What is the Noble Eightfold Path?

Question

Where is the Noble Eightfold Path found in the Pali Canon? Are there significant differences among the traditions in its interpretation?

Answer 1

According to Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Path

Now what, is the Noble Eightfold Path?

1. 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

2. Right resolve

   Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness

3. Right speech

   Abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle chatter

4. Right action

   Abstaining from taking life, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from unchastity

5. Right livelihood

   There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his life going with right livelihood

6. Right effort

   (i) There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & 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 & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.

   (iii)He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & 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 & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen

7. Right mindfulness

   (i) There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.

   (ii) He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.

   (iii) He remains focused on the mind in & of itself — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.

   (iv) He remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the world.

8. Right concentration

   (i) There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.

   (ii) With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance.

   (iii) With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.'

   (iv) With the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.

Answer 2

The way I explain The Path to non-Buddhists is:

The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right View (The Four Noble Truths)

2. Right Intention

   • Renunciation: Resistance to desire
   • Goodwill: Resistance to anger and aversion
   • Harmlessness: Compassion, Don't think or act cruelly, violently or aggressively

3. Right Speech

   • Tell the truth
   • Don't gossip
   • Don't use offensive or hurtful language

4. Right Action (The Precepts)

   • Don't harm other living beings
   • Don't take things not freely given
   • Don't engage in sexual misconduct
   • Don't engage in false speech
   • Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

5. Right Livelihood Don't work in a job that violates The Precepts

6. Right Effort

   • Create, preserve and increase healthy states
   • Prevent, eliminate or decrease harmful states

7. Right Mindfulness

   • See things clearly
   • The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
     Be mindful of:
     • body
     • feeling
     • state of mind
     • phenomena

8. Right Concentration

   • Meditation
   • Concentration on healthy thoughts and actions

Answer 3

1. What is the Noble Eightfold Path?

The Noble Eightfold Path is the prescription, made known by the Buddha, for emotional suffering, distress & dissatisfaction.

The Buddha: I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the ancient path, the ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging & death. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth... becoming... clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.
-SN 12.65, Nagara-suttaṃ

^{(For details about what constitutes the path see the reference provided in the next answer.)}

2. Where is the Noble Eightfold Path found in the Pali Canon?

It is described in many places throughout the Canon but one detailed example is the Discourse on the Dissection of the Path (SN 45.8, Maggavibhaṅga-suttaṃ).

3. Are there significant differences among the traditions in its interpretation?

No, but as a related side-note, the path culminates with two additional stages, Right Knowledge & Right Release, making it tenfold, as is stated in MN 78, Samaṇamuṇḍika-suttaṃ:

Now, an individual endowed with which ten qualities is one whom I describe as being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments? One endowed with the right view of one beyond training, the right resolve of one beyond training, the right speech... the right action... the right livelihood... the right effort... the right mindfulness... the right concentration... the right knowledge... the right release of one beyond training. An individual endowed with these ten qualities is one whom I describe as being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments.

Answer 4

Let us try to understand the word "samma". It has 03 meanings. "Yatavata, Niyanika and Kusala".

01. Yatavata means Absolutely correct, 
02. Niyanika means definitely satisfying [by reaching Nirvana]. 
03. Kusala means merit[Definitely destroys evil],

Then because it does not change, because it leads to nirvana, we say merit by merit is "samma". Good vision, that is, "samma ditti" is something that does not change. A remedy, a course of action. If someone has samma ditti, he will definitely attain nirvana. If it is endowed with samma ditti, that mind will surely become meritorious. Moreover, the Samma Ditti is divided according to merit consciousness.

1. The worldly["Laukikika"] samma ditti - Worldly samma ditti is the samma ditti that arises with meritorious minds in this worldly lands like Kama vachara[Earthly world, 6 heavens], Rupavachara[16- Brahma Loka], Arupa vachara[4- Brahma Loka] etc.
2. The transcendental["Lokoththara"] samma ditti.- Transcendental samma ditti is the samma ditti that occurs during the fruition of the transcendental path.

Under the worldly samma ditti, in several ways it is explained namely

**01.**Kammassakata samma ditti, - means the samma ditti of believing in karma and the result of karma. Now look, those who commit deadly evil will definitely be born in the four hells, and those who live by stealing will be born in hell. Likewise, people who misbehave in lust, and those who live by telling lies, will be born in hell. People who are addicted to gambling are born in hell. Also, if someone steel the things belongs to the Lord Buddha and the Sangha[Monks] or dharma are born in Avicii great evil, those who live by killing mother, father, shaking the blood of Buddha, creating sectarian divisions among sangha[Monks] are born in Avicii great evil, those who live by killing goats, chickens, pigs, are born in Sanjiva evil, in that way, according to their badness of karma Lord Buddha preached.

Likewise, those who do charity are born in the divine world or the human world. Those who practice meditation are born in the Brahma worlds. We call the samma ditti of believing about this karma as 'kammassakata samma ditti'.

**02.**Dasa Vatthuka samma ditti - If someone think with the below 10 types of faith, then it is called "Dasa Vaththuka Samma Ditti".

Those are

 1. That there are rewards for giving
 2. That there are rewards for sacrifices
 3. That there are rewards for sending gifts to the virtuous
 4. That there are rewards for doing good and bad deeds, 
 5. That those who are in the hereafter will return to this world as births, 
 6. That those who are in this world will come to the other world as births
 7. That there are consequences for the good and bad deeds done to the mother, 
 8. That there are consequences for the good and bad deeds done to the father, 
 9. That there are beings who are reborn after death,
 10. That there are beings who are reborn after death, and that there are   
     Brahmins in the world who follow the good path and follow
     the good practices of this world and the hereafter, who perceive the
     world and the hereafter with their wisdom.

**03.**Jhana samma ditti - During meditation, using "samatha" meditation "karmasthanas"[40 Samatha meditation methods] and achieve meditation, samadhi, samapati, and abhijna in the meditation, the samadhi that occurs in the mind, and the wisdom that occurs with the samadhi mind is called Jhana samma ditti

04.****Vipassana samma ditti- Vidarshana meditation means that we investigate our body using our consciousness whether it is made of gold, silver, pearls, gems etc.? or else Eye hairs, fur nails, teeth etc. These parts are broken and damaged and moving towards destruction. All these things are impermanently, painfully, inanimately meditated upon, Vidarshana. The samma ditti that occurs in Vidarshana meditation is called Vidarshana samma ditti.

**05.**Transcendentally, Chatusachchasammaditti[Four Noble Truth Samma Ditti] -, the samma ditti that occurs in the understanding of the four truths. It means that when the understanding of the

1. truth of suffering arises
2. the cause of suffering when understanding Samuda
3. when understanding about Nirvana,
4. the path to Nirvana, when understanding the path of Seela, Samadhi, and Pragna arise in the mind it is called, Chatusachcha Samma Ditti.

06.Magga samma ditti - in Buddhism there are four stages of awakening and four progressive stages culminating in full awakening (Bodhi) as an Arahant.

These four stages are

1. Sotāpanna,
2. Sakadāgāmi,
3. Anāgāmi, and
4. Arahant.

Buddha refers to people who are at one of these four stages as noble people (ariya-puggala) and the community of such persons as the noble sangha (ariya-sangha).

The 4 Magga cittas(path thoughts) and the 4 Phala cittas(fruition thoughts) can be explained as follows-

01. When magga citta occurs for the first time, it is followed by sovan phala citta.
02. When magga citta occurs for the second time, it is followed by sakadagami phala citta.
03. When magga citta occurs for the third time, it is followed by anagami phala citta.
04. When magga citta occurs for the fourth time, it is followed by arahatta phala citta.

Having explained those, now "Magga samma ditti" means the samma ditti knowledge that occurs in "Sovan marga [Sovan path]. it's magga samma ditti, Same as Sakadagami Marga gnānaya, in Anagami Marga gnānaya, in Arihat Marga gnānaya, those Samma Ditti's are called Magga samma Ditthi. Phala[Result ] samma ditti is the samma ditti that occurs in the result knowledges of sovan phala, sakadagami phala, anagami phala, and arihat phala.

Samma ditti can be divided and explained like this. The Samma Ditti, which was the first element of the Arya Ashtangika path[Eight fold path], which is called the "Dukkha Nirodha gamini Pratipada Arya Satya[Fourth Noble Truth]", is not the Samma Ditti of this decade. It is called Chatussatya Samma Ditti. It is a much higher Samma Ditti than this ten-object Samma Ditti.

Those who want to get rid of the sufferings of the world and come to nirvana should first of all be in the Samma Ditti of the Sasanika Dasha Vastu. Those who come to Buddhism are first established in Tisarana, and make them to follow Tisarana in order to establish them in the Samma Ditti of this Sasanika Dasha Vastu.

If one takes refuge in the triple gems and descends into the Samma Ditti of the Sasanika Dasha Vastu[ten objects], it is the first step towards nirvana gamini path. There is no one who has attained nirvana by adopting a path that is not based on the Samma Ditti of the Sasanika Dasha Vastu[ten objects]. If a person got rid of the sufferings of the previous world and reached Nirvana, he reached Nirvana from all of them by staying in the Samma Ditti of the first decade and fulfilling the practices.

Similarly, you need to understand Kammassakatha Samma Ditti talking about the cause and the effects of each actions and thoughts.

Now, hope you understood how important the word Samma is.

"Arya Ashtangika Marga"

Let's talk about lord Buddha's Great Eight fold Path called "Arya Ashtangika Marga". In simple words it has explained in all the above articles. hence would like to discuss the important divisions and word meanings as you may get deep knowledge of the eight-fold path.

Do you remember we learned three words at the beginning of this article

1. Yatavata means Absolutely correct,
2. Niyanika means definitely satisfying [by reaching Nirvana].
3. Kusala means merit[Definitely destroys evil],

**01.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Ditti[Right Seeing]- Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma ditti- This is the "Pragna Chethasika[Wisdom Mental Factor] in Abhidhamma.

Samma Ditti - The Path of Suffering, Not knowing The Fourfold Truth Ignorance. It is known only as Samma Ditti. Abhidharma system mentions 8 things. Suffering, Samudaya, Nirodha, Marga, Purvantaya, Aparanta, Purvaparantaya, Paticha Samuppadaya, knowing here is samma ditti.

**02.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Sankappa[Right Thought] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Sankappa - Samma Sankappa includes[The 2 Illimitable factors and Adhimokka[Occasional mental Factor] 3 Chethasika's in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Abhiropana Lakshana" A feature of Focusing on merit frequently with the determination of achieving Nibbana.

Samma Sankappa - three forms.

01.The thought of renunciation (nekkhamma) - Adhimokka[Determination of Nibbana]
02.The thought of non malevolence (avyapada)- Metta[Sympathetic Joy]  
03.The thought of non harming (avihimsa)- Karuna[Compassion]

There are three kinds of akusala vitakka and They are:

01.Thought of sense pleasures (kama vitakka)
02.Thought of malevolence (vyapada vitakka)
03.Thought of harming (vihimsa vitakka )

Only By knowing the unwholesomeness thoughts we are able to apply below 5 methods to tame them and completely eradicate them. unwholesome thoughts - as defined under akusala, five methods of overcoming them are given:

01.by changing the object, [The Removal of affected Thoughts by Distracting]
02.thinking of the evil results [Thinking of bad sorrowful results occurring in samsara] 
03.paying no attention [ neglecting them by way of let it go]  
04.analyzing [ Vipassana through Abhidhamma through Nama Rupa]
05.suppressing [ Keep the thought surrender until it tamed and silent] By doing so bring them into Samma sankappa path

**03.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Wacha[Right Speech] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Wacha - one of the abstinence factors in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Parigrahana Lakshana" A feature of Unifying, purifying, speaking words of lovingkindness, speaking the Dhamma, the crowd gathers around. Making attractive, popular.

01. Refraining from lying - To speak the true words without lies
02. Refraining from gossiping - To speak the words of harmony without gossip 
03. Refraining from filthy words - To speak gentle words without harsh language 
04. Refraining from empty words - To speak soft words without speaking empty words

Always, speak good words that are beneficial to both society or the person who is listening and the for the purpose of words user.

**04.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Kammanta[Right Action] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Kammanta - one of the abstinence factors in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Samuttapana Lakshana" A feature of Due to the merits performing using body, new merits are brought forth.

Samma Kammanta means

    01. Abstaining from killing, 
    02. Abstaining from stealing, 
    03. Abstaining from fornication, 
    04. Abstaining from drinking alcohol,  
    05. Abstaining from unrighteous physical activities.

Apart from that, samma kammanta is always applied when one exerts the body in some meritorious deeds, such as giving gifts, observing austerities, meditating, or doing practices.

**05.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Aajiwa[Right Livelihood] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Aajiwa - one of the abstinence factors in Abhidamma mental factors. Literally it is called "Vodhaana Lakshana" A feature of Cleanliness, Purity.

Samma Ajiva - Abstaining from below factors as livelihood,

01. Abstaining from killing animals for living, 
02. Abstaining from stealing, 
03. Abstaining from sexual immorality, 
04. Abstaining from lying, 
05. Abstaining from backbiting, 
06. Abstaining from harsh words, 
07. Abstaining from empty talk, 
08. Abstaining from poison etc.

Apart from that, the mind that is used to earn happiness slowly with effort and righteousness is Samma Ajiva.

**06.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Vaayaama[Right Effort] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Vaayaama - one of the Occasional mental factors in Abhidamma chethasika section. Literally it is called "Paggaha Lakshana" A feature of Supporting other Dhammatha[Dhamma factors].

The nature of the mental process effects a division of right effort into four "great endeavors":

01. To prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states
02. To abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen
03. To arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen
04. To maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen

**07.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Sathi[Right Mindfulness] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Sathi - one of the Beautiful mental factors in Abhidamma chethasika section. Literally it is called "Upasthana Lakshana" A feature of Being able to raise merits frequently.

Samma sathi explained as

01. Mindfulness of the body, 
02. Mindfulness of the mind or pain, 
03. Mindfulness of the mind 
04. Mindfulness of the Dharma-natures in the mind

is the four-way Mindfulness of Samma Sathi.

**08.**Yatavata, Niyanika, Kusala Samma Samadhi[Right Concentration] - Absolutely correct, definitely satisfying, merit Samma Samadhi - one of the Universal mental factors in Abhidamma chethasika section. Literally it is called "Awikshepa Lakshana" A feature of Keeping the mind free from distraction.

The eighth factor of the path is right concentration, in Pali samma samadhi. Concentration represents an intensification of a mental factor present in every state of consciousness. This factor, one-pointedness of mind (Chitta Ekaggata), has the function of unifying the other mental factors in the task of cognition. It is the factor responsible for the individuating aspect of consciousness, ensuring that every citta or act of mind remains centered on its object

 - By not doing evil, virtue grows. 
 - Concentration increases due to accumulation of merit. 
 - Because of these two, Samatha Vipassana meditation increases,improves.  
 - The mind is purified until the path of Dhyana, Adhigama Gnana is resultant.

Those who willing to follow buddhism should first established in Tisarana, and Tisarana is celebrated for them in order to establish them in the Samma Ditti of this Sasanika Dasha Vastu. If one takes refuge in the triple gems and descends into the Samma Ditti of the ten objects, it is the first step towards nirvana gamini path.

Furthermore, there is no one who attains the path and attains nirvana without being in the Dasa Vastuka Samma Ditti[the ten objects Samma Ditti].

May Triple Gem Bless You!