So I've been told. Once the Blessed One was staying in Baraasi in Isipatana's Deer Park. There, the Buddha spoke to the five bhikkhus:
No one who has ventured out into homelessness should follow any of these extremes, Bhikkhus. Two what? the painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial pursuit of self-mortification as opposed to the pursuit of sensuous satisfaction in sensual pleasures (which is base, vulgar, the path of worldlings, ignoble, and unbeneficial). Without leaning too much in either direction, the Tathagata has discovered the middle path that leads to vision, which in turn leads to knowledge, which in turn leads to tranquility, which in turn leads to direct understanding, which in turn leads to enlightenment, which in turn leads to Nibbana.
"And what is it, bhikkhus, that the Tathagata awoke to, that gives birth to vision... that leads to Nibbana?" Right perspective, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration make up the eightfold path. This, bhikkhus, is the Tathagata-awakened middle path that yields insight, that leads to tranquility, that yields direct understanding, that yields Nirvana.
Birth is pain; aging is suffering; disease is suffering; death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is sorrow; not getting what one desires is suffering; in short, the five aggregates susceptible to clinging are suffering.
"This, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the root of suffering: wanting for sensual pleasures, longing for life, and craving for annihilation. Accompanied by joy and passion, seeking delight here and there.
"Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the extinction of pain: it is the complete and utter disappearance of that very same yearning, the letting go and letting go of it, the freedom from it and the nonreliance on it.
"This, bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of the Path that Ends Suffering: the Eightfold Path of Right View, Right Concentration, Right Effort, Right Speech, and Right Action.
"'This is the noble reality of suffering': therefore, bhikkhus, with regards to things unheard before, there came in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, genuine knowledge, and light.
As a result of hearing the words, "This glorious reality of suffering is to be completely comprehended," there came in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, genuine knowledge, and light with reference to things I had never heard of before.
As a result of hearing the words, "This magnificent reality of suffering has been completely comprehended," there came in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, genuine knowledge, and light with reference to things hitherto unheard.
Vision, understanding, wisdom, genuine knowledge, and illumination came to me in regards to previously unheard of things, as I heard the words, "This is the noble truth of the beginning of pain."
"'This noble truth of the root of suffering is to be abandoned,' and thus, bhikkhus, about things unheard of before, there emerged in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, real knowledge, and light bing maps true path.
