175. Q. Were all these points of Doctrine that you have explained meditated upon by the Buddha near the Bo-tree?
A. Yes, these and many more that may be read in the Buddhist Scriptures. The entire system of Buddhism came to his mind during the Great Enlightenment.
176. Q. How long did the Buddha remain near the Bo-tree?
A. Forty-nine days.
177. Q. What do we call the first discourse preached by the Buddha—that which he addressed to his five former companions?
A. The Dhammacakka-ppavattana sutta—the Sūtra of the Definition of the Rule of Doctrine.[[5]]
178. Q. What subjects were treated by him in this discourse?
A. The "Four Noble Truths," and the "Noble Eightfold Path". He condemned the extreme physical mortification of the ascetics, on the one hand, and the enjoyment of sensual pleasures on the other; pointing out and recommending the Noble Eightfold Path as the Middle Path.
179. Q. Did the Buddha hold with idol-worship?
A. He did not; he opposed it. The worship of gods, demons, trees, etc., was condemned by the Buddha. External worship is a fetter that one has to break if he is to advance higher.