Asalha Puja

today being Asalha Puja, it seemed right to sit a little earlier—and even manage a short sit at lunch, also to devote a little time to studying the Dhammacakka Sutta.

whether or not the sutta as we have it bears an resemblance to that which the Buddha taught to the pañcavaggiyā, or indeed whether the first desana was taught there and to those five I’ll leave to the scholars to argue: there are some curiosities over its placement in the tipitaka and the latter half has, perhaps, the feeling of being bolted on afterwards (at least to my western biased ears). But the core of the sutta is a solid gem containing each facet of the foundations of Buddhism (perhaps with the exception of paticca samupāda, but conditioned genesis might be said to be an expansion of the second noble truth and came in the second desana, if I remember correctly.)

but as an inspirational foundation for practice: both meditative and as a starting point for study, it has a special resonance—even down to the last phrases of the desana itself, where it’s recorded that Kondañña realized the truth of anicca and became a sotapanna, the first attainment of a disciple. (It’s interesting to reflect that with regard to historical veracity it can be noted that this first attainment of the first ‘Buddhist’ is not arahantship, which would have been more impressive, if less credible.)

Ajahn Sumedho, in the foreword to Dr Rewata Dhamma’s book on the sutta says: “…if you had nothing else but this sermon to follow, it would give you all the necessary information and instruction for profound insight into the truth of what ‘is’—which is, of course, enlightenment.” Although I’d think that a little optimistic, in my heart I agree and when he continues: “I have used this sutta as my main guide to practice over the past twenty-eight years, constantly referring to and reflecting upon the Four Noble Truths, the three aspects of each truth, and the twelve insights.” I’m heartened to read that, finding myself also drawn back again and again through the years to the simple purity of this sutta’s teaching