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4. The Wheel Chapter 1. The Discourse on the Wheel "Monks, there are these four wheels. Endowed with these, the four-wheeled chariot of devas and humans rolls on. Endowed with these, devas and humans soon attain greatness and abundance in possessions. Which four? Dwelling in a suitable region, association with good people, right aspiration for oneself, and having done meritorious deeds in the past. These, monks, are the four wheels. Endowed with these, the four-wheeled chariot of devas and humans rolls on. Endowed with these, devas and humans soon attain greatness and abundance in possessions." "One who dwells in a suitable region, who makes noble friends, who is endowed with right aspiration, a person who has done merit in the past— grain, wealth, fame, glory, and happiness, all these increase for him." First. 2. The Discourse on the Bonds of Fellowship "Monks, there are these four bonds of fellowship. Which four? Generosity, kind speech, beneficial conduct, and impartiality. These, monks, are the four bonds of fellowship." "Generosity and kind speech, and beneficial conduct here, and impartiality in matters, each in its proper place— these indeed are the bonds in the world, like the linchpin of a moving chariot." "If these bonds did not exist, a mother would not receive honor or respect from her child, nor a father from his child." "Because wise people reflect upon these bonds, therefore they attain greatness, and they become praiseworthy." Second. 3. The Discourse on the Lion "Monks, the lion, king of beasts, in the evening, comes forth from its lair. Having come forth from its lair, it stretches itself. Having stretched itself, it surveys all four directions. Having surveyed all four directions, it roars its lion's roar three times. Having roared its lion's roar three times, it sets out for its hunting ground." Now, monks, those animals, creatures of the wild, who hear the roar of the lion, king of beasts, they mostly fall into fear, agitation, terror. Those in holes enter their holes, those in water enter the water, those in the forest enter the forest, birds fly into the sky. Even those royal elephants, monks, in villages, towns, and royal capitals, bound with strong ropes and fetters, they cut and break those bonds, and, terrified, dropping dung and urine, they flee in every direction. So mighty, monks, is the lion, king of beasts, among animals, so powerful, so glorious. Even so, monks, when a Tathāgata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, endowed with knowledge and conduct, a Fortunate One, knower of the world, an unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One, he teaches the Dhamma: 'This is self-identity, this is the origin of self-identity, this is the cessation of self-identity, this is the path leading to the cessation of self-identity.' Even those gods, monks, long-lived, beautiful, abundant in happiness, long-abiding in high palaces, they too, hearing the Tathāgata's teaching of the Dhamma, mostly fall into fear, agitation, terror: 'Indeed, sirs, we, being impermanent, thought we were permanent; indeed, sirs, we, being unstable, thought we were stable; indeed, sirs, we, being non-eternal, thought we were eternal. Indeed, sirs, we are impermanent, unstable, non-eternal, encompassed by self-identity.' So mighty, monks, is the Tathāgata for the world with its gods, so powerful, so glorious. When the Buddha, having fully known, set the Wheel of Dhamma rolling; For the world with its gods Of this world, The Teacher is an incomparable person. The body's existence and its cessation, And the arising of the body; And the Noble Eightfold Path, Leading to the calming of suffering. Even those gods long-lived, Glorious and renowned; They became fearful, struck with terror, Like other beasts before a lion. "We have not transcended the body's existence, Indeed, we are impermanent, sirs!" Having heard the word of the Arahant, The liberated, the steadfast one. 4. The Discourse on Supreme Confidence 34. "Monks, there are these four supreme confidences. Which four? Monks, as far as there are beings— Footless, or two-footed, Or four-footed, or many-footed, Formed, or formless, Perceptive, or non-perceptive, Or neither perceptive nor non-perceptive— The Tathāgata is declared to be the foremost among them, The Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. Monks, those who have confidence in the Buddha, They have confidence in the supreme. And for those who have confidence in the supreme, The supreme result comes to be. "Monks, as far as there are conditioned phenomena, The Noble Eightfold Path is declared to be the foremost among them. Monks, those who have confidence in the Noble Eightfold Path, They have confidence in the supreme. And for those who have confidence in the supreme, The supreme result comes to be. "Monks, as far as there are phenomena, conditioned or unconditioned, Dispassion is declared to be the foremost among them, Namely, the subduing of intoxication, The removal of thirst, The uprooting of attachment, The cutting off of the round of existence, The destruction of craving, Dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. Monks, those who have confidence in the phenomenon of dispassion, They have confidence in the supreme. And for those who have confidence in the supreme, The supreme result comes to be. "Monks, as far as there are assemblies or groups, The Sangha of the Tathāgata's disciples is declared to be the foremost among them, Namely, the four pairs of men, The eight individual persons— This Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of offerings, Worthy of hospitality, Worthy of gifts, Worthy of reverential salutation, An unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Monks, those who have confidence in the Sangha, They have confidence in the supreme. And for those who have confidence in the supreme, The supreme result comes to be. These, monks, are the four supreme confidences." thus. For those with faith in the foremost, who discern the foremost Dhamma; For those with faith in the foremost Buddhas, worthy of offerings, unsurpassed. For those with faith in the foremost Dhamma, in dispassion, peace, and bliss; For those with faith in the foremost Saṅgha, the unsurpassed field of merit. Giving gifts in the foremost, foremost merit increases; Foremost life and beauty, fame, glory, happiness, strength. The wise giver of the foremost, endowed with the foremost Dhamma; Whether a deva or a human, attains the foremost and rejoices. Thus ends the fourth. 5. The Discourse to Vassakāra On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Then Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Vassakāra the brahmin, the chief minister of Magadha, said to the Blessed One: “With four qualities, good Gotama, we define a great wise man, a great person. Which four? Here, good Gotama, he is learned, and he understands the meaning of that which has been heard, of that which has been spoken – ‘This is the meaning of this statement, this is the meaning of that statement.’ And he is mindful, remembering and recollecting what was done long ago and said long ago. And he is skilled and diligent in household duties, in what needs to be done, endowed with a discerning inquiry into them, able to do and able to arrange. With these four qualities, good Gotama, we define a great wise man, a great person. If, good Gotama, I am to be approved, let Master Gotama approve me; if, good Gotama, I am to be rejected, let Master Gotama reject me.” “I neither approve you, brahmin, nor reject you. With four qualities, brahmin, I No, I declare a great man, endowed with great wisdom, endowed with these qualities. With which four? Here, brahmin, he practices for the welfare of many, for the happiness of many; many people are established by him in the noble method, that is, in good qualities, in wholesome qualities. Whatever thought he wishes to think, that thought he thinks; whatever thought he does not wish to think, that thought he does not think. Whatever intention he wishes to intend, that intention he intends; whatever intention he does not wish to intend, that intention he does not intend. Thus he has mastery over the mind in the path of thought. He is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, which are of the higher mind, a happy abiding in this very life. With the destruction of the taints, he abides having realized for himself with direct knowledge in this very life the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom. I do not, brahmin, approve of that, nor do I reject it. It is with these four qualities, brahmin, that I declare a great man, endowed with great wisdom.” “Wonderful, good Gotama! Amazing, good Gotama! How well spoken is this by the good Gotama! And we, good Gotama, hold the good Gotama to be endowed with these four qualities; for the good Gotama practices for the welfare of many, for the happiness of many; many people are established by you in the noble method, that is, in good qualities, in wholesome qualities. For the good Gotama, whatever thought he wishes to think, that thought he thinks; whatever thought he does not wish to think, that thought he does not think. Whatever intention he wishes to intend, that intention he intends; whatever intention he does not wish to intend, that intention he does not intend. For the good Gotama has mastery over the mind in the path of thought. For the good Gotama is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, which are of the higher mind, a happy abiding in this very life. easily obtaining, without difficulty obtaining, without trouble obtaining.