Chapter 4 - The Noble 8 Fold Path


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**Basic Buddhism Course**
Chapter 4
*I. Right Understanding (Samma-ditthi)* *II. Right Thought (Samma-sankappa)* *III. Right Speech (Samma-vaca)* *IV. Right Action (Samma-kammanta)* *V. Right Livelihood (Samma-ajiva)* *VI. Right Effort (Samma-vayama)* *VII. Right Mindfulness (Samma-sati)* *VIII. Right Concentration (Samma-samadhi)*

I Right Understanding (Samma-ditthi)

1. The Four Noble Truths
(Ariyan Sacca)

2. The Ten Kinds Of Immoralities
(Akusala kammapatha)

3. The Ten Meritorious Deeds
(Kusala kammapatha)

4. The Three Universal Characteristics
(Ti-lakkhana)

5. The Ten Fetters
(Samyojana)

6. The Noble Ones
(Ariya-puggala)

7. Dependent Origination
(Paticca samuppada)

II Right Thought (Samma-sankappa)

1. Thought free from lust (Nakkhamma-sankappa)

2. Thought free from ill-will (Avihimsa-sankappa)

3. Thought free from cruelty (Avyapada-sankappa)

III Right Speech (Samma-vaca)

1. Abstaining from lying

2. Abstaining from slandering

3. Abstaining from harsh language

4. Abstaining from vain talk

IV Right Action (Samma-kammanta)

1. Abstaining from killing

2. Abstaining from stealing

3. Abstaining from sexual misconduct

V Right Livelihood (Samma-ajiva)

These 5 trades should be avoided :

1. Trading in arms

2. Trading in living beings

3. Trading in flesh

4. Trading in intoxicants

5. Trading in poison

VI Right Effort (Samma-vayama)

1. The Effort to Avoid (Samavara-ppadhana)

Incite the will to avoid the arising of evil,
unwholesome things which have not yet arisen.

2. The Effort to Overcome (Phana-ppadhana)

Incite the will to overcome the evil,
unwholesome things which have already arisen.

3. The Effort to Develop (Bhavana-ppadhana)

Incite the will to arouse wholesome things
which have not yet arisen.

Develop the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhanga)

a. Mindfulness (Sati)

b. Investigation of the Law (Dhamma-vicaya)

c. Energy (Viriya)

d. Rapture (Piti)

e. Tranquillity (Passaddhi)

f. Concentration (Samadhi)

g. Equanimity (Upekkha)

4. The Effort to Maintain (Anurakkhana-ppadhana)

          Incite the will to maintain the wholesome things
          which have already arisen, and not to allow them
          to disappear, but to bring them to growth, to
          maturity and to the full perfection of development.

VII Right Mindfulness (Samma-sati)

Four Foundation of Mindfulness (Satipatthana)

        1. Contemplation of The Body (Kayanupassana)
        2. Contemplation of Feelings (Vedananupassana)
        3. Contemplation of Mind (Cittanupassana)
        4. Contemplation of Mind-Objects (Dhammanupassana)

1. Contemplation of The Body (Kayanupassana)

            a. Watching over in-and-out breathing (Anapanasati)
            b. The four postures
            c. Mindfulness and clear awareness (Sati-sampajanna)
            d. Reflection on the Repulsiveness (Patikkula-sanna)
            e. The four elements (Dhatu)
            f. Cemetery Meditations

2. Contemplation of Feelings (Vedananupassana)

           a. Pleasurable (Somanassa)
           b. Displeasurable (Domanassa)
           c. Indifferent (Upekkha)
           d. Bodily Happiness (Sukkha)
           e. Bodily Pain (Dukkha)

3. Contemplation of Mind (Cittanupassana)

           a. Lustful / Not Lustful
           b. Hateful / Not Hateful
           c. Deluded / Not Deluded
           d. Contracted / Distracted
           e. Developed / Undeveloped
           f. Surpassed / Unsurpassed
           g. Concentrated / Unconcentrated
           h. Liberated / Unliberated

4. Contemplation of Mind-Objects (Dhammanupassana)

         a. The Five Hindrances (Nivarana)
         b The Five Aggregates (Khandha)
         c. The Sense Bases (Ayatana)
         d. The 7-Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhanga)
         e. The Four Noble Truths (Ariya-sacca)

VII Right Concentration (Samma-samadhi)

Concentration : Mind fixed on a single object.
One-pointedness of mind (Cittekaggata)

Object : The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Requisites : The Four `Great Effort'

Two degrees of development:

1. `Neighbourhood Concentration' (Upacara-samadhi)
Approaches the first absorption (Jhana) without, however, attaining it.

2. `Attainment Concentration' (Appana-samadhi)
The concentration present in the Absorptions (Jhana)

Jhanas

Jhana Factors

1^st	1^st	Vittaka (Ini App)	Vicara (Sus App)	Piti (Joy)	Sukkha (Happiness)	Ekaggata (One -Pointedness)
2^nd			Vicara (Sus App)	Piti (Joy)	Sukkha (Happiness)	Ekaggata (One -Pointedness)
3^rd	2^nd			Piti (Joy)	Sukkha (Happiness)	Ekaggata (One -Pointedness)
4^th	3^rd				Sukkha (Happiness)	Ekaggata (One -Pointedness)
5^th	4^th				Upekkha (Equanimity)	Ekaggata (One -Pointedness)

Ini App = Initial Application

Sus App = Sustained Application

The realization of this whole phenomenal process of existence into the Four Supramundane Paths is
possible only at the moment of deep `Insight' (Vipassana) into the 3 Universal Characteristics.

The 3 Universal Characteristics are as follows :

Impermanency (Aniccata),
Suffering (Dukkhata) and
Impersonality (Anattata)

This `Insight', again, is attainable only during Neighbourhood-Concentration (Upacara-samadhi),
not during Attainment-concentration (Appana-samadhi).

**Meditation Object**
1^st Jhana 2^nd Jhana 3^rd Jhana 4^th Jhana 5^th Jhana	Rupa Jhanas
Infinity of Space Infinity of Consciousness Nothingness Perception neither is nor is not	Arupa Jhanas


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