Lesson Seven: The Timeless Truths (Part II)

Lesson Seven The Timeless Truth (Part 2)

The Noble Eightfold Path shows a clear, straight
road leading to Nibbana.

No other religion or philosophy reveals soclearly
the Path of Virtue, leading to delive-rance. As
Prof. Rhys Davids wrote:

"Buddhist or not Buddhist, I have examined

every one of the great religious systems of the

world, and in none of them have I found

anything to surpass, in beauty and

comprehensiveness, the Noble Eightfold Path

and the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha. I am

content to shape my life according to that

Path."

1.The Fourth Noble Truth: The Path Leading to

the End of Dukkha

The Four Noble Truth, also known as the

Eightfold Path, avoids the extremes of sensual

pleasure and self-mortification, eternalism and

nihilism, optimism and pessimism: it is a

Middle Path.

It is a planned course of inward culture and

progress. As a righteous way of living, it does not

consist in accepting decrees given by someone

outside oneself. Nor is it practiced out of any fear

of the supernatural. It is practiced when one is

convinced of its intrinsic value as a way of life.

The Eightfold Path, a map showing us the way to

reach the final goal of life - Nibbana, consists of

eight divisions, namely,

1. Right Understanding


2. Right Thought


3. Right Speech


4. Right Action


5. Right Livelihood


6. Right Effort


7. Right Mindfulness


8. Right Concentration
   
   
   1. Samma Ditthi
   
   
   2. Samma Samkappa
   
   
   3. Samma Vaca
   
   
   4. Samma Kammanta
   
   
   5. Samma Ajiva
   
   
   6. Samma Vayama
   
   
   7. Samma Sati
   
   
   8. Samma Samadhi
   
   
   
   

The Path is a means and never an end and may

be regarded from two points of view. Firstly, it

brings about dispassion and detachment by the

gradual elimination of the desire for sensual

pleasure, and secondly, it leads to the

development of compassion and the cultivation

of a selfless love for all that lives. The Path leads

from selfishness to altruism, from the unreal to

the Real.

For a better understanding of the eight divisions

of the Path, we will group them under three

headings - Sila, Samadhi, Panna - the three

essentials of Buddhist training.

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