Monks, this is the Middle Path realized by the Tathāgata which gives vision, gives knowledge; and leads to calm, to insight, to enlightenment, and to Nibbāna.
Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Bārānasi. Then the Blessed One addressed the group of five monks:
Monks, these two extremes ought not to be practised by one who has gone forth from the household life. There is addiction to indulgence in sense-pleasures, which is low, coarse, and the way of ordinary people, not practised by noble ones, and is unbeneficial;
and there is addiction to self-mortification, which is painful, not practised by noble ones, and unbeneficial.
Avoiding both these extremes, monks, the Tathāgata has realized the Middle Path which gives vision, gives knowledge; and leads to calm, to insight, to enlightenment, and to Nibbāna.
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