattati ?

What Middle way, Bhikkhus, understood by the Tathagata produces vision, produces knowledge and leads to calm, superknowledge, penetrative insight, Nibbana ?

The answer was supplied by the Blessed One Himself:

Ayameva ariyo atthangiko maggo -- Seyya thidam;

Sammdditthi, Sammdsankappo, Sammavaca,

Sammdakammanto,

Summddjivo, Sammavayama, Sammasati, Sammdsamdadhi

Only this the Noble Eightfold Path. (The Blessed One pointed out the Path, as if by pointing a finger at visible objects or holding them in the palm of his hands) namely:

SammG Ditthi - Right View

Samma& Sankappa - Right Thought

Samma Vaca - Right Speech

Samma& Kammanta - Right Action

Samma Ajjiva - Right Liverlihood

Sammda Vayama - Right Effort

Sammd Sati - Right Mindfulness

Samma Samadhi - Right Concentration

These are then the Eightfold Path, the Middle Path, which when fully understood by the Tathagata produces visions, produces knowledge and leads to calm; super-knowledge, penetrative insight, Nibbana.

The definition of the Middle Path has now been given. Elaborate exposition of this Eightfold Path will have to wait till next week.

By virtue of having given respectful attention to this great Discourse on the Tuming of the Wheel of Dhamma, may you all good people present in this audience be able to avoid the wrong path, namely, the two extremes and follow the Noble Eightfold Middle Path, thereby gaining vision and higher knowledge which will lead to the realization of Nibbana, the end of all suffering.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

End of Path I