Buddha's First Three Sermons (The Three Cardinal Discourses) by Sayadaw U Silan…

Tathagata Meditation Center

Buddha's First Three Sermons (The Three Cardinal Discourses - Nanamoli Thera) On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Benares, in the Deer Park at Isipatana (the Resort of Seers) and on the full moon day of July the Buddha preached the first sermon called Dhammacakkappavattana sutta (Setting in Motion The Wheel of Dhamma) . At the end of this sutta Kondañña became a sotāpanna, a stream-enterer. On subsequent days the other four disciples also became a sotāpanna (Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahānāma and Assaji). On the fifth day after the full moon day of July the Buddha preached the second discourse called Anatta-lakkhana Sutta (The Not-Self characteristic) . At the end of this discourse all five disciples became arahants. Some months later the Buddha preached the third sermon called Ādittapariyāya Sutta (Fire Sermon) . Although this was recorded as the third sutta, prior to this sutta the Buddha also preached on three different occasions to Yassa, to Yassa's father and to Yassa's friends but these talks were not recorded.