[13] Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five: "Bhikkhus, these two extremes should not be pursued by one gone forth:
That which is devotion to indulgence in sensual pleasure among sensual pleasures — low, vulgar, belonging to worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial;
and that which is devotion to self-mortification — painful, ignoble, unbeneficial.
Bhikkhus, without veering toward either of these two extremes, the middle way (majjhimā paṭipadā) has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata — producing vision, producing knowledge (ñāṇa) — and it leads to peace, to direct knowledge (abhiññā), to full awakening, to Nibbāna.
And what, bhikkhus, is that middle way fully awakened to by the Tathāgata — producing vision, producing knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna?
It is just this Noble Eightfold Path (ariya aṭṭhaṅgika magga), namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration (samādhi).
This, bhikkhus, is that middle way fully awakened to by the Tathāgata — producing vision, producing knowledge — which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.