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:
- Right view (samma ditthi, but also samma dassana)
- Right intention (samma sankappa)
- Right speech (samma vaca)
- Right action (samma kammanta)
- Right livelihood (samma ajiva)
- Right effort (samma vayama)
- Right mindfulness (samma sati)
- Right concentration (samma samadhi)
The Ten Fold Path consists of two additional ‘folds’:
9. Right knowledge (samma nana)
10. Right liberation (samma vimutti)
1. RIGHT VIEW
Right view is a supporting factor for the growth of Buddhist wisdom. This particular view is so important that it was placed right at the start of the path. Right view pertains to the view towards understanding the teachings of the Buddha as they really are. With this right view one is considered a trainee or stream-enterer, who is on their way towards the goal and of the Path. It is seen as a breakthrough to the rest of the teachings that are on the Buddhist path.
In the Anguttara Nikaya the teachings mention the application of right view:
“Monks, I do not see even a single thing on account of which unarisen wholesome qualities arise and arisen wholesome qualities increase and expand so much as right view. For one of right view, unarisen wholesome qualities arise and arisen wholesome qualities increase and expand.” — AN I.30
In relation to suffering and the cure to the arising of suffering, the right view and the whole Eight Fold Path plays a fundamental role in overcoming suffering. By the acquisition of right view, one can overcome all suffering in this life. This view is quite precise and requires ‘hitting the mark’ when compared to a sharp-shooter in the Anguttara Nikaya:
“Just as the warrior is a sharp-shooter, so too the noble disciple has right view. The noble disciple with right view understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.” — AN II.202
These four understandings are what the four noble truths are all about and key to Buddhism.
Possessing right view is one of the four qualities that’s part of one’s practice:
“Monks, a monk who possesses four qualities is practicing the unmistakable way and has laid the groundwork for the destruction of the taints. What four? The thought of renunciation, the thought of good will, the thought of non-harming, and right view. A monk who possesses these four qualities is practicing the unmistakable way and has laid the ground-work for the destruction of the taints.” — AN II.76
Right view can’t do it all by itself. It needs a few helpers, or assistants who factor in as benefits to the goal that right view starts with:
“Monks, when right view is assisted by five factors, it has liberation of mind as its fruit, liberation of mind as its fruit and benefit; it has liberation by wisdom as its fruit, liberation by wisdom as its fruit and benefit. What five? Here, right view is assisted by virtuous behavior, learning, discussion, calm, and insight. When right view is assisted by these five factors, it has liberation of mind as its fruit, liberation of mind as its fruit and benefit; it has liberation by wisdom as its fruit, liberation by wisdom as its fruit and benefit.” — AN III.21
Another term to be introduced is kamma, which is a difficult word in-and-of-itself that will require a separate post to go into more detail. In short, kamma is action and it’s result. Sort of like cause and effect. The best type of kamma, as described in the texts, is the type of action that is neutral:
“And what is kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma? Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration: this is called kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, kamma that leads to the destruction of kamma.” — AN II.237
Overall, right view is crucial as the start of the Eight Fold Path of Buddhism. It is an antidote to the idea of wrong views that are discussed as well:
<p>1. Past-action determinism, deterministic theism, and denial of causality (AN I.173)</p>
<p>2. There is no fruit or result of good and bad actions (AN V.265)</p>
<p>3. The determinist view that our decisions are irrevocably caused by factors and forces outside ourselves. (AN I.287).</p>
And this is just a small portion of the views that are considered wrong. The Brahmajala sutta in the Digha Nikaya (DN I.13) has a mega list of 62 types of wrong views! All of which have been dealt with by the Buddha effectively.
In the next post No. 2 of the path will be discussed: Right intention.
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