The Buddha taught in the Dhammacakkappavattanasutta(Saṁyutta Nikāya) as follows:
"And what, bhikkhus, is that middle way awakened to by the Tathagata, which gives rise to vision … which leads to Nibbāna? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
This, bhikkhus, is that middle way awakened to by the Tathagata, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna
"Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this Noble Eightfold Path"
(Dhammacakkappavattanasutta, Saṁyutta Nikāya, Bhikkhu Bodhi)
The Noble Eightfold Path: A Map to Liberation
The passage offers a glimpse into the Buddha's core teaching, the Noble Eightfold Path. Found in the Dhammacakkappavattanasutta, this path serves as a practical framework for ending suffering (dukkha) and achieving liberation (Nibbana). Let's delve deeper into each element of the path, understanding it not as a rigid sequence, but as a dynamic interplay of wisdom (prajna) and ethical conduct (sila).
1. Right View (Samma Ditthi): Right view is the forerunner of the entire path, the guide for all the other factors. It enables us to understand our starting point, our destination, and the successive landmarks to pass as practice advances. To attempt to engage in the practice without a foundation of right view is to risk getting lost in the futility of undirected movement(Bhikkhu Bodhi). This is the foundation, the accurate understanding of reality as articulated in the Four Noble Truths. It involves recognizing suffering, its cause (craving and clinging), the possibility of its cessation, and the path leading to that end. Right view dispels misconceptions and fosters a clear perspective on the impermanent nature of life.
2. Right Intention (Samma Sankappa): The Buddha explains right intention as threefold: the intention of renunciation, the intention of good will, and the intention of harmlessness, With a clear understanding comes the need for wholesome motivation. Right intention cultivates thoughts free from greed, hatred, and delusion. It nourishes aspirations for generosity, kindness, and wisdom, setting the course for positive actions and mental states.
3. Right Speech (Samma Vaca): The Buddha divides right speech into four components: abstaining from false speech, abstaining from slanderous speech, abstaining from harsh speech, and abstaining from idle chatter. Because the effects of speech are not as immediately evident as those of bodily action, its importance and potential is easily overlooked. But a little reflection will show that speech and its offshoot, the written word, can have enormous consequences for good or for harm(Bhikkhu Bodhi). Words have power. Right speech encourages truthful communication, avoiding lies, gossip, harsh language, and frivolous chatter. It emphasizes kind, compassionate, and beneficial speech, fostering harmony and understanding.
4. Right Action (Samma Kammanta): Right action means refraining from unwholesome deeds that occur with the body as their natural means of expression. The pivotal element in this path factor is the mental factor of abstinence, but because this abstinence applies to actions performed through the body, it is called "right action." The Buddha mentions three components of right action: abstaining from taking life, abstaining from taking what is not given, and abstaining from sexual misconduct. These we will briefly discuss in order(Bhikkhu Bodhi). It promotes actions motivated by compassion and respect for all beings, minimizing harm and contributing to well-being.
5. Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva): Right livelihood is concerned with ensuring that one earns one's living in a righteous way. For a lay disciple the Buddha teaches that wealth should be gained in accordance with certain standards. One should acquire it only by legal means, not illegally; one should acquire it peacefully, without coercion or violence; one should acquire it honestly, not by trickery or deceit; and one should acquire it in ways which do not entail harm and suffering for others (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Work and livelihood shape our lives. Right livelihood means earning a living in a way that aligns with the other elements of the path. It avoids occupations that involve harming others, such as selling weapons or exploiting people.
6. Right Effort (Samma Vayama): Energy (viriya), the mental factor behind right effort, can appear in either wholesome or unwholesome forms. The same factor fuels desire, aggression, violence, and ambition on the one hand, and generosity, self-discipline, kindness, concentration, and understanding on the other. The exertion involved in right effort is a wholesome form of energy, but it is something more specific, namely, the energy in wholesome states of consciousness directed to liberation from suffering. This last qualifying phrase is especially important. For wholesome energy to become a contributor to the path it has to be guided by right view and right intention, and to work in association with the other path factors. Otherwise, as the energy in ordinary wholesome states of mind, it merely engenders an accumulation of merit that ripens within the round of birth and death; it does not issue in liberation from the round(Bhikkhu Bodhi). The road to liberation requires dedication. Right effort involves cultivating positive mental states and diligently dismantling negative ones. It focuses on preventing the arising of unwholesome thoughts, promoting wholesome thoughts, and sustaining them once established.
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati): Mindfulness is presence of mind, attentiveness or awareness. Yet the kind of awareness involved in mindfulness differs profoundly from the kind of awareness at work in our usual mode of consciousness. All consciousness involves awareness in the sense of a knowing or experiencing of an object. But with the practice of mindfulness awareness is applied at a special pitch. The mind is deliberately kept at the level of bare attention, a detached observation of what is happening within us and around us in the present moment(Bhikkhu Bodhi). Living with awareness is key. Right mindfulness involves cultivating present-moment awareness of body, feelings, thoughts, and phenomena. It's about observing them non-judgmentally, understanding their impermanent nature, and avoiding getting swept away by them.
8. Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi): Samadhi is exclusively wholesome one-pointedness, the concentration in a wholesome state of mind. Even then its range is still narrower: it does not signify every form of wholesome concentration, but only the intensified concentration that results from a deliberate attempt to raise the mind to a higher, more purified level of awareness. Cultivating a focused mind is crucial. The commentaries define samadhi as the centring of the mind and mental factors rightly and evenly on an object. Samadhi, as wholesome concentration, collects together the ordinarily dispersed and dissipated stream of mental states to induce an inner unification. Right concentration involves developing mental discipline through meditation practices. It allows for deeper exploration of reality and fosters states of tranquility and clarity, essential for breaking free from suffering.
These eight elements are interwoven. Right view informs right intention, which leads to right speech and action. Right effort supports right mindfulness, which deepens concentration, further purifying our view and intentions. It's a cyclical process, each element reinforcing the others.
The Buddha emphasizes that the Noble Eightfold Path is a "middle way," avoiding extremes of self-indulgence or self-mortification. It's a path of personal responsibility, urging us to take control of our thoughts, actions, and way of being.
Following this path is not a one-time event; it's a lifelong journey of continuous learning, practice, and self-transformation. Through cultivating wisdom and ethical conduct, we gradually dismantle the causes of suffering and cultivate the inner peace that leads to liberation.
The Noble Eightfold Path offers a timeless roadmap for anyone seeking a life of meaning, freedom, and true happiness
