[1664] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling near Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five:
"Bhikkhus, these two extremes should not be pursued by one gone forth. What two? That which is this pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures — low, vulgar, the way of the worldling, ignoble, unconnected with the goal; and that which is this pursuit of self-mortification — painful, ignoble, unconnected with the goal. Without veering toward either of these two extremes, bhikkhus, the middle way of practice (majjhimā paṭipadā), fully awakened to by the Tathāgata, produces vision, produces knowledge (ñāṇa), and leads to peace, to direct knowledge (abhiññā), to full awakening, to Nibbāna.
"And what, bhikkhus, is that middle way of practice, fully awakened to by the Tathāgata, which produces vision, produces knowledge, and leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna? It is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration (samādhi). This indeed, bhikkhus, is that middle way of practice, fully awakened to by the Tathāgata, which produces vision, produces knowledge, and leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.