The Related Discourses
4. The Truths
| （三七九）轉法輪 | 1 (379). Turning the Dharma Wheel |
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| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住波羅㮈、鹿野苑中、仙人住處。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at the Residence of Sages in the Deer Preserve of Bārāṇasī. |
| 爾時，世尊告五比丘： 「『此苦聖諦』本所未曾聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 『此苦集』⋯『此苦滅』⋯『此苦滅道跡聖諦』本所未曾聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the five monks, “‘This is the noble truth of suffering’ is a teaching not heard before that must be correctly considered.2 It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. ‘This is suffering’s formation’ … ‘This is suffering’s cessation’ … ‘This is the noble truth of the path to suffering’s cessation’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復次，苦聖諦智，當復知』本所未聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 3. “‘Furthermore, knowledge of this noble truth of suffering should be known’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『苦集聖諦已知，當斷』本所未曾聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 4. “[Furthermore], ‘having known this noble truth of suffering’s formation, [that formation] should be ended’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that should be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復次，苦集滅，此苦滅聖諦已知，當知作證』本所未聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 5. “Furthermore, ‘having known this noble truth of suffering’s cessation, [that cessation] should be realized’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復以，此苦滅道跡聖諦已知，當修』本所未曾聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 6. “Furthermore, ‘having known this noble truth of the path to suffering’s cessation, [that path] should be cultivated’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復次，比丘，此苦聖諦已知，知已出』所未聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 7. “‘Furthermore, having known this noble truth of suffering, knowing it has happened’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復次，此苦集聖諦已知，已斷出』所未聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 8. “‘Furthermore, having known this noble truth of suffering’s formation, ending it has happened’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復次，苦滅聖諦已知，已作證出』所未聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 9. “‘Furthermore, having known this noble truth of suffering’s cessation, realization [of that cessation] has happened’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「『復次，苦滅道跡聖諦已知，已修出』所未曾聞法，當正思惟。 時，生眼、智、明、覺。 | 10. “‘Furthermore, after knowing this noble truth of the path to suffering’s cessation, cultivation [of that path] has happened’ was a teaching I’d not heard before that had to be correctly considered. It then gave rise to vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening. |
| 「諸比丘，我於此四聖諦三轉十二行不生眼、智、明、覺者，我終不得於諸天、魔、梵、沙門、婆羅門聞法眾中，為解脫、為出、為離。 亦不自證得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。 我已於四聖諦三轉十二行生眼、智、明、覺，故於諸天、魔、梵、沙門、婆羅門聞法眾中，得出、得脫。 自證得成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」 | 11. “Monks, had vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening not arisen from these three revolutions in twelve steps of these four noble truths, I would never have attained liberation, escape, and separation from the teachings heard among the communities of gods, Māra, Brahmā, ascetics, and priests. Nor would I have myself realized the unsurpassed, correct, and complete awakening. Once vision, knowledge, insight, and awakening rose from these three revolutions in twelve steps of these four noble truths, then I could escape and be liberated from the teachings heard among the communities of gods, Māra, Brahmā, ascetics, and priests. I myself realized the unsurpassed, correct, and complete awakening.” |
| 爾時，世尊說是法時，尊者憍陳如及八萬諸天遠塵離垢，得法眼淨。 | 12. When the Bhagavān explained this teaching, Venerable Kauṇḍinya and eighty thousand gods became free of dust and defilement and purified his Dharma eye. |
| 爾時，世尊告尊者憍陳如： 「知法未？」 | 13. The Bhagavān then asked Venerable Kauṇḍinya, “Have you understood the teaching yet?” |
| 憍陳如白佛： 「已知，世尊！」 | Kauṇḍinya said to the Buddha, “I’ve understood it, Bhagavān!” |
| 復告尊者憍陳如： 「知法未？」 | 14. Again, he asked Venerable Kauṇḍinya, “Have you understood the teaching yet?” |
| 拘隣白佛： 「已知，善逝！」 | Kauṇḍinya said to the Buddha, “I’ve understood it, Sugata!” |
| 尊者拘隣已知法故，是故名阿若拘隣。 | 15. Having known the teaching, Venerable Kauṇḍinya was therefore called Ajñāta Kauṇḍinya. |
| 尊者阿若拘隣知法已，地神舉聲唱言： 「諸仁者！世尊於波羅㮈國、仙人住處、鹿野苑中三轉十二行法輪。 諸沙門、婆羅門、諸天、魔、梵所未曾轉。 多所饒益，多所安樂，哀愍世間。 以義饒益，利安天、人，增益諸天眾，減損阿修羅眾。」 | 16. After Venerable Ajñāta Kauṇḍinya understood the teaching, the earth spirit raised her voice and called out, “Gentlemen! The Bhagavān has turned the Dharma wheel three times in twelve steps while staying at the Residence of Sages in the Deer Preserve of Bārāṇasī. It hasn’t been turned before by ascetics, priests, gods, Māra, or Brahmā. It was to benefit many, bring happiness to many, and out of pity for the world. Because it’s for the benefit and welfare of gods and humans, it will increase the host of gods and diminish the host of asuras!” |
| 地神唱已，聞虛空神天、四天王天、三十三天、炎魔天、兜率陀天、化樂天、他化自在天。 展轉傳唱，須臾之間，聞于梵天身。 梵天乘聲唱言： 「諸仁者！世尊於波羅㮈國、仙人住處、鹿野苑中三轉十二行法輪。 諸沙門、婆羅門、諸天、魔、梵，及世間聞法未所曾轉。 多所饒益，多所安樂。 以義饒益諸天、世人，增益諸天眾，減損阿修羅眾。」 | 17. After the earth spirit announced this, she was heard by the sky spirits and gods in the Heaven of the Four God Kings, Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, Yama Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, Nirmāṇarati Heaven, and Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. In the span of a moment, they each in turn conveyed her call until it was heard in the Brahmakāyika Heaven. They conveyed the call in the Brahma Heavens: “Gentlemen! The Bhagavān has turned the Dharma wheel three times in twelve steps while staying at the Residence of Sages in the Deer Preserve of Bārāṇasī. It hasn’t been turned before by ascetics, priests, gods, Māra, Brahmā, or heard by worldly people. It was to benefit many, bring happiness to many[, and out of pity for the world]. Because it’s for the benefit [and welfare] of gods and humans, it will increase the host of gods and diminish the host of asuras!” |
| 世尊於波羅㮈國、仙人住處、鹿野苑中轉法輪；是故此經名轉法輪經。 | 18. At the Residence of Sages in the Deer Preserve of Bārāṇasī, the Bhagavān turned the Dharma wheel; therefore, this sūtra is called “Turning the Dharma Wheel.” |
| 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 | 19. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 379 in the Taisho edition and no. 542 in Yinshun (T99.2.103c13-4a29, Y30.106a14-8a7). It’s parallel with SN 56.11, T109, and T110.
This version of the sūtra lacks the opening discussion of the middle way or the eightfold path found in SN 56.11 and T109. It also places the statement about each of the four truths leading to awakening before the definition of the truths. As we would expect, this version matches T110 closely, which was an extract from Yijing’s translation of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. [back]
‘This is the noble truth of suffering’ is a teaching not heard before that must be correctly considered. C. 『此苦聖諦』本所未曾聞法，當正思惟, P. ‘Idaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccan’ti me, bhikkhave, pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu, S. iti duḥkhamiti me bhikṣavaḥ purvamaśruteṣu dharmeṣu yoniśomanasikārādbahulīkāra.
I’m reading 此苦聖諦 as the Buddha quoting the teaching to be contemplated. This is in keeping with the parallel in P. The C. translation, however, lacks a personal pronoun to make it something the Buddha had not heard before.
When consulting the various parallels that exist in C. Vinaya translations, it seems that there was a fair amount of variation. We even find two versions in the voluminous Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya with significant differences in wording (the Skandhaka story version being more verbose). I’ve therefore kept this translation fairly literal to preserve the wording differences (aside from the obvious corruptions in the C. text).
This passage was apparently expanded at least a couple times to add the expression S. yoniśomanasikāra, and then S. bahulīkāra. The full expanded expression in the S. version (“properly considered with great care”) corresponds closely to the version in the Skandhaka section of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya (T1450.24.127c8-9: 由如理作意精進力故). [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 4 March 2026
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