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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. ****
Suggested Further Reading
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