The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path

(Ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo)

1. Right Understanding (sammā-diṭṭhi)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Understanding? To understand suffering; to understand the origination of suffering, to understand extinction of suffering, to understand the Path leading to the extinction of suffering: this is called Right Understanding.”

2. Right Thought (sammā-saṅkappa)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Thought? Thoughts free from sensuous desire (nekkhamma saṅkappa), thoughts free from ill-will (abyāpāda saṅkappa), and thoughts free from cruelty (avihimsā saṅkappa): this is called Right Thought."

3. Right speech (sammā-vācā)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Speech? It is avoidance of telling lies, avoidance of slandering, avoidance of hateful or abusive language, avoidance of frivolous talk or useless chatter, avoidance of these four evil speeches is called Right Speech."         

4. Right Action (sammā-kammanta)

  “What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Action? It is the avoidance of killing, avoidance of stealing, and avoidance of sexual misconduct or misuse of senses. O Bhikkhus, avoidance of these three physical evils is called Right Action."

5. Right Livelihood (sammā-ājīva)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Livelihood? In this teaching the noble disciple avoiding a wrong way of living, gets his means of living by a right way. This is called Right Livelihood."

6. Right Effort (sammā-vāyāma)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Effort? Here in this teaching, O Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu rouses his mind to avoid evil, unwholesome things not yet arisen, to overcome evil, unwholesome things already arisen, to arouse wholesome things not yet arisen, to maintain wholesome things already arisen and not to let them disappear, but to bring them to growth, to maturity and to the full perfection of development. And he makes effort, puts forth his energy, exerts his mind and strives. This is called Right Effort."

7. Right Mindfulness (sammā-sati)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Mindfulness? Here in this teaching, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body (material qualities) in this body; ardently, clearly comprehending. and mindfully, removing covetousness and grief in the world (of corporeality); he dwells contemplating the feeling in the feelings; he dwells contemplating the consciousness in the consciousness; he dwells contemplating the mental objects (dhamma) in the mental objects (dhamma), ardently, clearly comprehending, and mindful, removing covetousness and grief in the world (of five aggregates). This is called Right Mindfulness.

8. Right Concentration (sammā-samādhi)

"What, O Bhikkhus, is Right Concentration? Here in this teaching, a bhikkhu being detached from all sensual objects, detached from other unwholesome things, enter into the first stage of absorption (jhāna), which is accompanied by applied thought (vitakka) and sustained thought (vicāra), is filled with rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha), born of detachment from evil thoughts (samādhi) concentration.

After the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, and by gaining inner tranquility and oneness of the mind, he enters into a stage free from Vitakka and Vicāra, the second absorption, which is born of concentration and filled with rapture and happiness.

After the fading away of rapture, he dwells in equanimity, attentiveness and is clearly conscious; he experiences in his person that feeling of which the Noble Ones say `Happy is the man of equanimity and one-pointedness of the mind' - thus he enters the Third absorption.

After the giving up of pleasure and pain, and through the disappearance of previous happiness and grief, he enters into a state beyond pleasure and pain, into the fourth Absorption, which is purified by equanimity (upekkhā) and one-pointedness. This is Right Concentration."