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Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path (ārya-aṣṭaṅga-mārga; Pāli, ariya-aṭṭhangika-magga) is the last of the Four Noble Truths and is the path that leads from saṃsāra to nirvāṇa. The Fourth Noble Truth is as follows: ‘This, O Monks, is the Truth of the Path that leads to the cessation of suffering. It is this Noble Eightfold Path, which consists of (i) Right View (samyag-dṛṣṭi), (ii) Right Resolve (samyak-samkalpa), (iii) Right Speech (samyag-vāc), (iv) Right Action (samyak-karmānta), (v) Right Livelihood (samyag-ājīva), (vi) Right Effort (samyak-vyāyāma), (vii) Right Mindfulness (samyak-smṛti), (viii) Right Meditation (samyak-samādhi).’ Right View means the acceptance of basic Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths; Right Resolve means having a positive outlook and a mind free from lust, ill-will, and cruelty; Right Speech means using speech in positive and productive ways instead of negative ones such as lying or speaking harshly; Right Action means keeping the precepts, such as the Five Precepts (pañca-śīla); Right Livelihood means avoiding professions which cause harm to others such as slavery or armsmongering; Right Effort means directing the mind towards religious goals and the production and fostering of wholesome states of mind; Right Mindfulness means being at all times mindful and aware of what one is doing, thinking, and feeling; Right Meditation means training the mind to achieve the state of focused attention necessary to enter the meditational trances (dhyāna). The eight factors of the path are often placed in three groups (skandhas), thus 3–5 relate to morality (śīla), 6–8 to meditation (samādhi), and 1–2 to insight (prajñā). It is important to note that the Eightfold Path is not a linear one in the sense that one passes from one step to the next, but a cumulative programme wherein all the eight factors are practised simultaneously.
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Eightfold Path." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "Eightfold Path." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-EightfoldPath.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "Eightfold Path." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-EightfoldPath.html |
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eightfold path
eightfold path in Buddhism, the path to nirvana, comprising eight aspects in which an aspirant must become practised.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "eightfold path." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "eightfold path." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-eightfoldpath.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "eightfold path." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-eightfoldpath.html |
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Eightfold path
Eightfold path (Buddhist way): see AṢṬANGIKA-MĀRGA.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Eightfold path." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Eightfold path." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Eightfoldpath.html JOHN BOWKER. "Eightfold path." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Eightfoldpath.html |
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