Across centuries and continents, the teachings of the Buddha have served as a beacon for those seeking peace, freedom from suffering, and spiritual clarity. But every journey has a beginning — and so did the Buddha’s mission to share his awakening with the world. After attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, the Buddha remained in silent contemplation for several weeks. Then, moved by deep compassion, he chose to share what he had realized — not in a grand hall, but in a quiet deer park outside Varanasi, India.

This moment — the Buddha’s First Sermon, known traditionally as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, or “Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma” — marks the formal beginning of Buddhism as a spiritual path. It is not merely a historical event, but a foundational turning point in the history of human thought. In this discourse, the Buddha introduced the Four Noble Truths, which form the very heart of Buddhist philosophy and practice.

In this article, we will explore the First Sermon in depth: what the Buddha taught, why it was revolutionary, how it remains deeply relevant today, and how we can apply its wisdom in our own lives — moment by moment, breath by breath.

🧭 What Is the First Sermon of the Buddha?

The First Sermon of the Buddha refers to the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Pali: SN 56.11), which he delivered to five ascetic companions — Kondañña, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahānāma, and Assaji — in the Deer Park at Isipatana (modern-day Sarnath), shortly after his enlightenment.

The title, “Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma,” symbolizes the Buddha’s act of initiating the teachings that would liberate beings from suffering. It was in this sermon that the Buddha laid out the Four Noble Truths, and introduced the Middle Way — both of which form the foundation of all subsequent Buddhist teachings.

Let us first understand the structure of this sermon before delving into its meaning.

📜 The Structure of the First Sermon

The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta unfolds in several key parts:

  1. Rejection of the Two Extremes — Self-indulgence and self-mortification
  2. Introduction of the Middle Way — The Noble Eightfold Path
  3. Declaration of the Four Noble Truths
  4. Realization and Enlightenment — The Buddha’s own insight into these truths
  5. The First Arahant — Kondañña attains awakening

Each section builds upon the previous one, culminating in the powerful moment when the first human being, apart from the Buddha himself, awakened to the Dhamma.

🧘 The Two Extremes and the Middle Way

The Buddha begins his teaching with a direct and compassionate observation:

“There are two extremes that should not be practiced by one who has gone forth.”
— Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11)

These two extremes are:

  1. Kāmasukhallikānuyoga — Devotion to sensual pleasure, which is low, vulgar, and unworthy.
  2. Attakilamathānuyoga — Devotion to self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial.

Before his enlightenment, the Buddha had explored both of these extremes. As a prince, he experienced luxury and indulgence; as an ascetic, he practiced extreme austerity. Neither led to liberation. From this deep experiential understanding, he offered the Middle Way:

“Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathāgata has realized the Middle Way, which gives vision and knowledge, and leads to peace, higher wisdom, awakening, and Nibbāna.”

This Middle Way is none other than the Noble Eightfold Path, which he outlines as:

  1. Right View
  2. Right Intention
  3. Right Speech
  4. Right Action
  5. Right Livelihood
  6. Right Effort
  7. Right Mindfulness
  8. Right Concentration

This path is not a doctrine of belief, but a path of practice — an integrated way of living that leads to the end of suffering.

📖 The Four Noble Truths: The Core of the Teaching

At the heart of the First Sermon are the Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariyasaccāni) — the central insight of the Buddha’s enlightenment:

1. The Noble Truth of Dukkha (Suffering)

“Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering… association with the unloved is suffering, separation from the loved is suffering, not getting what one wants is suffering.”

The Pali word dukkha is often translated as “suffering,” but it encompasses a broader range of human experience — dissatisfaction, anxiety, instability, and unsatisfactoriness. Even pleasures are marked by dukkha because they are impermanent and unreliable.

2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

“It is this craving (taṇhā) which leads to renewed existence — craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence.”

The Buddha points to craving as the root cause of suffering — our deep, often unconscious thirst for pleasure, permanence, and identity. It is this clinging that binds us to the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra).

3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

“With the fading away and cessation of this craving comes cessation of suffering.”

Freedom is possible. The Buddha asserts that when craving ends, so does suffering. This state is Nibbāna (Nirvana) — not annihilation, but the unbinding of the heart from all clinging.

4. The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering

“It is the Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.”

This path is the practical method by which suffering can be brought to an end. It is the Middle Way in action — ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom working in harmony.

🪷 Scriptural Wisdom in Context

The First Sermon is preserved in several early Buddhist canons, including the Pali Canon (Samyutta Nikāya 56.11) and the Dharmaguptaka version in Chinese scriptures. It is consistently revered as the foundational teaching of Buddhism.

Let us reflect on a few passages and their deeper meanings:

📜 “As long, bhikkhus, as my knowledge and vision of these Four Noble Truths… was not thoroughly purified, I did not claim to have awakened.”

This reveals that enlightenment, according to the Buddha, is not mere philosophical understanding. It is direct, experiential realization — a transformative insight into the nature of reality.

📜 “And the vision arose, the insight arose, the understanding arose… the light arose: ‘Unshakable is the liberation of my mind.’”

Here, the Buddha expresses the joy and certainty that accompanies full awakening — not blind belief, but a luminous freedom that cannot be undone.

💡 Why the First Sermon Matters — Then and Now

The First Sermon is not just a record of ancient words. It is a map for liberation — one that continues to guide seekers across traditions, cultures, and centuries.

Ask yourself:

These are signs of dukkha. And the Buddha, with profound compassion, offers a clear diagnosis — and a cure.

In a world marked by constant change, uncertainty, and conflict, the First Sermon reminds us that suffering is not a punishment — it’s a natural part of existence. And more importantly, freedom from it is possible.

🌱 Applying the First Sermon to Daily Life

How can we live the First Sermon today — not just understand it intellectually, but walk it with our feet and heart?

Practice the Middle Way

Avoid extremes in your life — whether overindulgence in pleasures or harsh self-judgment. Cultivate balance in how you eat, work, rest, and relate.

Observe Dukkha in Real Time

Next time irritation arises, simply notice: “This is dukkha.” Not as a failure, but as a truth. Awareness is the first step to freedom.

Trace the Craving

Ask yourself: “What am I clinging to right now?” — a belief, a result, a self-image? Gently explore the roots of your dissatisfaction.

Walk the Noble Eightfold Path

Pick one factor of the path to focus on each day:

Remember the Possibility of Freedom

Even in moments of sorrow, remember: liberation is not far away. It begins with awareness, deepens through insight, and matures into release.

🪷 Walking the Path: Reflect and Practice

The Buddha’s First Sermon is not just the origin of Buddhism — it is the ongoing invitation to end suffering at its root. With compassion and clarity, the Buddha pointed out a way that is both profoundly radical and eminently practical.

He did not ask us to believe blindly, but to see for ourselves:

“Just as the ocean has one taste — the taste of salt — so too does the Dhamma have one taste: the taste of liberation.”
— Udāna 5.5

So we ask ourselves:

What suffering do I carry that I no longer need to?
What would it mean to live without clinging — and to rest in peace, now?

Let the wheel of Dhamma turn in your own life. Study the truths, reflect on them, and most of all, practice. Liberation begins not in a distant future — but right where you are, with the next mindful breath.

May all beings see the path clearly, walk it with courage, and awaken to the end of suffering.