The Middle Path

Q.11. What is the path that leads to the extinction of suffering?

A. It is the Noble Eightfold path consisting of right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

 

Q.12. Why is the Noble Eightfold Path called the Middle Path?

A. Because it avoids the two extremes:

- Giving oneself-up to indulgence in sensual pleasure, the base, common, vulgar, unholy, and unprofitable.

- Giving oneself-up to self-mortification, the painful, unholy and unprofitable.

 

Q.13. What is the signification of the Middle path?

A. Having avoided these two extremes, the perfect one has found out the Middle path, which makes one both to see and to know, which lead to peace, to discernment, to enlighten, to Nibbāna.

If one walks along the Middle path ardently and steadfastly, one shall develop morality, mental concentration and insight knowledge in to the psychophysical phenomena stage by stage until finally one can attains the path wisdom (magga-ñāna) when one understand the Four Noble Truth thoroughly with direct knowledge one then becomes a Noble person called Ariya.

 

Q14. Why do some critics say that Buddhism is pessimism? Is it true? Why?

A: Firstly, Noble truth state of birth is suffering ageing, sickness and death are suffering, association with un-beloved ones and separation from beloved are suffering, not to get one desires is suffering, and in brief, the five of groups of existence (clinging) are suffering.

Secondly, very existence is made up of five groups of clinging, so all existences are suffering. For this criticizes say Buddhism is pessimism.

Thirdly, statement that Buddhism is pessimism is not true Buddhism is realism as it looks in to the real facts of life. If we can develop the right concentration we can see by direct knowledge that very existence is made up five groups of existence and these group in turn are composed of ultimate mental entities and material entities, which are arising and dissolving very rapidly, in endlessly so they are impermanent and real suffering.

Fourthly, pessimism tends to be gloomy shaking that the worst will happen. Pessimism always looks on the dark snider of thing, and be level that evil always triumph over good.

Fifthly, the Buddha also describe the cause of suffering to be craving which give rise to new existence of suffering and also the path that lead the existence of craving which bring about the extinction of suffering and the enjoyment of eternal peace and happiness called Nibbāna which is the best attainment in life.      

 

Q. 15. Why is the Noble Eightfold Path also called the Noble Threefold Training?

A. The Noble Eightfold Path is also called the Noble Threefold Training the training of morality, the training of concentration, and the training of wisdom the Eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path can be classified as the Noble Threefold Training as follows:

III. Training of Wisdom (Paññā Sikkhā)

    1.    Right Understanding (Sammā- diṭṭhi)

    2.    Right Thought        (Sammā-Saṅkappa)

I. Training of Morality (Sīla Sikkhā)

    1.    Right Speech          (Sammā-Vacā)

    2.    Right Action          (Sammā-Kammanta)

    3.    Right Livelihood   (Sammā-Ājīva)

II. Training of Concentration (Sammādhi Sikkhā) 

    1.    Right Effort            (Sammā-Vāyāma)

    2.    Right Mindfulness (Sammā-Sati)

    3.    Right Concentration  (Sammā-Samādhi)