Thus Turned the Wheel: The First Light of the Buddha’s Teaching

BUDDHA

The subject of this essay is Buddhist philosophy. And since it is a link in that profound tradition of Darshana (philosophical vision), and is adorned with that very meaning of Darshana in which to see is to be liberated, it becomes necessary to elaborate upon the term Darshana itself.

The tradition of Indian philosophy has, since time immemorial, been Aaptavachanonmukha — that is, it has not been based on the lifeless and dry rigidity of logic, but on the words and self-realization of realized beings grounded in direct experience. Here, pramāṇa (valid means of knowledge) is the truth directly experienced. What the sages and the Buddhas saw, lived, and realized — that itself became the evidence in this tradition. Hence, Indian thought is more appropriately referred to as Darshana rather than merely Tattvajnana (metaphysics), because it is not just abstract thought, but an inner vision of life.

The word Darshana is not merely the act of acquiring knowledge; it is the process of knowing beyond knowledge. According to the Sanskrit etymology: “dṛśyate anena iti darśanam” — that by which something is seen, is Darshana. But this seeing is not through ordinary sensory perception — it is the seeing of the Self by the Self, the seeing of reality without any prejudice, desire, or material longing. Therefore, Darshana is a state in which the seer, the seen, and the process of seeing — these three do not remain separate, but become one. This is what Buddhist philosophy terms Samyagdṛṣṭi — right view — a vision that is even, unattached, non-conceptual, and pure, meaning the cessation of all limited or partial views. For whatever can be seen, whatever is natural or constructed, is not Samyak (right, complete).

Now, let us turn our attention to the term Tattvajnana. This term appears for the first time in the Gautamīya Nyāyasūtra, which states: “Through the knowledge of the sixteen categories, one attains Nihśreyasa.” Here, Nihśreyasa means moksha — liberation from all three types of suffering. Commenting on this, Acharya Vatsyayana writes that tattva (truth) means sat and asat, the state of being and non-being. If an object can be known through valid means of knowledge and comes into experience, it is sat (existent). That which cannot be known through any valid means of knowledge nor comes into experience is asat (non-existent). Thus, the aim of Tattvajnana is not only to know “what is?” but also to know “what is not?” It is not merely the search for truth, but also the elimination of falsehood. Just as a lamp in a room illuminates not only what is present, but also reveals what is absent — darkness — in the same way, Tattvajnana is the discernment of both existence and non-existence.

At this point, it becomes evident that the domain of Darshana is not limited to intellectual analysis alone. It is the realm of experience and realization. Thus, the term Darshana is not just a system of thought, it is a direct seeing — a witnessing. It does not merely raise questions, but reveals itself as the very answer. Therefore, in the Indian tradition, it is more appropriate and meaningful to refer to it not by the narrower term Tattvajnana, but by the deeper, broader, and experience-based term Darshana.

Now, avoiding digression, we must proceed toward our principal subject — to that luminous sphere of Buddhist philosophy, where the journey of the Buddha began with the recognition of duḥkha (suffering) and culminated in the peace of Nirvāṇa.

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Now, therefore, the Inquiry into the Dhamma

One night, Queen Māyā of Kapilavastu had an extraordinary dream. She saw a divine white elephant, bearing a lotus in its trunk, circumambulate her bed three times and then enter her womb. When King Śuddhodana heard of this dream, he summoned sixty-four learned Brāhmaṇas. Among them, eight Brāhmaṇas made a clear prophecy: that a great soul had entered the Queen’s womb, who would either become a Cakravartin emperor or a Samyaksaṃbuddha (Perfectly Awakened One). The youngest and most erudite among them, Brāhmaṇa Kauṇḍinya, proclaimed—this child will certainly renounce the household life and attain Buddhahood.

The dream of Queen Mahamaya

Ten months later, when Siddhārtha was born, Kauṇḍinya's prophecy became the very axis around which his life revolved. He awaited the renunciation of this great philosopher. For twenty-nine years, he waited, hoping the child would forsake worldly life. And when he heard that Siddhārtha had abandoned the royal palace and taken up the path of renunciation, Kauṇḍinya immediately understood — the time had come. He recalled his companions — the Brāhmaṇas who had interpreted the signs at Siddhārtha's birth. (Although it is not certain whether they were Brāhmaṇas by birth or were called so due to their Vedic scholarship, they were all deeply engaged in religious discipline and spiritual practice.)

Only four young men were willing to join Kauṇḍinya on this ascetic pilgrimage. These five arrived at Uruvelā, where they found the Bodhisattva engaged in severe austerities. They began to serve him. By this time, Siddhārtha had mastered all the highest meditative attainments — the Aṣṭa-samāpattis. However, he realized that this knowledge led only to physical mastery, while the roots of defilements within the mind still remained.

Thereafter, he subjected his body to intense mortification — fasting, breath control, sleeping even on thorns — yet the mind was not purified. The body became a skeleton, yet the Self remained in bondage. Then one day, he remembered an event from his childhood — during a royal festival for ploughing the fields, while others celebrated, he had sat in meditative absorption beneath a jambu tree, simply observing the breath (ānāpānasati). In that moment of recollection, he realized — this indeed is the path leading to right liberation.

He abandoned extreme austerities and began to take alms and eat in moderation. Upon seeing this, Kauṇḍinya and the others became disillusioned. They believed Siddhārtha had deviated from the path of asceticism. They abandoned him and departed for Vārāṇasī. But Siddhārtha knew that the path he now embraced led solely through self-realization — not through the extremes of mortification.

On the night of the full moon of Vaiśākha, beneath the Bodhi tree, he began to meditate with firm resolve. Through ānāpānasati, the mind deepened. In the first watch of the night, he recalled his innumerable past births. In the middle watch, he saw beings wandering in saṃsāra according to their karma. And in the last watch — all latent defilements (anuśaya) were extinguished. The mind became untainted, unsupported, and pure.

The Bodhisattva attained samyaksaṃbodhi — he became the Buddha.

Siddhartha became the BUDDHA

No defilements remained — this was the final existence. After sambodhi, the Buddha spent seven weeks in meditation near the Bodhi tree. Having attained samyaksaṃbodhi beneath the Bodhi tree, a wave of compassion arose within the Tathāgata’s heart. He now knew that this ambrosial Dhamma could not remain confined within himself — it must be shared, for the sake of those most in need. But the question arose: Whom should he begin with? Who shall receive the first sermon?

First, he remembered his former teachers — Ālāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta — from whom he had learned the highest meditative states. He thought, “They are worthy; their spiritual welfare is possible.” But when he looked with the divine eye (boddhinetra), he saw that both had passed away. Thus, he could not preach to them.

Then his mind turned to Kauṇḍinya, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahānāma, and Assaji — those who had accompanied him in austerity for six years. Though they had deviated from the path and left him, they were still inwardly qualified, with refined faculties. They were at that time in present-day Sārnātha.

The Buddha set out on foot from present-day Bodhgayā toward Sārnātha. When the five ascetics saw him approaching from a distance, prejudice stirred in their minds: “Here comes the same yogi who abandoned the path of austerity and returned to indulgence. How can such a person lead to liberation?” They resolved not to welcome him and to extend only formal courtesy.

But as soon as the Buddha came near, a radiant tranquility and wave of compassion emanated from his entire being, and the five could not remain unaffected. Those who had intended to insult him now bowed at his feet. One took his alms bowl and robe, another laid out a seat, another fetched a vessel for washing the feet. The Tathāgata sat down with a silent smile.

Conversation began. The five still addressed him as “Āyuṣmān” (Venerable One), for in their view, he had not yet attained perfect knowledge — having abandoned the path of rigorous asceticism. The Buddha, in a calm tone, explained to them that he had now attained samyaksaṃbodhi — not by tradition, but by direct realization.

Not all of them were convinced. But Kauṇḍinya perceived the truth in the Buddha’s words — in the compassion of his face, the clarity of his speech, and the 32 marks (lakṣaṇas) upon his body. When the Buddha turned the Wheel of Dhamma for the first time — delivering the discourse on the Four Noble Truths — a gateway within Kauṇḍinya opened.

The Buddha said — this life swings between two extremes. On one side, the indulgence in sensual pleasures, which is base and unwholesome. On the other side, the self-torture of asceticism, which is painful and futile. By abandoning both, one must follow the Middle Way — which is composed of eight limbs and leads from Right View to Right Concentration.

Then he taught the Four Noble Truths:

Dukkha — There is suffering in life: birth, aging, illness, death, separation from the loved, union with the disliked — all are suffering.

Dukkhasamudaya — This suffering arises from taṇhā (craving), from attachment to desires, to all that is impermanent.

Dukkhanirōdha — There is cessation of suffering — the ending of craving.

Dukkhanirōdhagāminī Paṭipadā — The path that leads to the cessation of suffering — the Noble Eightfold Path.

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"Maggaṃ aṭṭhaṅgiko seṭṭho"(The Eightfold Path is the Noblest Path)

The Buddha says that although there may be many inward-going paths, among them the Eightfold Path alone is supreme. You may speak of as many external paths as you wish, but the only true path leading to truth is this eight-limbed one.

The first limb of this path is Right View (samyak-dṛṣṭi). Its correct meaning is—liberation from all views. When a person, free from bias, opinions, beliefs, scriptures, tradition, and caste — looks with impartial, pure, and undistorted eyes, then truth reveals itself. Just as a mirror without dust reflects precisely what is before it, likewise, when the inner mind is free of any “view,” truth becomes visible. Right View thus means viewlessness—when the coverings of caste, sect, and community are removed.

The second limb is Right Intention (samyak-saṅkalpa). This does not mean obstinacy or stubbornness, but rather a decision taken with mature understanding and awareness. The Buddha says, if renunciation is taken in reaction or in rebellion, then it is not samyak. It is merely a play of ego. A real resolution arises from within, born of understanding and mindfulness.

The third limb is Right Speech (samyak-vāc). The Buddha said that most entanglements are caused by speech. Therefore, speech must be restrained — what is said must be true, real, and necessary. Trivial, harsh, or false words weave a web of conflict in life. Thus, speech must be mindful.

The fourth limb is Right Action (samyak-karmānta), i.e., performing only such actions that are necessary, meaningful, and that elevate life. Meaningless activities are a waste of energy. The Buddha says, one should observe restlessness and become aware of it. This brings clarity and purpose to action.

The fifth limb is Right Livelihood (samyak-ājīva). It means earning a living in a way that causes no harm to any living being. The Buddha taught that earning money or sustaining livelihood through killing is inappropriate. Life becomes sacred only when it is filled with compassion — when one’s livelihood is not the cause of another’s suffering.

The sixth limb is Right Effort (samyak-vyāyāma), which means balanced exertion — neither excessive laziness nor excessive busyness. The Buddha emphasizes the Middle Path—where both body and mind remain in balance and energy is channeled in the right direction.

The seventh limb is Right Mindfulness (samyak-smṛti), which means being aware in every moment. Whatever happens should be witnessed with full consciousness — whether it is anger, speech, or walking, every action should be imbued with awareness. Gradually this awareness spreads into every moment of life, until even during sleep, a lamp remains lit within.

The final and eighth limb is Right Concentration (samyak-samādhi). This samādhi is not unconsciousness or stupor, as seen in yogic trances or breath-suppression states. Right Concentration is that in which the seeker, fully aware, descends inward and becomes centered within. This samādhi is the culmination of meditation — where the mind is silent and consciousness aflame.

These eight limbs together form the Āryāṣṭāṅgika Mārga — the Noble Eightfold Path — which the Buddha both taught and embodied. He said, “Bhikkhave! Maggaṃ aṭṭhaṅgiko seṭṭho” — among all paths, the Eightfold Path is supreme.

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The Turning of the Wheel

As soon as Kauṇḍinya heard this Dhammadesanā (Dhamma discourse), an inner realization dawned within him. He saw that all sensations arise, are momentary, and cease. Through direct experience, he entered the stream (sotāpanna). The remaining four companions embraced the path with trust and reverence. For the next four days, the Buddha imparted meditation teachings — by which, one after another, all four too became sotāpannas. Then, when the minds of all five had ripened, the Buddha gave them the teaching on the characteristic of non-self (anattā) — that neither body, nor feeling, nor perception, nor formations, nor consciousness is the self — all are impermanent, all are non-self. Upon hearing this teaching, the intensity of their realization was such that they all became Arhants. These five became the first monks, the first Saṅgha. Kauṇḍinya was the first Arhant and the first Bhikkhu.

This is the very first teaching that the Tathāgata gave to the world after attaining Enlightenment. It is known as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta — The Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma. It was a moment of epochal transformation — where the experience, insight, and compassion accumulated in silence began to flow forth in words. On that very ground of Sārnātha, where the five ascetics had once practiced austerity alongside him, the Buddha sowed the first seed of truth.

The Tathāgata did not center his teaching on the existence of a creator-god, nor did he uphold the eternal doctrines of soul or Supreme Soul (ātman-paramātman). He did not consider ritualistic formalities a means to liberation. What he taught was a direct, distilled, and luminous experience — The Noble Truths.

There is no esotericism in these truths. They are facts — accessible to anyone. And this is the very essence of the Buddha’s teaching: Yathābhūta Jñāna-Darśana — to see things as they truly are, without any attachment or aversion, without prejudice, without the burden of tradition or scripture.

The Buddha explained these truths like a physician: just as an illness has a cause, can be cured, and has a remedy — in the same way, he viewed the suffering of life. All Four Noble Truths were experienced by him personally and shared widely in the world.

This experience must be lived, one must descend inward. Just as a seed held in the hand cannot become a tree — it must be sown into the soil and watered — likewise, these truths must be sown into the soil of the self. Each Noble Truth has three stages: general understanding, Right aspiration and effort, and finally, direct realization. When all four truths are assimilated through these three stages, it is said that a person has understood them in twelve ways. This is known as the Twelvefold Turning of the Dhamma Wheel (dvādaśākāra dhammacakka pravartana).

Each truth is known in three forms:

• This is the truth.

• This truth must be realized.

• This truth has been realized.

Four truths, each with three forms, comprise twelve stages — known as the Twelve Aspects of the Turning of the Wheel. This is a deep, active journey into existential truth, wherein the seeker is transformed into the truth itself—from hearing, to realization.

This entire pravartana is called parivarta — the inner revolution through which the mind becomes fully illumined by truth. At the very beginning of his sermon, the Buddha paved the way for this transformation, through which the Wheel of Dhamma was truly set in motion.

When the Tathāgata experienced this, he declared:
“Yathābhūtaṃ jñāna-dassanaṃ suvisuddhaṃ ahosi” —
“Now, the knowledge and vision of things as they truly are has become perfectly pure.”

And he said as well:
“Now the mind is completely liberated. This is the final birth.”

But such realization is not effortless. It requires special vision (viśeṣa darśana). This darśana means — witnessing the experiences unfolding within oneself without color, insistence, imagination, or intervention of tradition — purely as a witness. No ritual, no mantra, no idol — only direct and impersonal seeing. 

This very seeing must occur in the Five Aggregates — form (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental formations (saṅkhāra), and consciousness (viññāṇa). Here lies the ground of our suffering, the ground of craving, and also the ground of liberation. 

And this is why the Buddha’s original teaching is not merely the foundation of Buddhism — but of all humanity. It contains no scriptural language, no ethnic partiality — only the pure truth of life. This teaching demands no pilgrimage, no devotion to a deity, no worship of external symbols — it is simply an invitation to look within. 

It shows that suffering is not a curse, but a process to be understood; and liberation is not a boon, but the fruit of practice and mindfulness. 

This, indeed, is the timeless tradition of philosophy, 

This is the true Dhamma — 

Esa Dhammo Sanantano — 

This Dhamma is eternal.