FOREWORD TO THIRD EDITION

Lord Buddha delivered the “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta”, to a group of five Bhikkhus at the deer park of Sarnath, about 7 miles from Banaras, India on the Full Moon day of Waso in 623 B.C, soon after his Enlightenment on Full Moon day of Kason. This sermon is the first and most ancient one of Lord Buddha, and after it was delivered, the five Bhikkhus became Ariya Sotapanna on different days.

This Sutta is one of the most famous of all discourses made by Lord Buddha. When Mahasi Sayadawgyi, at the invitation of the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization came to Yangon to teach Vipassana Meditation, the Meditation Centre was formally opened with a discourse of this sutta on 4^th December 1949 when the first batch of 25 yogis were inducted to Vipassana Meditation. Whenever a New Meditation Centre was opened, this Sutta had been delivered as an inaugural discourse.

Mahasi Sayadawgyi had also delivered this discourse, in brief, on 11th July 1957 (Full Moon day of Waso) followed by another discourse on Anattalakkhana Sutta delivered during the Lent of 1957 and they were broadcasted by Myanmar Broadcasting Station.

These two discourses together with Maha Satipatthana Sutta broadcasted on 5^th May 1951, were first published in 1957 by the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization followed by several editions. Mahasi Sayadawgyi delivered this Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta in detail, for 8 Sabbath days beginning from 28^th . September 1962 and ending on 8^th . April 1963. These discourses were tape-recorded, transcribed and finally edited by Sayadawgyi himself.

Then they were put into a book form and published in October 1975 with an introduction by Ven: Thuzata, a meditation teacher of Sasana Yeiktha, Yangon. There were seven Myanmar Editions up to now. For foreign Yogis, this Myanmar Edition was translated into English by Sayagyi U. Ko Lay and was published in December 1981 by the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization followed by a Second Edition in July 1995.

Since these English Editions were out of stock now, we are pleased to bring about another Edition with a photo of Sayadawgyi and a brief stretch of his biography. We also take this opportunity to correct some of the printing errors and omissions of the previous Editions.

Unfortunately, the excellent Myanmar introduction by Ven. Thuzata was not translated in the previous English Editions. We hope to translate this introduction and include it in future English Editions. We conclude our remarks with our prayers for all readers to follow and practise Noble Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths which form the basis of Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, fully expounded by Mahasi Sayadawgyi in most illuminating manner.

Dr.Tint Soe Lin

President

Buddha Sasana Nuggaha

Organization

October, 2015

The Wheel Of Dhamma

(Dhammacakappavattana Sutta)

This copy is Third Edition published in October 2015 in which the grammar, punctuations and spellings of English words were corrected during March 2019 for the next Edition.

(1) English words corrected by “Microsoft Words” in computer by Ma Soe Soe on 17.4.2019 and checked by U Khin Maung Oo on 1.5, 4.5 and 9.5.2019.

(2) Pali words re-checked by ----------------------.

Note; the words in red are not to be uploaded in the website.