Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Rightly
Self-awakened One.
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| Image by Daniel Farrell |
Having
described the true nature of existence; the Truth of dukkha, the Truth of the
origin of dukkha, and the Truth of cessation of dukkha, the Lord Buddha described
the Way which leads to the cessation of dukkha, the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble
Eightfold Path, the fourth of the Four Noble Truths, is a systemised training
towards the cessation of suffering and final eradication of the
defilements which spring from the Three Unwholesome Roots (Pāli: kilesas) of greed, anger and dillusion.
From
the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion, SN
56.11, "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading
to the cessation of dukkha: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration."
The Noble
Eightfold Path, also known as the Middle Way (Pāli: majjhimā
paṭipadā), is represented by the dharma wheel symbol, the
Dharmachakra (Pāli: dhammacakka). Each one of the spokes of the wheel corresponds
with one of the eight factors of the Path. The Dharmchakra is one of the Eight
Auspicious Signs endemic of Tibetan Buddhism, in which it is known as the
‘Wheel of Law’.
Christmas Humphreys describes the Noble Eightfold Path (Pāli: ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo) as, “the Buddhist Manual to Self-Enlightenment”, indeed it
is clearly comprehensible and all-encompassing. The teaching on the Noble Eightfold
Path is, alongside the Four Noble Truths (Pāli: cattāri
ariyasaccāni), considered to be the essential map to Awakening for all practitioners
regardless of the school of Buddhism or lineage to which they pertain. The two
teachings sit alongside one another and are intrinsically linked. To illustrate
this point; the first of the eight elements of the Path is Right View, the foremost
requisite of Right View is to develop insight into the Four Noble Truths.
The eight components of the Noble Eightfold Path are generally
understood to require concurrent development, rather than to be followed in
sequential order. Bhikkhu Bodhi describes in ‘The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way
to the End of Suffering’, “the eight factors... can be more aptly described as components rather than as steps,
comparable to the intertwining strands of a single cable that requires the
contributions of all the strands for maximum strength. With a certain degree of
progress all eight factors can be present simultaneously, each supporting the
others.” As Venerable Dr. W. Rahula states in ‘What the Buddha Taught’, the
eight factors of the Path "are to be developed
more or less simultaneously, as far as possible according to the capacity of
each individual. They are all linked together and each helps the cultivation of
the others." To further the point, Thomas Knierim states on his website, ‘The
Big View’, that, “The eight aspects of the path are not to be understood as a
sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles
that have to be seen in relationship with each other.”
The Noble Eightfold Path in Pāli, ‘ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo’, can be broken down
into its components to derive a more thorough understanding. The Pāli
word ‘ariyo’ is usually translated as ‘noble’, but is also translated as
‘holy’. The Pāli word ‘aṭṭhaṅgiko’ can be further broken down into ‘aṭṭha’
which means the number ‘eight’, and ‘aṅga’ which means ‘limb’, ‘member’ or
‘shoot’, so, ‘aṭṭhaṅgiko’ translates as ‘eight-limbed’. The Pāli word ‘magga’
means ‘path’. The grammar further suggests that, as Sangharakshita explains in
‘The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path’, “although we usually think of the Noble
Eightfold Path as consisting of eight successive steps or stages, the use of
the word ‘anga’ suggests
that the steps are not so much successive as simultaneous.”
The eight
factors of the Path are categorised into three areas of training and discipline.
In the Culavedalla Sutta: The Shorter Set of Questions and Answers, MN 44, Venerable Sister Dhammadinna advises the layman Visakha,
"Right action, and right livelihood come
under the aggregate of virtue. Right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration come
under the aggregate of concentration. Right view and right resolve come
under the aggregate of discernment." And thus, below, we can see the eight factors
grouped accordingly;
Wisdom (Pāli:
pañña)
Right View (Pāli: sammā-diṭṭhi)
Right
Intention (Pāli: sammā sankappa)
Ethical
Conduct (Pāli: sila)
Right
Speech (Pāli: sammā-vācā)
Right
Action (Pāli: sammā-kammanta)
Right
Livelihood (Pāli: sammā-ājīva)
Concentration (Pāli: samādhi)
Right
Effort (Pāli: sammā-vāyāma)
Right
Mindfulness (Pāli: sammā-sati)
Right
Concentration (Pāli: sammā-samādhi)
Let us
proceed to examine each of the eight ‘limbs’ which compose the Noble Eightfold
Path in greater detail:
Right View (Pāli: sammā-diṭṭhi)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what, monks, is right view? Knowledge with regard to
stress, knowledge with regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with
regard to the stopping of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of practice
leading to the stopping of stress: This, monks, is called right view.”
The most significant teaching with regard to Right View can be
found in the Sammādiṭṭhi
Sutta: Right View, MN 9. During the discourse, Venerable Sariputta outlines the
four areas of understanding required to attain perfect vision of Reality;
The Wholesome (Pāli: kusala) and the Unwholesome (Pāli: akusala)
Sariputta advised of ten actions which should be considered unwholesome;
injuring to living things, taking that which is not given, sexual misconduct,
lying, abusive language, divisive language, idle chatter, covetousness, ill
will and wrong views.
Sariputta goes on to list the roots of unwholesome actions; greed,
hatred and delusion, i.e. The Three Unwholesome Roots (Pāli: kilesas).
In elaborating on wholesome action, Sariputta refers to the
following; abstaining from injuring to living things, abstaining from taking
that which is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from
lying, abstaining from abusive language, abstaining from divisive language,
abstaining from idle chatter, abstaining from covetousness, abstaining from ill
will and abstaining from wrong views.
Sariputta lists the roots of wholesome actions; “Lack of greed is
a root of what is wholesome, lack of anger is a root of what is wholesome, lack
of delusion is a root of what is wholesome.”
Nutriment (Pāli: ahara)
Sariputta is asked by the assembly of Bhikkhus whether there is
“another line of reasoning by which one arrives at Right View, Sariputta
answers thus, "There would. When a disciple
of the noble ones discerns nutriment, the origination of nutriment, the
cessation of nutriment, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of
nutriment, then he is a person of right view... who has arrived at this true
Dhamma.”
In the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta, Sariputta
goes on to elaborate, "There are these four nutriments for the maintenance of
beings who have come into being or for the support of those in search of a
place to be born. Which four? Physical food, gross or refined; contact as the
second, intellectual intention the third, and consciousness the fourth. From
the origination of craving comes the origination of nutriment. From the
cessation of craving comes the cessation of nutriment. And the way of practice
leading to the cessation of nutriment is just this very noble eightfold path:
right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right
effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.”
As discussed in the
previous section; wholesome and unwholesome actions have their roots, either
wholesome or unwholesome, and these roots need to receive nourishment from the
soil in order to feed the wholesome or unwholesome actions, else the actions (Pāli:
kamma) will not survive and go on to bear fruit (Pāli: phala). In this sutta, Sariputta
lists the nutriments, both physical and mental;
1) Physical food.
2) Contact.
3) Intention.
4) Consciousness.
Sariputta offers the assembly of monks the knowledge that an
unskilful mental state can be overcome by starving it of nutriment, and
likewise, a skilful mental state can be fostered by feeding it. The method to
feed the skilful roots is by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Four Noble Truths (Pāli: cattāri ariyasaccāni)
The course of the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta goes on to reiterate the details
of the Four Noble Truths, often regarded as the central theme of Right View;
"And what is stress? Birth is stressful, aging is
stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair
are stressful; not getting what one wants is stressful. In short, the five
clinging-aggregates are stressful. This is called stress.
What is the origination of stress? The craving that makes for
further becoming — accompanied by passion and delight, relishing now here and
now there — i.e., craving for sensuality, craving for becoming, craving for
non-becoming. This is called the origination of stress.
And
what is the cessation of stress? The remainderless fading and cessation,
renunciation, relinquishment, release, and letting go of that very craving.
This is called the cessation of stress.
And
what is the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress? Just this very
noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action,
right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is
called the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress.”
Dependant Co-arising (Pāli: pratītyasamutpāda)
And finally, Sariputta
elaborates on the concept of dependant co-arising and the link of causes which
are responsible for Saṃsāra, the repeating cycle of birth, life,
death and rebirth. Sariputta lists the twelve ‘causes’ or
‘sources’ (Pāli: nidānas) as follows;
Aging and death (Pāli: jarāmaraṇa)
Birth (Pāli: jāti)
Becoming (Pāli: bhava)
Clinging (Pāli: upādāna)
Craving (Pāli: taṇhā)
Feeling (Pāli: vedanā)
Contact (Pāli: phassa)
Six Sense Media (Pāli: saḷāyatana)
Name and Form (Pāli: nāmarūpa)
Consciousness (Pāli: viññāṇa)
Fabrications (Pāli: saṅkhāra)
Ignorance Pāli: avijjā)
Having instructed on the Twelve Nidānas, Sariputta closes his discourse by examining the
actual cause of ignorance, which he describes as “fermentation”, by which he
means ‘mental fermentation’, and in the sutta, are categorised into three
types;
1) The fermentation of
sensuality.
2) The fermentation of becoming.
3) The fermentation of
ignorance.
Sariputta advises that ignorance
prompts further ignorance, Thanissaro Bhikkhu says in his translation of the Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta, “Ven. Sariputta has demonstrated throughout his discussion,
ignorance needn't keep propagating forever. Because it is simply a lack of
knowledge in terms of the four noble truths, it can be replaced by knowledge
that does look at things in terms of the four noble truths,” thus leading
to the end of ignorance and in turn to the cessation of dukkha.
Right
Intention (Pāli: sammā
sankappa)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation,
on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called right resolve.”
In ‘What the Buddha Taught’, Venerable Dr. W. Rahula describes
Right Intention as, “thoughts of selfless renunciation or detachment, thoughts
of love and thoughts of non-violence”. I think, in the sense of Right
Intention, ‘thought’ is too general a term. As Thomas Knierim quite rightly points out on his website ‘The Big
View’, “While right view refers to the cognitive
aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the
kind of mental energy that controls our actions.” Right
Intention is the link between our initial thoughts and the mental activity
which directs our actions, it is the volitional element of thought, what we
choose to do once an initial thought has arisen. It is important, however, to
understand that Right View and Right Intention, as aspects of the mind, cannot
be considered as independent of one another, as Bhikkhu Boddhi writes in ‘The
Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering’, “From the Buddhist perspective, the cognitive and purposive sides
of the mind do not remain isolated in separate compartments but intertwine and
interact in close correlation.”
For an action to be
right, the intention has to have been right, and right intentions are born out
of a mind grounded in right views. When one has gained insight into the wholesome
and the unwholesome, nutriment, the Four Noble Truths, and Dependant Co-arising,
he or she will want to act in a way that concords with the principles of
ethical conduct i.e. Right Speech, Right, Action and Right Livelihood.
The three right
intentions counter the three primary forms of wrong intention;
1) The intention of
renunciation (Pāli: nekkhammasankappa)
counteracts the intention of desire (Pāli: kamasankappa).
2) The intention of
good will (Pāli: abyapada sankappa)
counteracts the intention of ill will (Pāli: byapadasankappa).
3) The intention of
harmlessness (Pāli: avihimsasankappa)
counteracts the intention of harmfulness (Pāli: avihimsasankappa).
In the Dvedhavitakka
Sutta: Two Sorts of Thinking, MN 19, the Blessed One describes that whilst
striving for deliverance prior to His self-awakening, he begun to categorise his
thoughts into two categories; one category included thoughts of renunciation,
good will and harmlessness, and the second category included thoughts of
desire, ill will and harmfulness. When the Lord Buddha became aware of thoughts
of desire, ill will and harmfulness arise in Him, he realised that they lead to
harm for Himself and others, obstructed wisdom and lead away from nibbāna. And so, the Awakened One informed the assembly of monks to
whom he was addressing that when a thought of desire, ill will or harmfulness
arose, “I simply abandoned it, destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of
existence.”
Right
Speech (Pāli: sammā-vācā)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying,
abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining
from idle chatter: This, monks, is called right speech.”
In the Vaca Sutta: A Statement, AN
5.198, the Lord Buddha informs his audience, “Monks, a statement
endowed with five factors is well-spoken, not ill-spoken. It is blameless and
unfaulted by knowledgeable people. Which five? It is spoken at the right time.
It is spoken in truth. It is spoken affectionately. It is spoken beneficially.
It is spoken with a mind of good-will. A statement endowed with these five
factors is well-spoken, not ill-spoken. It is blameless and unfaulted by
knowledgeable people.”
The Kathavatthu Sutta:
Topics of Conversation, AN 10.69, the monks are provided with an enumeration of
ten topics of proper conversation, “Talk on modesty, on contentment, on
seclusion, on non-entanglement, on arousing persistence, on virtue, on
concentration, on discernment, on release, and on the knowledge and vision of
release.”
By contrast, in the Samaññaphala Sutta: The
Fruits of the Contemplative Life, DN 2, the Lord Buddha provides a list of topics of conversation which should be avoided
by “Brahmans and contemplatives”. This list includes, “talking about kings,
robbers, ministers of state; armies, alarms, and battles; food and drink;
clothing, furniture, garlands, and scents; relatives; vehicles; villages,
towns, cities, and countryside; women and heroes; the gossip of the street and
the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity, the creation of the world and
of the sea, and talk of whether things exist or not.”
Both the spoken and written word have tremendous power. When
used with wisdom and compassion, words can promote harmony and bring about
peace, help to heal and console, make people feel loved and appreciated,
provide guidance and advice, and offer encouragement and hope. Conversely,
words can cause conflict and war, promote dissention and discord, fuel anger
and hatred, damage self-esteem and confidence and bring about pain, anguish and
heartache. If we are unable to master self-control over our speech, I doubt we
will stand any chance of governing our thoughts.
Right
Action (Pāli: sammā-kammanta)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what, monks, is right action? Abstaining from taking
life, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from unchastity: This, monks, is
called right action.”
In ‘The Triple Gem, an Introduction to Buddhism’, Gerald Roscoe
states, “Right Action promotes honourable and peaceful conduct, and is based on
the five precepts: abstaining from destroying life, from stealing, from illicit
sex, from intoxicants, from falsehoods.”
In
the Abhisanda Sutta: Rewards, AN 8.39; the Blessed One addresses an assembly
thus, "Monks,
there are these eight rewards of merit, rewards of skillfulness, nourishments
of happiness, celestial, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, leading to
what is desirable, pleasurable, and appealing, to welfare and happiness. Which
eight?” The Lord Buddha enumerates the eight sources of merit, the first three
are going to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha for refuge, the remaining five are “abandoning
the taking of life... abandoning taking that which is not give... abandoning
illicit sex... abandoning lying... abandoning the use of intoxicants.”
The Five Precepts (Pāli:
pañca-sīla);
1. I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living
creatures.
(Pāli: Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami).
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not
given.
(Pāli: Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami).
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.
(Pāli: Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam
samadiyami).
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.
(Pāli: Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami).
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and
drugs which lead to carelessness.
(Pāli: Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani
sikkhapadam samadiyami).
The pañca-sīla is the moral code for
Lay Buddhists the world over. In ‘Creed of the Buddha’, these Five Precepts
says Mr Edmund Holmes, “indicate five arterial directions in which the Buddhist
self-control is exercised. Thus, the first rule calls upon him to control the
passion of anger, the second, the desire for material possessions, the third,
the lusts of the flesh, the fourth, cowardice and malevolence (the chief causes
of untruthfulness), the fifth, the craving for unwholesome excitement”.
Right
Livelihood (Pāli: sammā-ājīva)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what, monks, is right livelihood? There is the case
where a disciple of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood,
keeps his life going with right livelihood: This, monks, is called right
livelihood.”
In the
Vanijja Sutta: Business, AN 5.177, The Awakened One provides a definition of
what constitutes wrong livelihood, “Monks, a lay follower should not engage in
five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human
beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison.”
This provides five broad areas of employment we should avoid. I would suggest
it is for each person to decide just how strictly he chooses to apply these
principles; whilst it is obvious that as a practicing Buddhist a career in arms
dealing is out of the question, it is open to debate with regard to less
obvious career choices; for example, a waiter may serve meat in a restaurant, a
retail assistant may sell rat bates in a hardware store.
Our
choice of vocation should not cause us to break The Five Precepts, neither
should it encourage others to do so. Whilst a person who works in a bar which
serves alcohol is not required to drink, his work is facilitates and even
encourages others to do so. In the Sikkha Sutta: Trainings, AN 4.99, the Lord
Buddha describes people as being of four different types in regard to practicing
The Five Precepts. The four types are; 1) the person who does not practice for
his own benefit and does not practice for the benefit of others, 2) the person
who does not practice for his own benefit but does practice for the benefit of
others, 3) the person who does practice for his own benefit and does not
practice for the benefit of others, and 4) the noblest type of person... the
person who practices for his own benefit and does practice for the benefit of
others. The moral of the story here, the highest path is the path where you not
only follow The Five Precepts yourself, but you also encourage and support
others to do likewise.
It is
not only how we earn our money, but also how we choose to use it that
contributes to livelihood being right and conducive to the development of
wisdom and compassion. The principle of generosity (Pāli: dana), being
charitable with one’s wealth, is an important quality to develop and is considered
a foundation practice. Venerable Ajahn Chah is reported to have always taught
new students generosity before instructing them on meditation. In her book
‘Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness’, Sharon Salzberg says
that, “the Buddha himself always started with new practitioners by teaching
them dana, the practice of generosity.” In the Dighajanu Sutta: Conditions of Welfare, AN 8.54, the Lord
Buddha advises that the accomplishment of four accomplishments are conducive to
a householders happiness, these include “The accomplishment of faith (Pāli: saddha-sampada), the accomplishment
of virtue (Pāli: sila-sampada),
the accomplishment of charity (Pāli: caga-sampada)
and the accomplishment of wisdom (Pāli: pañña-sampada).” Of charity, the Awakened
one declares, “What is the accomplishment of charity? Herein a householder
dwells at home with heart free from the stain of avarice, devoted to charity,
open-handed, delighting in generosity, attending to the needy, delighting in
the distribution of alms. This is called the accomplishment of charity.” Giving
a little of one’s material wealth; a donation to the Sangha, a charity, or to someone in need assists a means of
employment to become Right Livelihood.
Right
Effort (Pāli: sammā-vāyāma)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what, monks, is right effort? (i) There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors,
activates persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for the sake of the
non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (ii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates
persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of
evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. (iii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence,
upholds and exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities
that have not yet arisen. (iv)
He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds and exerts his
intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, and
culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called
right effort.”
What the Buddha described in the Magga-vibhanga Sutta was what
is known as ‘the four Right Exertions’;
1) To prevent unwholesome states of mind from arising as yet not
arisen.
2) To rid the mind of unwholesome states of mind already arisen.
3) To produce wholesome states of mind as yet not arisen.
4) To develop wholesome states of mind already arisen.
In a wider sense, effort
must be applied to every other aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Awakened
One taught that effort is necessary to progress on the Path. In the Alavaka
Sutta: Discourse to Alavaka, SN 10.12, the Buddha is asked, “How does one the
currents cross? How is ocean’s existence crossed? How is one’s suffering
quelled?” The Buddha answers, “By faith are currents crossed; by diligence is
the ocean crossed; by effort is one’s suffering quelled, by wisdom is one
purified.”
From the Appamadavagga:
Heedfulness, Dhp 25; ‘By effort and
heedfulness, discipline and self-mastery, let the wise one make for himself an
island which no flood can overwhelm.’ The island referred to in the verse
represents nibbana, a refuge on high ground where one is protected from the
encroaching floods of sense-desires, false beliefs, craving for existence and ignorance.
The verse points to the important nature of effort in attaining the Buddhist
goal.
Buddhism is a doctrine
of self-reliance, and as Christmas Humphreys writes in ‘Buddhism: An
Introduction and Guide’, “Throughout the ages men have sought out some
vicarious method of salvation from their own misdeeds, by cruel sacrifice or
ardent prayer, or by the intervention of some all-powerful God who could divert
the law of cause and effect.” Whilst one may secure the support of both the lay
and monastic community, it is only ourselves who can do what needs to be done. From
the Dhammapada, v165, “By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By
oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one made pure. Purity and impurity
depend on oneself; no one can purify another.” It is only through our own
effort that we can progress towards Awakening.
Though the Way can be
filled with pleasant experiences and a sense of satisfaction and
accomplishment, the work that needs to be done is not easy, the effort which
needs to be maintained is great, and we can be exposed to great challenges. If
one is intent upon following the Path, one is required to make substantial
changes to one’s life. Even to follow the Five Precepts may call for a dramatic
and sustained change in lifestyle, and even more so in the case of ordained
monks who adhere to the two-hundred and twenty-seven rules of the Pāṭimokkha. The Dhammapada, v163 says, “Easy to do are things that are bad
and harmful to oneself. But exceedingly difficult to do are things that are
good and beneficial.”
Right
Mindfulness (Pāli: sammā-sati)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what, monks, is right mindfulness? (i) There is the case where a monk
remains focused on the body in and of itself — ardent, aware, and mindful —
putting away greed and distress with reference to the world. (ii) He remains focused on feelings in and
of themselves — ardent, aware, and mindful — putting away greed and distress
with reference to the world. (iii)
He remains focused on the mind in and of itself — ardent, aware, and mindful —
putting away greed and distress with reference to the world. (iv) He remains focused on mental
qualities in and of themselves — ardent, aware, and mindful — putting away
greed and distress with reference to the world. This, monks, is called right
mindfulness.”
‘Mindfulness’ is a
Western translation of the word ‘sati’, coined by scholars of Buddhism in the
1880s. The Pāli term ‘sati’ is derived from the verb ‘sarati’, to remember or to keep
in mind.
Mindfulness is a spiritual faculty and
one of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Pāli: satta sambojjhaṅgā), alongside; investigation of the Dhamma (Pāli: dhamma
vicaya), energy (Pāli: viriya), joy (Pāli: pīti), tranquillity (Pāli: passaddhi), concentration (Pāli: samādhi) and
equanimity (Pāli: upekkha). Mindfulness is developed by
fixing the mind’s attention on an appropriate object; the movement of the body,
sensations, thoughts and perceptions, consciousness, or external objects.
The passage above (from
the Magga-vibhanga Sutta) describes the practice of ‘the four foundations of
mindfulness’ (Pāli: cattaro
satipatthana), the mindful contemplation of four objective spheres: the body,
feelings, states of mind, and phenomena. In the Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The
Great Frames of Reference, DN22, the Lord Buddha described the practice of ‘the
four foundations of mindfulness’ as, "The direct path for the purification
of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance
of pain and distress, for the attainment of the right method, and for the
realization of Unbinding.”
In regard to each of the
‘four foundations of mindfulness’, the Magga-vibhanga Sutta states that
‘appropriate attention’ (Pāli: yoniso
manasikara) of each foundation comes in three forms which together map
the entire field of mindfulness. These three forms, which should be
developed equally, include;
1) Ardency (Pāli:
atappa): this is, firstly, the quality of returning the wandering mind to the
object, and, secondly, remaining sensitive to the object and truly penetrating
it rather than just ‘coasting’ in the present moment.
2) Awareness(Pāli: sampajañña): being alert, being aware
of what is actually going on in the present moment.
3) Mindfulness (Pāli:
sati): the quality of ‘recollection’, to remember on what your awareness is
focussed.
‘Mindfulness’ then, from
the perspective of the Magga-vibhanga or Satipatthana Suttas, is an
unsatisfactory term to describe ‘appropriate attention’(Pāli: yoniso manasikara), otherwise
translated as ‘wise reflection’. ‘Appropriate attention’, includes three
qualities; ardency, awareness and mindfulness in what the online magazine
‘Madhyamavani’ describes as the “three forms of Mindfulness”.
The
purpose of developing sati is to lead the mind into a state of Right
Concentration. In the ancient scriptures, the two practices of mindfulness and
concentration are seen as two parts of one whole, closely related and reliant
upon one another. Sati is required to develop calm and tranquillity through
samatha practices, which lead to stages of mental absorption (Pāli: jhāna), when used to develop insight
and wisdom, will ultimately bear the fruit of Enlightenment.
Right
Concentration (Pāli: sammā-samādhi)
Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An
Analysis of the Path, SN 45.8, "And what, monks, is right concentration? (i) There is the case where a monk —
quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities —
enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from
withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. (ii) With the stilling of directed
thoughts and evaluations, he enters and remains in the second jhana: rapture and
pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed
thought and evaluation — internal assurance. (iii) With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, and
alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters and remains in the third
jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous and mindful, he has a
pleasant abiding.' (iv) With the
abandoning of pleasure and pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation and
distress — he enters and remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity and
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This, monks, is called right
concentration."
Although Right Concentration is the last of the eight factors of
the Path, it is not the goal itself. Sammā-samādhi is the development of
wholesome ‘one-pointedness of mind’ (Pāli: citt'ekaggata) achieved by attaining
the successive levels of meditative absorption known as ‘the stages of jhāna’. Having attained the stages of
jhāna, the practitioner can use the qualities attained alongside the seven
other factors of the Noble Eightfold Path to further develop insight to
penetrate reality and attain nibbāna.
The
Awakened One spoke of eight progressive stages of jhāna, four meditations of
form (Pāli: rūpa jhāna), and four formless
meditations (Pāli: arūpa jhāna).
In the Anupada Sutta: One After Another, MN 111, the Awakened One describes how
his disciple Sariputta progresses through each of the eight stages, this
account provides us with a map of the successive meditative states encompassed
within Right Concentration;
The Four Rupa Jhānas
1) First Jhāna — In the first jhana there are: "directed thought, evaluation, rapture, pleasure, unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception,
intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity and attention".
2) Second Jhāna — In the second jhana there are:
"internal assurance, rapture, pleasure, unification of mind, contact,
feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence,
mindfulness, equanimity, and attention".
3) Third Jhāna — In the third jhana, there are:
"equanimity-pleasure, unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception,
intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness,
equanimity and attention".
4) Fourth Jhāna — In the fourth jhana there are:
"a feeling of equanimity, neither pleasure nor pain; an unconcern due to
serenity of awareness; unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception,
intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness,
equanimity and attention".
The
Four Arupa Jhānas
1) Dimension of Infinite Space - In this dimension the following
qualities are "ferreted out": "the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, singleness of
mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision,
persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention".
2) Dimension of Infinite Consciousness - In this dimension the following
qualities are "ferreted out": "the
perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, unification of
mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision,
persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention".
3) Dimension of Nothingness - In this dimension the following
qualities are "ferreted out": "the
perception of the dimension of nothingness, singleness of mind, contact,
feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence,
mindfulness, equanimity, and attention".
4) Dimension of Neither Perception nor
Non-Perception No
qualities to be "ferreted out" are being mentioned for this
dimension.
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