4. RIGHT ACTION

After right speech, right action speaks louder than words. In the teachings a common way of discussing action, is to first mention a wrong course of action (agati), followed by the right way as the alternative to be used. Four types of causes that lead to a wrong course of action are explained in the Anguttara Nikaya:

“Monks, there are these four ways of taking a wrong course. What four? One takes a wrong course because of desire, because of hatred, because of delusion, or because of fear. These are the four ways of taking a wrong course.” — AN II.18

“And what, friends, is right action? Abstaining from killing sentient beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, and abstaining from misconduct in sensual pleasures — this is called right action.” — MN III.251

For example, desire as the cause of a wrong course of action relates to material ‘worldly’ things. Desire is part of the cause of suffering, according to the Buddha, this is explained as craving (tanha), but also in other instances the term desire and lust (chanda-raga) is used.

A wrong cause of action does not only impact right action, it is detrimental to the entire path:

“Monks, in dependence on the wrong course of action there is failure, not success. And how is it that in dependence on the wrong course there is failure, not success?

For one of (1) wrong view, (2) wrong intention originates.
For one of wrong intention, (3) wrong speech originates.
For one of wrong speech, (4) wrong action originates.
For one of wrong action, (5) wrong livelihood originates.
For one of wrong livelihood, (6) wrong effort originates.
For one of wrong effort, (7) wrong mindfulness originates.
For one of wrong mindfulness, (8) wrong concentration originates.
For one of wrong concentration, (9) wrong knowledge originates.
For one of wrong knowledge, (10) wrong liberation originates.” — AN V.211

Right action is part of the concept of righteous conduct, particularly bodily conduct according to the Dhamma:

“And how, householders, are there three kinds of bodily conduct in accordance with the Dhamma, righteous conduct? Here someone, abandoning the killing of sentient beings, abstains from killing sentient beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he abides compassionate to all sentient beings.

Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given; he does not take by way of theft the wealth and property of others in the village or in the forest.

Abandoning misconduct in sensual pleasures, he abstains from misconduct in sensual pleasures.” — MN I.288

The analogies used explaining what right action does are plentiful: washing away of wrong action, purging, vomiting up, ejecting, being worn away. All these provide a great way of learning about the intricacies of the application of right action and what it does in daily life, how the bad unwholesome qualities that originate with wrong action are removed or avoided, as well as how the wholesome qualities from right action reach fulfillment by development on the path.

Effort is tantamount on the path, and this passage shows how right view, right effort, and right mindfulness together relate to right action:

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong action and to enter upon right action: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong action, mindfully one enters upon and dwells in right action: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right action, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.” — MN III.75

Seeing the fruits of right action builds confidence in oneself as well as in the teachings, showing that indeed they are beneficial and wholesome. Confidence as a result of right action is one of the beneficial fruits of following the noble Eight-fold path.

In the next post No. 5 of the path will be discussed: Right livelihood.

The Nikayas are Buddhist books that form the earliest Buddhist canon of scriptures containing the teachings of the Buddha.

Today we’re going to be examining the Eight Fold Path, and even more so, the Ten Fold Path that is not as well known.

First of all, it really helps to have these books in digital form, so you can search for a particular word easily and be able to read how it is mentioned and in what context it is placed in the teachings of the Buddha.

The following English translations of the primary texts are available and used:

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (SN)
The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (DN)
The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (MN)
The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya (AN)

The Eight-fold Path consists of:

A. The Wisdom aggregate of training

1. Right view (samma-ditthi, but also samma-dassana)
2. Right intention / thought (samma-sankappa)

B. The Virtue and Moral Discipline aggregate of training

3. Right speech (samma-vaca)
4. Right action (samma-kammanta)
5. Right livelihood (samma-ajiva)

C. The Concentration aggregate of training

6. Right effort (samma-vayama)
7. Right mindfulness (samma-sati)
8. Right concentration (samma-samadhi)

The Ten-fold Path consists of two additional ‘folds’:

9. Right knowledge / wisdom (samma-nana)
10. Right liberation / release (samma-vimutti)

Note: Quotations follow the PTS (Pali Text Society) naming and numbering format: AN = Anguttara Nikaya, DN = Digha Nikaya, MN = Majjhima Nikaya, SN= Samyutta Nikaya); followed by book number in roman capitalized numerals and verse number (for example, AN I.30 = Anguttara Nikaya book 1 verse 30).

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