Enlightenment

“There are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two? That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with reference to sensual objects: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable; and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathagata - producing vision, producing knowledge - leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.

“And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that - producing vision, producing knowledge - leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that - producing vision, producing knowledge - leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.

“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of stress’... ‘This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended’... ‘This noble truth of stress has been comprehended.’

“And, monks, as long as this - my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge and vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be was - not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras, and Brahmas, with its contemplatives and priests, its royalty and commonfolk.

But as soon as this - my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge and vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be - was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras and Brahmas, with its contemplatives and priests, its royalty and common folk. Knowledge and vision arose in me:

‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.’”

Translated from Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta