Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha !(three times) 南无本师释迦牟尼佛（三称）
We are following Master Hsuan Hua’s teaching here with the English version Translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society:
Preface:
When the World Honored One had attained the Way, he thought, “To leave desire behind and to gain calmness and tranquillity is supreme.” He abided in deep meditative concentration and subdued every demon and externalist.
In the Deer Park he turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths and took across Ajnata-kaundinya and the other four disciples, who all realized the fruition of the Way.
Then the Bhikshus expressed their doubts and asked the Buddha how to resolve them. The World Honored One taught and exhorted them, until one by one they awakened and gained enlightenment. After that, they each put their palms together, respectfully gave their assent, and followed the Buddha’s instructions.
经序：世尊成道已。作是思惟。离欲寂静。是最为胜。住大禅定。降诸魔道。于鹿野苑中。转四谛法錀。度憍陈如等五人。而证道果。复有比丘所说诸疑。求佛进止。世尊教敕。一一开悟。合掌敬诺。而顺尊敕。
The Dharma of the Four Noble Truths is the first Dharma that the Buddha spoke in our world. It’s said that the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths was turned three times. The first time was the Turning of Revelation. The turning of the Dharma-wheel of revelation, Buddha revealed what the dharmas of the Four Noble Truths are about. The Buddha said, “There is suffering. Its nature is oppressive.” What kinds of suffering are there? There are: the Three Sufferings, the Eight Sufferings, and the Limitless Sufferings. 第一转是示转，因为你不懂，那么我要指示你，我要告诉你，这叫示转法錀。就是指示这四谛法都是什么。示转又叫初转，就是一开始转法錀，就说‘此是苦，逼迫性’
The Three Sufferings are:
1. the suffering within suffering 苦苦
2. the suffering of decay 坏苦
3. the suffering of process 行苦
The Eight Sufferings:
1. the suffering of birth 生苦
2. the suffering of aging 老苦
3. the suffering of sickness 病苦
4. the suffering of death 死苦
5. the suffering of being apart from what you love 爱别离苦
6. the suffering of being near what you detest 怨憎会苦
7. the suffering of not getting what you seek 求不得苦
8. the suffering of the raging blaze of the five skandhas 五阴炽盛苦
Beyond these forms of suffering, there are also limitless kinds of suffering that we undergo. That is why the Buddha said, “There is suffering; its nature is oppressive.”
“There is accumulation; its nature is to beckon.” What accumulates are afflictions. The accumulation of afflictions is a kind of beckoning. Once you have afflictions inside you, afflictions will accumulate from outside. If inwardly you harbor greed, hatred, and stupidity, then outwardly things will not go your way. That is why the Buddha described it as accumulation, with a nature that beckons. ‘此是集，招感性’，这个集就是集聚烦恼。集聚烦恼这是一种招感的。你内里边有烦恼，外边烦恼才来；你内里边有贪嗔痴，外边这不如意的事情才来了，所以说此是集，招感性。
“There is cessation; by nature it can be realized.” This is saying that cessation, or still quietude, brings joy. This can be realized. You can realize the joy of this stillness and quietude. ‘此是灭，可证性’，说这寂灭为乐，这是可证的。此是灭，可证性，可以证得这寂灭之乐。
“There is the Way; by nature it can be cultivated.” The Way is a Way of precepts, a Way of concentration, and a Way of wisdom. In detail it refers to the Thirty-seven Limbs of Enlightenment, which are: the Seven Shares of Bodhi, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Five Roots, the Five Powers, the Four Stations of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts, and the Four Bases of Psychic Power. Together, they make up the Thirty-seven Limbs of Enlightenment. The Way, by its nature, can be cultivated. ‘此是道，可修性’，这个道是戒定慧的道：戒道、定道、慧道。戒定慧这个道，要是往多了说呢，就是三十七道品。七菩提、八正道、五根、五力、四念处、四正勤、四如意足，合起来就是三十七道品。道是可修性的，你可以修道，这是初转四谛法錀，也就是示转。
The second turning of the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths was the Turning of Exhortation. The Buddha said, “There is suffering, you should recognize it. There is accumulation, you should cut it off. There is cessation, you should realize it. There is the Way, you should cultivate it.” 第二是劝转四谛法錀。佛说：‘此是苦，汝应知；此是集，汝应断；此是灭，汝应证；此是道，汝应修。’
The third turning of the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths is known as the Turning of Certification. The Buddha said, “Not only am I telling all of you to recognize suffering, cut off accumulation, long for cessation, and cultivate the Way, I am also telling you, there is suffering; I have already recognized it. There is accumulation; I have already cut it off.’ 第三是证转四谛法錀。证，就是说我不是单单教你们要知苦，要断集，要慕灭，要修道。我告诉你们：‘此是苦，我已知，此是集，我已断，此是灭，我已证，此是道，我已修’，那么现在我希望你们也都知道‘知苦、断集、慕灭、修道’这个法。
Besides being patient and endurance, one must possess wisdom and a discriminating eye. That is why a Bhikshu has a world-transcending appearance. If a Bhikshu is able to cut off delusions and to realize the Truth, if he can cut off the delusions of the Triple Realm, then he will realize Arhatship.
“Bhikshu” is a Sanskrit word; it has three meanings:
1. destroyer of evil
2. frightener of Mara
3. mendicant
The three meanings of Arhat are:
1. Killer of thieves.
2. Worthy of offerings.
3. Free of rebirth.
Section 1 Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat 出家证果
The Buddha said, “People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder’s life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are called Shramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, they can become Arhats.” 佛言。辞亲出家。识心达本。解无为法。名曰沙门。常行二百五十戒。进止清净。为四真道行。成阿罗汉。
People who know their mind and penetrate to its origin means knowing your own fundamental mind and recognizing that when the mind arises, every kind of dharma arises. When the mind is gone, every kind of dharma ceases. There are no dharmas beyond the mind, and there is no mind outside of dharmas. Mind and dharmas are one. If you understand that there is no mind outside of dharmas, then you understand the nature that is everywhere calculating and attaching, our ordinary conscious mind.
In penetrating to the origin, if we understand that the mind and nature in fact have no real substance, nor any form or appearance, if we can understand this principle, then we will understand that the nature which arises dependent on other things is false and illusory. The nature that is everywhere calculating and attaching is fundamentally empty as well. The nature that arises dependent on other things is also false and illusory. Neither of these natures actually exists. That is what is meant by knowing the mind and penetrating to its origin. ‘识心达本’：识自本心，认识自己的心。你要知道：‘心生种种法生，心灭种种法灭。’心外无法，法外无心，心、法是一个的。你若知道这个法外无心，你就明白这个遍计执性，这就叫识心。达本，达本是你若明白了这心性本来没有实体，没有形相的，你明白这个道理了，你就会明白依他起性是虚幻的。遍计执性本来是空的；依他起性也是虚妄的、虚幻的，没有什么实在的，这叫识心达本。
And who understand the unconditioned Dharma. To understand the unconditioned Dharma is to understand the Dharma of True Suchness. True Suchness and all dharmas are not one, but at the same time they are not dual. If you understand this doctrine, that True Suchness and all dharmas are not one and yet not different, then you can understand the perfectly accomplished real nature. You can awaken to your basic substance. That is what is meant by “understand the unconditioned Dharma.” ‘解无为法’：解无为法是你明白了真如的法：真如和一切法，不是一个，但是也不是两个。你若明白这道理，真如和一切法是不一不异。明白了这个道理，你就会明白圆成实性，悟得本体，所以这叫解无为法。
When the Buddha spoke the three turnings of the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, Ajnata–kaundinya immediately became enlightened and realized the fruition of his cultivation. Thereafter he was called the one who understands the fundamental limits of reality. He was also known to posterity as the first one to understand.
Why did Ajnata-kaundinya awaken first? Because in the past, when the Buddha was at the stage of causation, he was incarnated as the Patient Immortal. King Kali sliced off all four of his limbs and demanded to know whether the Immortal felt any hatred towards him. He replied, “No, I don’t hate you.” King Kali asked, “What proof is there that you feel no hatred?” The Patient Immortal said, “If I do hate you, then my four limbs will not grow back as they were before. If I bear you no ill will, then the four limbs that you have severed will grow back just as they were.” With those words, his four limbs did grow back as they had been. After that, the Patient Immortal made a vow: “When I become a Buddha, I will take you across first, because you are my Good and Wise Advisor.”
In that previous lifetime, Ajnata-kaundinya was King Kali, and the Patient Immortal was Shakyamuni Buddha. So when the Buddha accomplished Buddhahood, he looked around to see whom he should take across first. “Whom should I take across first? I should first rescue the man who cut off my hands and feet.” Hence, when the Buddha spoke Dharma for him, Ajnata-kaundinya immediately became enlightened.
Next the Buddha explained about holding precepts and giving. How does one uphold the precepts? How does one practice giving? How does one get reborn in the heavens? He warned about desire, saying, “Having thoughts of desire is wrong; it is impure. If you leave desires behind, only then can you become pure, only then can you gain true happiness.” At that time Ashvajit (Horse Victory) Bhikshu and Subhadra (Little Worthy) also became enlightened. They were the next two to awaken.
Third, the Buddha went on to explain other Dharma-doors, and at that time Mahanama-kulika and Dashabala-kashyapa also became enlightened. Those five men were the first to leave home and become Bhikshus. They were the first ones to become enlightened and to realize the Fourth Stage of Arhatship.
To be continued ……
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta That has not yet arisen, arise and grow, And may that which has already arisen not diminish, But increase more and more. 回向偈： 愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。 上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。 若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。 尽此一报身，同生极乐国。