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By Jayaram V
"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of
practice leading to the cessation of dukkha: precisely this Noble
Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action,
right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right
concentration." — Samyutta Nikaya LVI.11
The Buddha suggested to the suffering humanity the
ultimate
solution to end all suffering. Suffering could be ended by
following vigorously the principles of the eightfold path through
right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
In his age and time it was a great revelation, a profound and timeless
solution that could be followed by people of all ages, creeds and nationalities.
What he suggested was a simple and easy path to follow, which was based
on focused
thinking, mindfulness, virtuous living and discretionary behavior that would
lead a practitioner to liberation from the bonds
of birth and death.
" I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled
by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that
ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened
Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view,
right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right
effort, right mindfulness, right concentration..." Samyutta Nikaya XII.65
The Buddha did not preach extreme adherence to austerity and
self-inflicted physical torture in the practice of virtuous life, a practice that was
widespread among the spiritual practitioners of
his time. He realized that following the extremes of life was not conducive
to the liberation of a person and that it was neither by indulging in sensuous
cravings and pleasures, nor by subjecting oneself to painful, unholy and
un-profitable self-torture, one could hope to achieve freedom from suffering and
rebirth. He suggested the ancient Middle Path, "an ancient road, traveled by
the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times", to be more effective for attaining
peace and Nirvana. And he declared:
"I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct
knowledge of birth... becoming... clinging... craving... feeling...
contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness,
direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge
of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path
leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path."
"Following it, I came to direct knowledge of fabrications,
direct knowledge of the origination of fabrications, direct knowledge
of the cessation of fabrications, direct knowledge of the path leading
to the cessation of fabrications. Knowing that directly, I have
revealed it to monks, nuns, male lay followers & female lay
followers, so that this holy life has become powerful, rich, detailed,
well-populated, wide-spread, proclaimed among celestial & human
beings." - Samyutta Nikaya XII.65
The Eightfold path is the Middle Path, at the end
of which is the door to Nirvana. It consists of Right Understanding, Right
Mindedness, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Living, Right Effort, Right
Attentiveness and Right Concentration. This is the middle path which the
Buddha discovered and preached.
The Four Noble Truths constitute the doctrine,
while the Eightfold Path constitute the practice. They are like the
two sides of the eternal dhamma. "To follow the Noble Eightfold
Path is a matter of practice rather than intellectual knowledge, but
to apply the path correctly it has to be properly understood. In fact,
right understanding of the path is itself a part of the practice. It
is a facet of right view, the first path factor, the forerunner and
guide for the rest of the path. Thus, though initial enthusiasm might
suggest that the task of intellectual comprehension may be shelved as
a bothersome distraction, mature consideration reveals it to be quite
essential to ultimate success in the practice." ( The Noble
Eightfold Path The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi).
In the worlds of Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, the Buddha's teachings and
their practice can be summed up in the following eight factors —
I. Right View: seeing in line with the truth.
II. Right Resolve: thinking in ways that will lead to well-being.
III. Right Speech: speaking in line with the truth.
IV. Right Action: being correct and upright in one's activities.
V. Right Livelihood: maintaining oneself in ways that are honest
and proper.
VI. Right Effort: exerting oneself in line with all that is good.
VII. Right Mindfulness: always being mindful of the person or topic
that forms one's point of reference.
VIII. Right Concentration: keeping the mind correctly centered in
line with the principles of the truth, not letting it fall into the
ways of Wrong Concentration. ****
Additional Information
You can use these links in the right column for additional information on the
Four Noble Truths.
**** From The Path to Peace and Freedom for the Mind by
Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo Translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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