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The Noble Eightfold Path, according to Buddhism and as taught
by Gautama Buddha, is the way to the cessation of suffering,
the fourth
part of the Four Noble Truths. It is summarized into three
important categories: wisdom (pañña), virtue (sila), and concentration
(samadhi).
The following is An Analysis of the Path, a sutra or discourse
delivered by Gautama Buddha from the Tipitaka, explaining
this Noble Eightfold Path in detail. In all these, the word
"right" is a translation of the word samma (Pali; Sanskrit:
Samyañc), which denotes completion, togetherness, or coherence,
and which can also carry the sense of "perfect" or "ideal".
Wisdom (pañña)
1. Right Understanding (or Right View, or Right Perspective)
- samma ditthi
"And what, monks, is right understanding? Knowledge with
regard to sadness, knowledge with regard to the origination
of sadness, knowledge with regard to the stopping of sadness,
knowledge with regard to the way of practice leading to the
stopping of sadness: This, monks, is called right understanding.
Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply
means to see and to understand things as they really are and
to realize the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the
cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through,
to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects
and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning.
Right view is not necessarily an intellectual capacity, just
as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence. Instead, right
view is attained, sustained, and enhanced through all capacities
of mind. It begins with the intuitive insight that all beings
are subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding
of the true nature of all things. Since our view of the world
forms our thoughts and our actions, right view yields right
thoughts and right actions.
Virtue (Ethical Conduct) (sila)
2. Right Thought (or Right Intention, or Right Resolve) -
samma sankappa
"And what is right thought? Being resolved on renunciation,
on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called
right thought.
In Sanskrit, sila is a term in Indian-derived systems such
as Hinduism and Buddhism which is usually rendered into English
as "behavioral discipline," "morality," or "ethics" (Tibetan
tshul khrims). More specifically, the concept deals with the
prohibitions against immoral behavior that are practiced by
monks and nuns in Buddhism. It is one of the "three practices",
the second paramita: moral purity, of thought, word, and deed.
The four conditions of sila are chaste, calm, quiet, extinguishment,
i.e. no longer being susceptible to be perturbed by the passions.
Right Thoughts are threefold. They are:
- The thoughts of renunciation which are opposed to sense-pleasures.
- Kind Thoughts which are opposed to ill-will.
- Thoughts of harmlessness which are opposed to cruelty.
These tend to purify the mind.
3. Right Speech - samma vaca
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, abstaining
from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining
from idle chatter: This, monks, is called right speech.
This contains four aspects.
- Abstinence from false speech, that is, from lying - instead
making an effort to speak truthfully.
- Abstinence from slanderous speech, statements intended
to divide or create enmity between people. Instead the follower
of the path should always speak words which promote friendship
and harmony between people.
- Absinence from harsh speech, from speech which is angry
and bitter, which cuts into the hearts of others. Instead
one's speech should always be soft, gentle and affectionate.
- Abstinence from idle chatter, from gossip. Instead one
should speak words which are meaningful, significant and
purposeful.
4. Right Action - samma kammanta
"And what, monks, is right action? Abstaining from taking
life, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from unchastity:
This, monks, is called right action.
Wrong Actions are actions of killing and harming, theft and
sexual misconduct (eg. adultery) Right Actions are their opposites;
actions of healing & helping, actions of generosity and actions
of sensual restraint (or loving conduct in the context of
a wholesome relationship.)
5. Right Livelihood - samma ajiva
"And what, monks, is right livelihood? There is the case
where a disciple of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest
livelihood, keeps his life going with right livelihood: This,
monks, is called right livelihood.
Wrong Livelihood is any way of making a living that causes
suffering to others. The Buddha listed five trades as particularly
unwholesome; dealing in animals for slaughter, human slaves,
poisons, weapons and intoxicants. Right Livelihood is any
profession or trade that does not cause suffering and is conducted
honestly and to the best of one's ability.
Concentration (Mental Development) (samadhi)
6. Right Effort (or Right Endeavour) - samma vayama
- There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors,
activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the
sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that
have not yet arisen.
- He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence,
upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment
of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen(rejects ineptitude).
- He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence,
upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising
of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.(hopes)
- He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence
(tries), upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance
(strives), non-confusion (concentrates), increase (grows),
plenitude (achieves), development (branches out), & culmination
(flowers in) of skillful qualities that have arisen: This,
monks, is called right effort."
Right
effort (meditation). This is needed to think about what
one says and does. By re-training the mind to surpass the
moment we can overcome dukkha.
Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other
principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself
an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided
effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will
be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right
effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states.
The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression,
and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty,
benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four
types of endeavors that rank in ascending order of perfection:
1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states,
2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen,
3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and
4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
7. Right Mindfulness - samma sati
"And what, monks, is right mindfulness?
- There is the case where a monk remains focused on (his/her)
body in & of itself... ardent, aware, & mindful...putting
away greed & distress with reference to the world.
- (He/she) remains focused on feelings in & of themselves...ardent,
aware, & mindful...putting away greed & distress with reference
to the world.
- (He/she) remains focused on the mind in & of itself...ardent,
aware, & mindful...putting away greed & distress with reference
to the world.
- (He/she) remains focused on mental qualities in & of
themselves...ardent, aware, & mindful...putting away greed
& distress with reference to the world. This, monks, is
called right mindfulness."
Right Mindfulness means to cherish good and pure thoughts,
for all that we say and do arises from our thoughts.
8. Right Concentration - samma samadhi
"And what, monks, is right concentration?
- There is the case where a monk...not ardent, quite
withdrawn from sensuality, but mindful and alert, enters
in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from detachment,
accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
- With the stilling of directed thought & evaluation,
he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure
born of concentration; fixed single-pointed awareness free
from directed thought & evaluation; assurance.
- With the fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity,
mindful & fully aware, and physically sensitive of pleasure.
He enters & remains in the third jhana which the Noble Ones
declare to be "Equanimous & mindful, (he/she) has a pleasurable
abiding."
- With the abandoning of pleasure & pain...as with the
earlier disappearance of elation & distress...he enters
& remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness,
neither in pleasure nor in pain. This, monks, is called
right concentration."
Right
Meditation means to concentrate on the Oneness of all
life and the Buddhahood that exists within all beings.
Samadhi, or concentration of the mind, is the second of the
three parts of the Buddha's teaching: sila or conduct, samadhi
or samatha (concentration), and vipassana (insight or wisdom).
It has been taught by the Buddha using 40 different objects
of meditation, such as mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati).
Upon development of samadhi, one's mind becomes purified of
defilements, calm, tranquil, and luminous. Once the meditator
achieves a strong and powerful concentration, one's mind is
ready to penetrate and see into the ultimate nature of reality,
eventually obtaining release from all suffering. In the language
of the eight-fold path, samatha is "right concentration".
Important components of samatha meditation, frequently discussed
by the Buddha, are the meditative states known as the jhanas.
The Buddhist suttas mention that samadhi practitioners may
develop "supranormal" powers (and list several that the Buddha
developed), but warn that these should not be allowed to distract
the practitioner from the larger goal of complete freedom
from suffering.
The Noble Eightfold Path — by Bhikkhu Bodhi
"One of the best explanations of the Eightfold path in print
today!" The present book aims at contributing towards a proper
understanding of the Noble Eightfold Path by investigating
its eight factors and their components to determine exactly
what they involve. Bhikkhu Bodhi is concise, using as the
framework for his exposition the Buddha's own words in explanation
of the path factors, as found in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali
Canon.
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