THE FIRST PREACHING

The attainment of Enlightenment was a unique experience. With that the Bodhisattva changed from an ordinary man into a noble individual, into a Perfectly Enlightened One Sammasambuddha. This Enlightenment gave the Buddha a feeling of great satisfaction and bliss. He remained under the Bodhi tree for a number of weeks, enjoying this bliss. The Four Noble Truths Gautame the Buddha realized were something not heard of before. Therefore he thought that others might neither understand nor accept them. So at first he was not willing to talk about his Enlightenment with others. However, remembering that it was out of compassion to others that he set out to search the Truth he decided to preach it to others. First he thought of his former teachers, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. Both of them were dead by then. Then he set on foot to Isipatana in search of the five ascetics who were his old friends. The five ascetics namely, kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji did not give the Buddha a warm welcome. So he had to convince them that he is truly Enlightened. When the five ascetics developed confidence in him the Buddha began to preach to them. They sat round him and listened like pupils listening to the teacher. This was his first preaching. It is known as The Dhammacakka – Pavattana Sutta, The Discourse that set the Wheel of Righteousness Rollimg. Gautama the Buddha said: One should avoid two extremes. One extreme is the attachment to sensual pleasure. (Kamasukhallikanuyoga). The othe extreme is the attachment to the practices that give pain to the body. (Attakilamathanuyoga). Avoiding these two extremes one should follow the Middle Path (maijhima Patipada). The Buddha explained; this is the Noble truth of Suffering. Brith is suffering. Ageing, sickness an death are suffering sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering. Association with the unpleasant and dissociation from the pleasant are suffering. Similarly not to get what one wants is also suffering. In brief the whole existence is suffering. When suffering exists there should be the arising of suffering. It is craving or desire (tanha) that cause the arising of suffering. When there is arising of suffering there should be cessation of suffering. If there is cessation there should be cessation of suffering. If there is cessation there should be the pathleading to the cessation of suffering. This is the Middle path; Right view, (Samma Ditthi) Right thought, (Samma Samkappa), Right Speech (Samma vaca),Right Action (Samma kammanta), Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva), Right Effort (Samma Vayama),Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati) and Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi). The Noble Truth of Suffering has to be clearly understood. The Noble Truth of Arising of suffering namely. craving (tanha) has to be abandoned. The Noble truth of Cessation of Suffering should be realized. The Path leading to the cessation of Suffering namely. The Noble Eightfold Phat should be followed. Rejoicing in the Dhamma preached by the Buddha the five ascetics became his disciples. They were the first five monk-disciples of the Buddha.