{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/buddha2.htm","path":"bud/buddha2.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/buddha2.htm","text":"500 BC\nBUDDHA, THE WORD\n(The Eightfold Path)\nTHE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS\nTHUS has it been said by the Buddha, the Enlightened One: It is\nthrough not understanding, not realizing four things, that I,\nDisciples, as well as you, had to wander so long through this round of\nrebirths. And what are these four things? They are the Noble Truth\nof Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Noble\nTruth of the Extinction of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Path that\nleads to the Extinction of Suffering.\nAs long as the absolutely true knowledge and insight as regards\nthese Four Noble Truths was not quite clear in me, so long was I not\nsure, whether I had won that supreme Enlightenment which is\nunsurpassed in all the world with its heavenly beings, evil spirits\nand gods, amongst all the hosts of ascetics and priests, heavenly\nbeings and men. But as soon as the absolutely true knowledge and\ninsight as regards these Four Noble Truths had become perfectly\nclear in me, there arose in me the assurance that I had won that\nsupreme Enlightenment unsurpassed.\nAnd I discovered that-profound truth, so difficult to perceive,\ndifficult to understand, tranquilizing and sublime, which is not to be\ngained by mere reasoning, and is visible only to the wise.\nThe world, however, is given to pleasure, delighted with pleasure,\nenchanted with pleasure. Verily, such beings will hardly understand\nthe law of conditionality, the Dependent Origination of every thing;\nincomprehensible to them will also be the end of all formations, the\nforsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of\ncraving; detachment, extinction, Nirvana.\nYet there are beings whose eyes are only a little covered with dust:\nthey will understand the truth.\nFIRST TRUTH\nTHE NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING\nWHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of Suffering?\nBirth is suffering; Decay is suffering; Death is suffering;\nSorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair, are suffering; not to\nget what one desires, is suffering; in short: the Five Groups of\nExistence are suffering.\nWhat, now, is Birth? The birth of beings belonging to this or that\norder of beings, their being born, their conception and springing into\nexistence, the manifestation of the groups of existence, the arising\nof sense activity-this is called Birth.\nAnd what is Decay? The decay of beings belonging to this or that\norder of beings; their getting aged, frail, grey, and wrinkled; the\nfailing of their vital force, the wearing out of the senses-this is\ncalled Decay.\nAnd what is Death? The parting and vanishing of beings out of this\nor that order of beings, their destruction, disappearance, death,\nthe completion of their life-period, dissolution of the groups of\nexistence, the discarding of the body-this is called Death.\nAnd what is Sorrow? The sorrow arising through this or that loss\nor misfortune which one encounters, the worrying oneself, the state of\nbeing alarmed, inward sorrow, inward woe-this is called Sorrow.\nAnd what is Lamentation? Whatsoever, through this or that loss or\nmisfortune which befalls one, is wail and lament, wailing and\nlamenting, the state of woe and lamentation this is called\nLamentation.\nAnd what is Pain? The bodily pain and unpleasantness, the painful\nand unpleasant feeling produced by bodily contact-this is called Pain.\nAnd what is Grief? The mental pain and unpleasantness, the painful\nand unpleasant feeling produced by mental contact-this is called\nGrief.\nAnd what is Despair? Distress and despair arising through this or\nthat loss or misfortune which one encounters, distressfulness, and\ndesperation-this is called Despair.\nAnd what is the \"suffering of not getting what one desires?\" To\nbeings subject to birth there comes the desire: \"O that we were not\nsubject to birth! O that no new birth was before us!\" Subject to\ndecay, disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and\ndespair, the desire comes to them: \"O that we were not subject to\nthese things! O that these things were not before us!\" But this cannot\nbe got by mere desiring; and not to get what one desires, is\nsuffering.\nTHE FIVE GROUPS OF EXISTENCE\nAnd what, in brief, are the Five Groups of Existence? They are\nCorporeality, Feeling, Perception, [mental] Formations, and\nConsciousness.\nAny corporeal phenomenon, whether one's own or external, gross or\nsubtle, lofty or low, far or near, belongs to the Group of\nCorporeality; any feeling belongs to the Group of Feeling; any\nperception belongs to the Group of Perception; any mental formation\nbelongs to the Group of Formations; all consciousness belongs to the\nGroup of Consciousness.\n[Our so-called individual existence is in reality nothing but a mere\nprocess of these \"bodily and mental\" phenomena, which since immemorial\ntimes was going on before one's apparent birth, and which also after\ndeath will continue for immemorial periods of time. In the\nfollowing, we shall see that these five Groups, or Khandhas-either\ntaken separately, or combined-in no way constitute any real\n\"Ego-entity,\" and that no Ego-entity exists apart from them, and hence\nthat the belief in an Ego-entity is merely an illusion. Just as that\nwhich we designate by the name of \"chariot,\" has no existence apart\nfrom axle, wheels, shaft, and so forth: or as the word \"house\" is\nmerely a convenient designation for various materials put together\nafter a certain fashion so as to enclose a portion of space, and there\nis no separate house-entity in existence:-in exactly the same way,\nthat which we call a \"being,\" or an \"individual,\" or a \"person,\" or by\nthe name is nothing but a changing combination of physical and\npsychical phenomena, and has no real existence in itself.]\nTHE \"CORPOREALITY GROUP\" OF FOUR ELEMENTS\nWhat, now, is the Group of Corporeality? It is the four primary\nelements, and Corporeality derived from them.\nAnd what are the four primary elements? They are the Solid\nElement, the Fluid Element, the Heating Element, the Vibrating\nElement.\n[The four elements, or-to speak more correctly-the four elementary\nqualities of matter, may be rendered in English as: Inertia, Cohesion,\nRadiation, and Vibration.\nThe twenty-four corporeal phenomena which depend upon them are,\naccording to the Abhidharma: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, visible\nform, sound, odor, taste, masculinity, femininity, vitality, organ\nof thinking, gesture, speech, space (cavities of ear, nose, etc.),\nagility, elasticity, adaptability, growth, duration, decay,\nvariability, change of substance.]\n1. What, now, is the Solid Element? The solid element may be one's\nown, or it may be external. And what is one's own solid element? The\ndependent properties, which on one's own person and body are hard\nand solid, as the hairs of head and body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh,\nsinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen,\nlungs, stomach, bowels, mesentery, excrement, or whatever other\ndependent properties which on one's own person and body are hard and\nsolid-this is called one's own solid element. Now, whether it be one's\nown solid element, or whether it be the external solid element, they\nare both only the solid element.\nAnd one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:\n\"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.\"\n2. What, now, is the Fluid Element? The fluid element may be\none's own, or it may be external. And what is one own fluid element?\nThe dependent properties, which on one's own person and body are\nwatery or cohesive, as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph,\ntears, semen, spit, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, urine or\nwhatever other dependent properties which on one own person and body\nare watery or cohesive-this is called one's own fluid element. Now,\nwhether it be one's own fluid element, or whether it be the external\nfluid element, they are both only the fluid element.\nAnd one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:\n\"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.\"\n3. What, now, is the Heating Element? The heating element may be one\nown, or it may be external. And what is one's own heating element? The\ndependent properties, which on one's own person and body are heating\nand radiating, as that whereby one is heated, consumed, scorched,\nwhereby that which has been eaten, drunk, chewed, or tasted, is\nfully digested; or whatever other dependent properties, which on one's\nown person and body are heating and radiating this is called one's own\nheating element. Now, whether it be one's own heating element, or\nwhether it be the external heating element, they are both only the\nheating element.\nAnd one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:\n\"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.\"\n4. What, now, is the Vibrating Element? The vibrating element may be\none's own, or it may be external. And what is one's own vibrating\nelement? The dependent properties, which on one's own person and\nbody are mobile and gaseous, as the upward-going and downward-going\nwinds; the winds of stomach and intestines; in-breathing and\nout-breathing; or whatever other dependent properties, which on\none's own person and body are mobile and gaseous-this is called\none's own vibrating element. Now, whether it be one's own vibrating\nelement, or whether it be the external vibrating element, they are\nboth only the vibrating element.\nAnd one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:\n\"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.\"\nJust as one calls \"hut\" the circumscribed space which comes to be by\nmeans of wood and rushes, reeds, and clay, even so we call \"body\"\nthe circumscribed space that comes to be by means of bones and sinews,\nflesh and skin.\nDEPENDENT ORIGINATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS\nNow, though one's eye be intact, yet if the external forms do not\nfall within the field of vision, and no corresponding conjunction\ntakes place, in that case there occurs no formation of the\ncorresponding aspect of consciousness. Or, though one eye be intact,\nand the external forms fall within the field of vision, yet if no\ncorresponding conjunction takes place, in that case also there\noccurs no formation of the corresponding aspect of consciousness.\nIf, however, one's eye is intact, and the external forms fall within\nthe field of vision, and the corresponding conjunction takes place, in\nthat case there arises the corresponding aspect of consciousness.\nHence, I say: the arising of consciousness is dependent upon\nconditions; and without these conditions, no consciousness arises. And\nupon whatsoever conditions the arising of consciousness is\ndependent, after these it is called.\nConsciousness whose arising depends on the eye and forms, is\ncalled \"eye-consciousness.\"\nConsciousness whose arising depends on the ear and sound, is\ncalled \"ear-consciousness.\"\nConsciousness whose arising depends on the olfactory organ and\nodors, is called \"nose-consciousness.\"\nConsciousness whose arising depends on the tongue and taste, is\ncalled \"tongue-consciousness.\"\nConsciousness whose arising depends on the body and bodily contacts,\nis called \"body-consciousness.\"\nConsciousness whose arising depends on the mind and ideas, is called\n\"mind-consciousness.\"\nWhatsoever there is of \"corporeality\" in the consciousness thus\narisen, that belongs to the Group of Corporeality. there is of\n\"feeling\"-bodily ease, pain, joy, sadness, or indifferent\nfeeling-belongs to the Group of Feeling. Whatsoever there is of\n\"perception\"-visual objects, sounds, odors, tastes, bodily\nimpressions, or mind objects-belongs to the Group of Perception.\nWhatsoever there are of mental \"formations\" impression, volition,\netc.-belong to the Group of mental Formations. Whatsoever there is\nof \"consciousness\" therein, belongs to the Group of Consciousness.\nAnd it is impossible that any one can explain the passing out of one\nexistence, and the entering into a new existence, or the growth,\nincrease, and development of consciousness, independent of\ncorporeality, feeling, perception, and mental formations.\nTHE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTENCE\nAll formations are \"transient\"; all formations are \"subject to\nsuffering\"; all things are \"without an Ego-entity.\" Corporeality is\ntransient, feeling is transient, perception is transient, mental\nformations are transient, consciousness is transient.\nAnd that which is transient, is subject to suffering; and of that\nwhich is transient, and subject to suffering and change, one cannot\nrightly say: \"This belongs to me; this am I; this is my Ego.\"\nTherefore, whatever there be of corporeality, of feeling,\nperception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether one's own\nor external, whether gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, one\nshould understand, according to reality, and true wisdom: \"This does\nnot belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.\"\nSuppose, a man who is not blind, were to behold the many bubbles\non the Ganges as they are driving along; and he should watch them, and\ncarefully examine them. After carefully examining them, they will\nappear to him empty, unreal, and unsubstantial. In exactly the same\nway, does the monk behold all the corporeal phenomena, feelings,\nperceptions, mental formations, and states of consciousness-whether\nthey be of the past, or the present, or the future, far, or near.\nAnd he watches them, and examines them carefully; and, after carefully\nexamining them, they appear to him empty, void, and without an Ego\nWhoso delights in corporeality, or feeling, or perception, or mental\nformations, or consciousness, he delights in suffering; and whoso\ndelights in suffering, will not be freed from suffering. Thus I say\nHow can you find delight and mirth,\nWhere there is burning without end?\nIn deepest darkness you are wrapped!\nWhy do you not seek for the light?\nLook at this puppet here, well rigged,\nA heap of many sores, piled up,\nDiseased, and full of greediness,\nUnstable, and impermanent!\nDevoured by old age is this frame,\nA prey of sickness, weak and frail;\nTo pieces breaks this putrid body,\nAll life must truly end in death.\nTHE THREE WARNINGS\nDid you never see in the world a man, or a woman, eighty, ninety, or\na hundred years old, frail, crooked as a gable roof, bent down,\nresting on crutches, with tottering steps, infirm, youth long since\nfled, with broken teeth, grey and scanty hair, or bald-headed,\nwrinkled, with blotched limbs? And did the thought never come to you\nthat also you are subject to decay, that also you cannot escape it?\nDid you never see in the world a man, or a woman, who being sick,\nafflicted, and grievously ill, and wallowing in his own filth, was\nlifted up by some people, and put to bed by others? And did the\nthought never come to you that also you are subject to disease, that\nalso you cannot escape it?\nDid you never see in the world the corpse of a man, or a woman, one,\nor two, or three days after death, swollen up, blue-black in color,\nand full of corruption? And did the thought never come to you that\nalso you are subject to death, that also you cannot escape it?\nSAMSARA, THE WHEEL OF EXISTENCE\nInconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara; not to be discovered\nis any first beginning of beings, who, obstructed by ignorance, and\nensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening through this round\nof rebirths.\n[Samsara-the Wheel of Existence, lit., the \"Perpetual\nWandering\"-is the name by which is designated the sea of life ever\nrestlessly heaving up and down, the symbol of this continuous\nprocess of ever again and again being born, growing old, suffering,\nand dying. More precisely Put: Samsara is the unbroken chain of the\nfivefold Khandha-combinations, which, constantly changing from\nmoment to moment, follow continuously one upon the other through\ninconceivable periods of time. Of this Samsara, a single lifetime\nconstitutes only a vanishingly tiny fraction; hence, to be able to\ncomprehend the first noble truth, one must let one's gaze rest upon\nthe Samsara, upon this frightful chain of rebirths, and not merely\nupon one single lifetime, which, of course, may be sometimes not\nvery painful.]\nWhich do you think is the more: the flood of tears, which weeping\nand wailing you have shed upon this long way-hurrying and hastening\nthrough this round of rebirths, united with the undesired, separated\nfrom the desired this, or the waters of the four oceans?\nLong time have you suffered the death of father and mother, of sons,\ndaughters, brothers, and sisters. And whilst you were thus\nsuffering, you have, verily, shed more tears upon this long way than\nthere is water in the four oceans.\nWhich do you think is the more: the streams of blood that, through\nyour being beheaded, have flowed upon this long way, or the waters\nin the four oceans?\nLong time have you been caught as dacoits, or highwaymen, or\nadulterers; and, through your being beheaded, verily, more blood has\nflowed upon this long way than there is water in the four oceans.\nBut how is this possible?\nInconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara; not to be discovered\nis any first beginning of beings, who, obstructed by ignorance, and\nensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening through this round\nof rebirths.\nAnd thus have you long time undergone suffering, undergone\ntorment, undergone misfortune, and filled the graveyards full; verily,\nlong enough to be dissatisfied with all the forms of existence, long\nenough to turn away, and free yourselves from them all.\nSECOND TRUTH\nTHE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING\nWHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering? It is that\ncraving which gives rise to fresh rebirth, and, bound up with pleasure\nand lust, now here, now there, finds ever fresh delight.\n[In the absolute sense, it is no real being, no self-determined,\nunchangeable, Ego-entity that is reborn. Moreover, there is nothing\nthat remains the same even for two consecutive moments; for the Five\nKhandhas, or Groups of Existence, are in a state of perpetual\nchange, of continual dissolution and renewal. They die every moment,\nand every moment new ones are born. Hence it follows that there is\nno such thing as a real existence, or \"being\" (Latin esse), but only\nas it were an endless process, a continuous change, a \"becoming,\"\nconsisting in a \"producing,\" and in a \"being produced\"; in a\n\"process of action,\" and in a \"process of reaction,\" or \"rebirth.\"\nThis process of perpetual \"producing\" and \"being produced\" may\nbest be compared with an ocean wave. In the case of a wave, there is\nnot the slightest quantity of water traveling over the surface of\nthe sea. But the wave structure, that hastens over the surface of\nthe water, creating the appearance of one and the same mass of\nwater, is, in reality, nothing but the continuous rising and falling\nof continuous, but quite different, masses of water, produced by the\ntransmission of force generated by the wind. Even so, the Buddha did\nnot teach that Ego-entities hasten through the ocean of rebirth, but\nmerely life-waves, which, according to their nature and activities\n(good, or evil), manifest themselves here as men, there as animals,\nand elsewhere as invisible beings.]\nTHE THREEFOLD CRAVING\nThere is the \"Sensual Craving,\" the \"Craving for\nEternal-Annihilation.\" Existence,\" the \"Craving for\nSelf-Annihilation.\"\n[The \"Craving for Eternal Existence,\" according to the\nVisuddhi-Magga, is intimately connected with the so-called\nEternity-Belief,\" i.e., the belief in an absolute, eternal, Ego-entity\npersisting independently of our body.\nThe Craving for Self-Annihilation is the outcome of the so-called\n\"Annihilation-Belief,\" the delusive materialistic notion of an Ego\nwhich is annihilated at death, and which does not stand in any\ncausal relation with the time before birth or after death.]\nBut, where does this craving arise and take root? Wherever in the\nworld there are delightful and pleasurable things, there this\ncraving arises and takes root. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind,\nare delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes\nroot.\nVisual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily impressions, and\nmind-objects, are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving\narises and takes root.\nConsciousness, sense impression, feeling born of sense impression,\nperception, will, craving, thinking, and reflecting, are delightful\nand pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes root.\nIf, namely, when perceiving a visual object, a sound, odor, taste,\nbodily impression, or a mind object, the object is pleasant, one is\nattracted; and if unpleasant, one is repelled.\nThus, whatever kind of \"Feeling\" one experiences, pleasant,\nunpleasant, or indifferent-one approves of, and cherishes the feeling,\nand clings to it; and while doing so, lust springs up; but lust for\nfeelings, means Clinging; and on Clinging, depends the \"Process of\nBecoming\"; on the Process of Becoming (Karma-process), depends\n(future) \"Birth\"; and dependent on Birth, are Decay and Death,\nSorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair. Thus arises this\nwhole mass of suffering.\nThis is called the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering.\nHEAPING UP OF PRESENT SUFFERING\nVerily, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous\ncraving, impelled by sensuous craving, entirely moved by sensuous\ncraving, kings fight with kings, princes with princes, priests with\npriests, citizens with citizens; the mother quarrels with the son, the\nson with the mother, the father with the son, the son with the father;\nbrother quarrels with brother, brother with sister, sister with\nbrother, friend with friend. Thus, given to dissension, quarreling and\nfighting, they fall upon one another with fists, sticks, or weapons.\nAnd thereby they suffer death or deadly pain.\nAnd further, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous\ncraving, impelled by sensuous craving, entirely moved by sensuous\ncraving, people break into houses, rob, plunder, pillage whole houses,\ncommit highway robbery, seduce the wives of others. Then, the rulers\nhave such people caught, and inflict on them various forms of\npunishment. And thereby they incur death or deadly pain. Now, this\nis the misery of sensuous craving, the heaping up of suffering in this\npresent life, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous\ncraving, caused by sensuous craving, entirely dependent on sensuous\ncraving.\nHEAPING UP OF FUTURE SUFFERING\nAnd further, people take the evil way in deeds, the evil way in\nwords, the evil way in thoughts; and by taking the evil way in\ndeeds, words, and thoughts, at the dissolution of the body, after\ndeath, they fall into a downward state of existence, a state of\nsuffering, into perdition, and the abyss of hell. But, this is the\nmisery of sensuous craving, the heaping up of suffering in the\nfuture life, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous\ncraving, caused by sensuous craving, entirely dependent on sensuous\ncraving.\nNot in the air, nor ocean-midst,\nNor hidden in the mountain clefts,\nNowhere is found a place on earth,\nWhere man is freed from evil deeds.\nINHERITANCE OF DEEDS (KARMA)\nFor, owners of their deeds (karma) are the beings, heirs of\ntheir deeds; their deeds are the womb from which they sprang; with\ntheir deeds they are bound up; their deeds are their refuge.\nWhatever deeds they do-good or evil-of such they will be the heirs.\nAnd wherever the beings spring into existence, there their deeds\nwill ripen; and wherever their deeds ripen, there they will earn the\nfruits of those deeds, be it in this life, or be it in the next\nlife, or be it in any other future life.\nThere will come a time, when the mighty ocean will dry up, vanish,\nand be no more. There will come a time, when the mighty earth will\nbe devoured by fire, perish, and be no more. But, yet there will be no\nend to the suffering of beings, who, obstructed by ignorance, and\nensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening through this round\nof rebirths.\nTHIRD TRUTH\nTHE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING\nWHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering? It\nis the complete fading away and extinction of this craving, its\nforsaking and giving up, the liberation and detachment from it.\nBut where may this craving vanish, where may it be extinguished?\nWherever in the world there are delightful and pleasurable things,\nthere this craving may vanish, there it may be extinguished.\nBe it in the past, present, or future, whosoever of the monks or\npriests regards the delightful and pleasurable things in the world\nas \"impermanent,\" \"miserable,\" and \"without an Ego,\" as a disease\nand cancer; it is he who overcomes the craving.\nAnd released from Sensual Craving, released from the Craving for\nExistence, he does not return, does not enter again into existence.\nDEPENDENT EXTINCTION OF ALL PHENOMENA\nFor, through the total fading away and extinction of Craving,\nClinging is extinguished; through the extinction of clinging, the\nProcess of Becoming is extinguished; through the extinction of the\n(karmic) process of becoming, Rebirth is extinguished; and through\nthe extinction of rebirth, Decay and Death, Sorrow, Lamentation,\nSuffering, Grief, and Despair, are extinguished. Thus comes about\nthe extinction of this whole mass of suffering.\nHence, the annihilation, cessation, and overcoming of\ncorporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations, and\nconsciousness, this is the extinction of suffering, the end of\ndisease, the overcoming of old age and death.\n[The undulatory motion, which we call wave-which in the spectator\ncreates the illusion of a single mass of water moving over the surface\nof the lake-is produced and fed by the wind, and maintained by the\nstored-up energies. After the wind has ceased, and no fresh wind again\nwhips up the water, the stored-up energies will gradually be consumed,\nand the whole undulatory motion come to an end. Similarly, if fire\ndoes not get new fuel, it will become extinct. just so, this\nFive-Khandha-process-which, in the ignorant worldling, creates the\nillusion of an Ego-entity-is produced and fed by the life-affirming\ncraving, and maintained for some time by means of the stored-up\nlife-energies. Now, after the fuel, i.e., the craving and clinging\nto life, has ceased, and no new craving impels again this\nFive-Khandha-process, life will continue as long as there are still\nlife-energies stored up, but at their destruction at death, the\nFive-Khandha-process will reach final extinction.\nThus, nirvana or \"Extinction\" (Sanskrit: to cease blowing, to\nbecome extinct), may be considered under two aspects:\n1. \"Extinction of Impurities,\" reached at the attainment of\nArahatship, or Holiness, which takes place during the life-time.\n2. \"Extinction of the Five-Khandha-process,\" which takes place at\nthe death of the Arahat.]\nNIRVANA\nThis, truly, is the Peace, this is the Highest, namely the end of\nall formations, the forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the\nfading away of craving: detachment, extinction-Nirvana.\nEnraptured with lust, enraged with anger, blinded by delusion,\noverwhelmed, with mind ensnared, man aims at his own ruin, at\nothers' ruin, at the ruin of both parties, and he experiences mental\npain and grief. But, if lust, anger, and delusion are given up, man\naims neither at his own ruin, nor at others' ruin, nor at the ruin\nof both parties, and he experiences no mental pain and grief. Thus\nis Nirvana immediate, visible in this life, inviting, attractive,\nand comprehensible to the wise.\nThe extinction of greed, the extinction of anger, the extinction\nof delusion: this, indeed, is called Nirvana.\nTHE ARAHAT, OR HOLY ONE\nAnd for a disciple thus freed, in whose heart dwells peace, there is\nnothing to be added to what has been done, and naught more remains for\nhim to do. Just as a rock of one solid mass remains unshaken by the\nwind, even so, neither forms, nor sounds, nor odors, nor tastes, nor\ncontacts of any kind, neither the desired, nor the undesired, can\ncause such an one to waver. Steadfast is his mind, gained is\ndeliverance.\nAnd he who has considered all the contrasts on this earth, and is no\nmore disturbed by anything whatever in the world, the Peaceful One,\nfreed from rage, from sorrow, and from longing, he has passed beyond\nbirth and decay.\nTHE IMMUTABLE\nThere is a realm, where there is neither the solid, nor the fluid,\nneither heat, nor motion, neither this world, nor any other world,\nneither sun, nor moon. This I call neither arising, nor passing\naway, neither standing still nor being born, nor dying. There is\nneither foothold, nor development, nor any basis. This is the end of\nsuffering.\nThere is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. If there were\nnot this Unborn, this Unoriginated, this Uncreated, this Unformed,\nescape from the world of the born, the originated, the created, the\nformed, would not be possible.\nBut since there is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed,\ntherefore is escape possible from the world of the born, the\noriginated, the created, the formed.\nFOURTH TRUTH\nTHE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE PATH\nTHAT LEADS TO THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING\nTHE TWO EXTREMES AND THE MIDDLE PATH\nTO GIVE oneself up to indulgence in sensual pleasure, the base,\ncommon, vulgar, unholy, unprofitable; and also to give oneself up to\nself-mortification, the painful, unholy, unprofitable: both these\ntwo extremes the Perfect One has avoided, and found out the Middle\nPath, which makes one both to see and to know, which leads to peace,\nto discernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.\nTHE EIGHTFOLD PATH\nIt is the Noble Eightfold Path, the way that leads to the extinction\nof suffering, namely:\n1. Right Understanding, 2. Right Mindedness, which together are\nWisdom.\n3. Right Speech, 4. Right Action, 5. Right Living, which together\nare Morality.\n6. Right Effort, 7. Right Attentiveness, 8. Right Concentration,\nwhich together are Concentration.\nThis is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has found out, which\nmakes one both to see and to know, which leads to peace, to\ndiscernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.\nFree from pain and torture is this path, free from groaning and\nsuffering; it is the perfect path.\nTruly, like this path there is no other path to the purity of\ninsight. If you follow this path, you will put an end to suffering.\nBut each one has to struggle for himself, the Perfect Ones have only\npointed out the way.\nGive ear then, for the Immortal is found. I reveal, I set forth\nthe Truth. As I reveal it to you, so act! And that supreme goal of the\nholy life, for the sake of which, sons of good families rightly go\nforth from home to the homeless state: this you will, in no long time,\nin this very life, make known to yourself, realize, and make your own.\nTHE EIGHTFOLD PATH\nFIRST STEP\nRIGHT UNDERSTANDING\nWHAT, now, is Right Understanding? It is understanding the Four\nTruths. To understand suffering; to understand the origin of\nsuffering; to understand the extinction of suffering; to understand\nthe path that leads to the extinction of suffering: This is called\nRight Understanding\nOr, when the noble disciple understands what is karmically\nwholesome, and the root of wholesome karma; what is karmically\nunwholesome, and the root of unwholesome karma, then he has Right\nUnderstanding.\n[\"Karmically unwholesome\" is every volitional act of body, speech,\nor mind which is rooted in greed, hatred, or delusion, and produces\nevil and painful results in this or any future form of existence.]\nWhat, now, is \"karmically unwholesome?\"\nIn Bodily Action it is destruction of living beings; stealing; and\nunlawful sexual intercourse. In Verbal Action it is lying;\ntale-bearing; harsh language; and frivolous talk. In Mental Action\nit is covetousness; ill-will; and wrong views.\nAnd what is the root of unwholesome karma? Greed is a root of\nunwholesome karma; Anger is a root of unwholesome karma; Delusion is a\nroot of unwholesome karma.\n[The state of greed, as well as that of anger, is always accompanied\nby delusion; and delusion, ignorance, is the primary root of all\nevil.]\nTherefore, I say, these demeritorious actions are of three kinds:\neither due to greed, or due to anger, or due to delusion.\nWhat, now, is \"karmically wholesome?\"\nIn Bodily Action it is to abstain from killing; to abstain from\nstealing; and to abstain from unlawful sexual intercourse.\nIn Verbal Action it is to abstain from lying; to abstain from\ntale-bearing; to abstain from harsh language; and to abstain from\nfrivolous talk.\nIn Mental Action it is absence of covetousness; absence of ill-will;\nand right understanding.\nAnd what is the root of wholesome karma? Absence of greed\n(unselfishness) is a root of wholesome karma; absence of anger\n(benevolence) is a root of wholesome karma; absence of delusion\n(wisdom) is a root of wholesome karma.\nOr, when one understands that corporeality, feeling, perception,\nmental formation, and consciousness, are transient [subject to\nsuffering, and without an Ego], also in that case one possesses Right\nUnderstanding.\nUNPROFITABLE QUESTIONS\nShould anyone say that he does not wish to lead the holy life\nunder the Blessed One, unless the Blessed One first tells him, whether\nthe world is eternal or temporal, finite or infinite; whether the life\nprinciple is identical with the body, or something different;\nwhether the Perfect One continues after death, and so on such a man\nwould die, ere the Perfect One could tell him all this.\nIt is as if a man were pierced by a poisoned arrow, and his friends,\ncompanions, or near relations, should send for a surgeon; but that man\nshould say: \"I will not have this arrow pulled out, until I know who\nthe man is that has wounded me: whether he is a noble, a priest, a\ncitizen, or a servant\"; or: \"what his name is, and to what family he\nbelongs\"; or: \"whether he is tall, or short, or of medium height.\"\nVerily, such a man would die, ere he could adequately learn all this.\nTherefore, the man who seeks his own welfare, should pull out this\narrow-this arrow of lamentation, pain, and sorrow.\nFor, whether the theory exists, or whether it does not exist, that\nthe world is eternal, or temporal, or finite, or infinite-certainly,\nthere is birth, there is decay, there is death, sorrow, lamentation,\npain, grief, and despair, the extinction of which, attainable even\nin this present life, I make known unto you.\nThere is, for instance, an unlearned worldling, void of regard for\nholy men, ignorant of the teaching of holy men, untrained in the noble\ndoctrine. And his heart is possessed and overcome by Self-Illusion, by\nSkepticism, by attachment to mere Rule and Ritual, by Sensual Lust,\nand by will; and how to free himself from these things, he does not\nreally know.\n[Self-Illusion may reveal itself as \"Eternalism\" or Eternity-belief\"\ni.e., the belief that one's Ego is existing independently of the\nmaterial body, and continuing even after the dissolution of the\nlatter; or as \"Annihilationism,\" or \"Annihilation-belief\" i.e., the\nmaterialistic belief that this present life constitutes the Ego, and\nhence that it is annihilated at the death of the material body.]\nNot knowing what is worthy of consideration, and what is unworthy of\nconsideration, he considers the unworthy, and not the worthy.\nAnd unwisely he considers thus: \"Have I been in the past? Or. have I\nnot been in the past? What have I been in the past? How have I been in\nthe past? From what state into what state did I change in the\npast?-Shall I be in the future? Or, shall I not be in the future? What\nshall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? From what\nstate into what state shall I change in the future?\" And the present\nalso fills him with doubt: \"Am I? Or, am I not? What am I? How am I?\nThis being, whence has it come? Whither will it go?\"\nAnd with such unwise considerations, he falls into one or other of\nthe six views, and it becomes his conviction and firm belief: \"I\nhave an Ego\"; or: \"I have no Ego\"; or: \"With the Ego I perceive the\nEgo\"; or: \"With that which is no Ego, I perceive the Ego\"; or: \"With\nthe Ego I perceive that which is no Ego. Or, he falls into the\nfollowing view: \"This my Ego, which can think and feel, and which, now\nhere, now there, experiences the fruit of good and evil deeds; this my\nEgo is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and will\nthus eternally remain the same.\"\nIf there really existed the Ego, there would be also something which\nbelonged to the Ego. As, however, in truth and reality, neither the\nEgo, nor anything belonging to the Ego, can be found, is it not\ntherefore really an utter fool's doctrine to say: \"This is the\nworld, this am I; after death, I shall be permanent, persisting, and\neternal?\"\nThese are called mere views, a thicket of views, a puppet show of\nviews, a toil of views, a snare of views; and ensnared in the fetter\nof views, the ignorant worldling will not be freed from rebirth,\nfrom decay, and from death, from sorrow, pain, grief, and despair;\nhe will not be freed, I say, from suffering.\nTHE SOTAPAN, OR \"STREAM-ENTERER\"\nThe learned and noble disciple, however, who has regard for holy\nmen, knows the teaching of holy men, is well trained in the noble\ndoctrine, he understands what is worthy of consideration, and what\nis unworthy. And knowing this, he considers the worthy, and not the\nunworthy. What suffering is, he wisely considers. What the origin of\nsuffering is, he wisely considers; what the extinction of suffering\nis, he wisely considers; what the path is that leads to the extinction\nof suffering, he wisely considers.\nAnd by thus considering, three fetters vanish, namely:\nSelf-illusion, Skepticism, and Attachment to mere Rule and Ritual.\nBut those disciples in whom these three fetters have vanished have\n\"entered the Stream,\" have forever escaped the states of woe, and\nare assured of final enlightenment.\nMore than any earthly power,\nMore than all the joys of heaven,\nMore than rule o'er all the world,\nIs the Entrance to the Stream.\nAnd, verily, those who are filled with unshaken faith in me, all\nthose have entered the stream.\nThere are ten \"Fetters\" by which beings are bound to the wheel of\nexistence. They are: Self-Illusion, Skepticism, Attachment to mere\nRule and Ritual, Sensual Lust, Ill-will, Craving for the World of pure\nForm, Craving for the Formless World, Conceit, Restlessness,\nIgnorance.\nA Sotapan, or \"Stream-Enterer\" i.e. \"one who has entered the\nstream leading to Nirvana,\" is free from the first three fetters.\nA Sakadagamin, or \"Once-Returned\"-namely to this sensuous sphere-has\novercome the 4th and 5th fetters in their grosser form. An Anagamin,\nor \"Non-Returner,\" is wholly freed from the first five fetters,\nwhich bind to rebirth in the sensuous sphere; after death, whilst\nliving in the sphere of pure form, he will reach the goal. An\nArahat, or perfectly \"Holy One,\" is freed from all fetters.]\nTHE TWO UNDERSTANDINGS\nTherefore, I say, Right Understanding is of two kinds:\n1. The view that alms and offerings are not useless; that there is\nfruit and result, both of good and bad actions; that there are such\nthings as this life, and the next life; that father and mother as\nspontaneously born beings (in the heavenly worlds) are no mere\nwords; that there are monks and priests who are spotless and\nperfect, who can explain this life and the next life, which they\nthemselves have understood: this is called the \"Mundane Right\nUnderstanding,\" which yields worldly fruits, and brings good results.\n2. But whatsoever there is of wisdom, of penetration, of right\nunderstanding, conjoined with the Path-the mind being turned away from\nthe world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path being turned\naway from the world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path\nbeing pursued;-this is called the \"Ultramundane Right\nUnderstanding,\" which is not of the world, but is ultramundane, and\nconjoined with the Path.\n[Thus, there are two kinds of the Eightfold Path: the \"mundane,\"\npracticed by the \"worldling\"; and the \"ultra-mundane,\" practiced by\nthe \"Noble Ones.\"]\nNow, in understanding wrong understanding as wrong, and right\nunderstanding as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st step];\nand in making efforts to overcome wrong understanding, and to\narouse right understanding, one practices. Right Effort [6th step];\nand in overcoming wrong understanding with attentive mind, and\ndwelling with attentive mind in the possession of right understanding,\none practices Right-Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence, there are three\nthings that accompany and follow upon right understanding, namely:\nright understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.\nCOMPLETE DELIVERANCE\nNow, if any one should put the question, whether I admit any view at\nall, he should be answered thus:\nThe Perfect One is free from any theory, for the Perfect One has\nunderstood what corporeality is, and how it arises, and passes away.\nHe has understood what feeling is, and how it arises, and passes away.\nHe has understood what perception is, and how it arises, and passes\naway. He has understood what the mental formations are, and how they\narise, and pass away. He has understood what consciousness is, and how\nit arises, and passes away. Therefore, I say, the Perfect One has\nwon complete deliverance through the extinction, fading-away,\ndisappearance, rejection, and getting rid of all opinions and\nconjectures, of all inclination to the vainglory of \"I\" and \"mine.\"\nWhether Perfect Ones [Buddhas] appear in the world or whether\nPerfect Ones do not appear in the world, it still remains a firm\ncondition, an immutable fact and fixed law: that all formations are\nimpermanent\" that all formations are \"subject to suffering\"; that\neverything is \"without an Ego.\"\n[The word sankhara (formations) comprises all things which have\na beginning and an end, the so-called created, or \"formed\" things,\ni.e., all possible physical and mental constituents of existence.]\nA corporeal phenomenon, a feeling, a perception, a mental formation,\na consciousness, that is permanent and persistent, eternal and not\nsubject to change: such a thing the wise men in this world do not\nrecognize; and I also say, there is no such thing.\nAnd it is impossible that a being possessed of Right Understanding\nshould regard anything as the Ego.\nNow, if someone should say that Feeling is his Ego, he should be\nanswered thus: \"There are three kinds of feeling: pleasurable,\npainful, and indifferent feeling. Which of these three feelings,\nnow, do you consider your Ego?\" At the moment namely of experiencing\none of these feelings one does not experience the other two. These\nthree kinds of feelings are impermanent, of dependent origin, are\nsubject to decay and dissolution, to fading-away and extinction.\nWhosoever, in experiencing one of these feelings, thinks that this\nis his Ego, will, after the extinction of that feeling, admit that his\nEgo has become dissolved. And thus he will consider his Ego already in\nthis present life as impermanent, mixed up with pleasure and pain,\nsubject to rising and passing away.\nIf any one should say that Feeling is not his Ego, and that his\nEgo is inaccessible to feeling, he should be asked thus: \"Now, where\nthere is no feeling, is it there possible to say: 'This am I?'\"\nOr, someone might say: \"Feeling, indeed, is not my Ego, but it\nalso is untrue that my Ego is inaccessible to feeling; for it is my\nEgo that feels, for my Ego has the faculty of feeling.\" Such a one\nshould be answered thus: \"Suppose, feeling should become altogether\ntotally extinguished; now, if there, after the extinction of\nfeeling, no feeling whatever exists, it is then possible to say: 'This\nam I?'\"\nTo say that the mind, or the mind-objects, or the\nmind-consciousness, constitute the Ego; such an assertion is\nunfounded. For an arising and a passing away is seen there; and seeing\nthis, one should come to the conclusion that one's Ego arises and\npasses away.\nIt would be better for the unlearned worldling to regard this\nbody, built up of the four elements, as his Ego, rather than the mind.\nFor it is evident that this body may last for a year, for two years,\nfor three years, four, five, or ten years, or even a hundred years and\nmore; but that which is called thought, or mind, or consciousness,\nis continuously, during day and night, arising as one thing, and\npassing away as another thing.\nTherefore, whatsoever there is of corporeality, of feeling, of\nperception, of mental formations, of consciousness, whether one's\nown or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near; there one\nshould understand according to reality and true wisdom: \"This does not\nbelong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.\"\n[To show the Egolessness, utter emptiness of existence,\nVisuddhi-Magga XVI quotes the following verse:\nMere suffering exists, no sufferer is found;\nThe deed is, but no doer of the deed is there;\nNirvana is, but not the man that enters it;\nThe Path is, but no traveler on it is seen.]\nPAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE\nIf, now, any one should ask: \"Have you been in the past, and is it\nuntrue that you have not been? Will you be in the future, and is it\nuntrue that you will not be? Are you, and is it untrue that you are\nnot?\"-you may say that you have been in the past, and it is untrue\nthat you have not been; that you will be in the future, and it is\nuntrue that you will not be; that you are, and it is untrue that you\nare not.\nIn the past only the past existence was real, but unreal the\nfuture and present existence. In the future only the future\nexistence will be real, but unreal the past and present existence. Now\nonly the present existence is real, but unreal the past and future\nexistence.\nVerily, he who perceives the Dependent Origination, perceives the\ntruth and he who perceives the truth, perceives the dependent\norigination. For, just as from the cow comes milk, from milk curds,\nfrom curds butter, from butter ghee, from ghee the scum of ghee; and\nwhen it is milk, it is not counted as curds, or butter, or ghee, or\nscum of ghee, but only as milk; and when it is curds, it is only\ncounted as curds-just so was my past existence at that time real,\nbut unreal the future and present existence; and my future existence\nwill be at one time real, but unreal the past and present existence;\nand my present existence is now real, but unreal the past and future\nexistence. All these are merely popular designations and\nexpressions, mere conventional terms of speaking, mere popular\nnotions. The Perfect One, indeed, makes use of these, without,\nhowever, clinging to them.\nThus, he who does not understand corporeality, feeling,\nperception, mental formations and consciousness according to reality\n[i.e., as void of a personality, or Ego], and not their arising,\ntheir extinction, and the way to their extinction, he is liable to\nbelieve, either that the Perfect One continues after death, or that he\ndoes not continue after death, and so forth.\nVerily, if one holds the view that the vital principle [Ego] is\nidentical with this body, in that case a holy life is not possible;\nor, if one holds the view that the vital principle is something\nquite different from the body, in that case also a holy life is not\npossible. Both these two Extremes the Perfect One has avoided, and\nshown the Middle Doctrine, saying:\nDEPENDENT ORIGINATION\nOn Delusion depend the Karma-Formations. On the karma-formations\ndepends Consciousness [starting with rebirth-consciousness in the\nwomb of the mother].- On consciousness depends the Mental and Physical\nExistence.-On the mental and physical existence depend the Six\nSense-Organs.-On the six sense-organs depends the Sensory\nImpression.-On the sensory impression depends Feeling.-On feeling\ndepends; Craving.-On craving depends Clinging. On clinging depends the\nProcess of Becoming.-On the process of becoming [here: karmaprocess]\ndepends Rebirth.-On rebirth depend Decay and Death, sorrow,\nlamentation, pain, grief and despair. Thus arises this whole mass of\nsuffering. This is called the noble truth of the origin of suffering.\nIn whom, however, Delusion has disappeared and wisdom arisen, such a\ndisciple heaps up neither meritorious, nor demeritorious, nor\nimperturbable Karma-formations.\nThus, through the entire fading away and extinction of this\nDelusion, the Karma-Formations are extinguished. Through the\nextinction of the Karma-formations, Consciousness [rebirth] is\nextinguished. Through the extinction of consciousness, the Mental\nand Physical Existence is extinguished. Through the extinction of\nthe mental and physical existence, the six Sense-Organs are\nextinguished. Through the extinction of the six sense-organs, the\nSensory Impression is extinguished. Through the extinction of the\nsensory impression, Feeling is extinguished. Through the extinction of\nfeeling, Craving is extinguished. Through the extinction of craving,\nClinging is extinguished. Through the extinction of clinging, the\nProcess of Becoming is extinguished. Through the extinction of the\nprocess of becoming, Rebirth is extinguished. Through the extinction\nof rebirth, Decay and Death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and\ndespair are extinguished. Thus takes place the extinction of this\nwhole mass of suffering. This is called the Noble Truth of the\nExtinction of Suffering.\nKARMA: REBIRTH - PRODUCING AND BARREN\nVerily, because beings, obstructed by Delusion, and ensnared by\nCraving, now here now there seek ever fresh delight, therefore such\naction comes to ever fresh Rebirth.\nAnd the action that is done out of greed, anger and delusion, that\nsprings from them, has its source and origin there: this action ripens\nwherever one is reborn; and wherever this action ripens, there one\nexperiences the fruits of this action, be it in this life, or the next\nlife, or in some future life.\nHowever, through the fading away of delusion through the arising\nof wisdom, through the extinction of craving, no future rebirth\ntakes place again\nFor the actions, which are not done out of greed, anger and\ndelusion, which have not sprung from them, which have not their source\nand origin there-such actions are, through the absence of greed, anger\nand delusion, abandoned, rooted out, like a palm-tree torn out of\nthe soil, destroyed, and not liable to spring up again.\nIn this respect one may rightly say of me: that I teach\nannihilation, that I propound my doctrine for the purpose of\nannihilation, and that I herein train my disciples; for, certainly,\nI do teach annihilation-the annihilation, namely, of greed, anger\nand delusion, as well as of the manifold evil and unwholesome things.\n[\"Dependent Origination\" is the teaching of the strict conformity to\nlaw of everything that happens, whether in the realm of the\nphysical, or the psychical. It shows how the totality of phenomena,\nphysical and mental, the entire phenomenal world that depends wholly\nupon the six senses, together with all its suffering-and this is the\nvital point of the teaching is not the mere play of blind chance,\nbut has an existence that is dependent upon conditions; and that,\nprecisely with the removal of these conditions, those things that have\narisen in dependence upon them-thus also all suffering-must perforce\ndisappear and cease to be.]\nSECOND STEP\nRIGHT MINDEDNESS\nWHAT, now, is Right Mindedness? It is thoughts free from lust;\nthoughts free from ill-will; thoughts free from cruelty. This is\ncalled right mindedness.\nNow, Right Mindedness, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1. Thoughts\nfree from lust, from ill-will, and from cruelty:-this is called the\n\"Mundane Right Mindedness,\" which yields worldly fruits and brings\ngood results.\n2. But, whatsoever there is of thinking, considering, reasoning,\nthought, ratiocination, application-the mind being holy, being\nturned away from the world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path\nbeing pursued-: these \"Verbal Operations\" of the mind are called the\n\"Ultramundane Right Mindedness which is not of the world, but is ultra\nmundane, and conjoined with the paths.\nNow, in understanding wrong-mindedness as wrong, and\nright-mindedness as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st\nstep]; and in making efforts to overcome evil-mindedness, and to\narouse right-mindedness, one practices Right Effort [6th step];\nand in overcoming evil-mindedness with attentive mind, and dwelling\nwith attentive mind in possession of right-mindedness, one practices\nRight Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence, there are three things that\naccompany and follow upon right-mindedness, namely: right\nunderstanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.\nTHIRD STEP\nTHIRD STEP\nRIGHT SPEECH\nWHAT, now, is Right Speech? It is abstaining from lying;\nabstaining from tale-bearing; abstaining from harsh language;\nabstaining from vain talk.\nThere, someone avoids lying, and abstains from it. He speaks the\ntruth, is devoted to the truth, reliable, worthy of confidence, is not\na deceiver of men. Being at a meeting, or amongst people, or in the\nmidst of his relatives, or in a society, or in the king's court, and\ncalled upon and asked as witness, to tell what he knows, he answers,\nif he knows nothing: \"I know nothing\"; and if he knows, he answers: \"I\nknow\"; if he has seen nothing, he answers: \"I have seen nothing,\"\nand if he has seen, he answers: \"I have seen.\" Thus, he never\nknowingly speaks a lie, neither for the sake of his own advantage, nor\nfor the sake of another person's advantage, nor for the sake of any\nadvantage whatsoever.\nHe avoids tale-bearing, and abstains from it. What he has heard\nhere, he does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension there; and\nwhat he heard there, he does not repeat here, so as to cause\ndissension here. Thus he unites those that are divided; and those that\nare united, he encourages. Concord gladdens him, he delights and\nrejoices in concord, and it is concord that he spreads by his words.\nHe avoids harsh language, and abstains from it. He speaks such words\nas are gentle, soothing to the ear, loving, going to the heart,\ncourteous and dear, and agreeable to many.\n[In Majjhima-Nikaya, No. 21, the Buddha says: \"Even, O monks, should\nrobbers and murderers saw through your limbs and joints, whoso gave\nway to anger thereat, would not be following my advice. For thus ought\nyou to train yourselves:\n\"'Undisturbed shall our mind remain, no evil words shall escape\nour lips; friendly and full of sympathy shall we remain, with heart\nfull of love, and free from any hidden malice; and that person shall\nwe penetrate with loving thoughts, wide, deep, boundless, freed from\nanger and hatred.'\"]\nHe avoids vain talk, and abstains from it. He speaks at the right\ntime, in accordance with facts, speaks what is useful, speaks about\nthe law and the discipline; his speech is like a treasure, at the\nright moment accompanied by arguments, moderate and full of sense.\nThis is called right speech.\nNow, right speech, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1. Abstaining\nfrom lying, from tale-bearing, from harsh language, and from vain\ntalk; this is called the \"Mundane Right Speech, which yields worldly\nfruits and brings good results.\n2. But the abhorrence of the practice of this four-fold wrong\nspeech, the abstaining, withholding, refraining therefrom-the mind\nbeing holy, being turned away from the world, and conjoined with the\npath, the holy path being pursued-: this is called the \"Ultramundane\nRight Speech, which is not of the world, but is ultramundane, and\nconjoined with the paths.\nNow, in understanding wrong speech as wrong, and right speech as\nright, one practices Right Understanding [1st step); and in making\nefforts to overcome evil speech and to arouse right speech, one\npractices Right Effort [6th step]; and in overcoming wrong speech\nwith attentive mind, and dwelling with attentive mind in possession of\nright speech, one practices Right Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence,\nthere are three things that accompany and follow upon right\nattentiveness.\nFOURTH STEP\nRIGHT ACTION\nWHAT, now, is Right Action? It is abstaining from killing;\nabstaining from stealing; abstaining from unlawful sexual intercourse.\nThere, someone avoids the killing of living beings, and abstains\nfrom it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of sympathy, he\nis anxious for the welfare of all living beings.\nHe avoids stealing, and abstains from it; what another person\npossesses of goods and chattels in the village or in the wood, that he\ndoes not take away with thievish intent.\nHe avoids unlawful sexual intercourse, and abstains from it. He\nhas no intercourse with such persons as are still under the protection\nof father, mother, brother, sister or relatives, nor with married\nwomen, nor female convicts, nor, lastly, with betrothed girls.\nThis is called Right Action.\nNow, Right Action, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1. Abstaining\nfrom killing, from stealing, and from unlawful sexual intercourse-this\nis called the \"Mundane Right Action, which yields worldly fruits and\nbrings good results. But the abhorrence of the practice of this\nthree-fold wrong action, the abstaining, withholding, refraining\ntherefrom-the mind being holy, being turned away from the world, and\nconjoined with the path, the holy path being pursued-: this is\ncalled the \"Ultramundane Right Action,\" which is not of the world, but\nis ultramundane, and conjoined with the paths.\nNow, in understanding wrong action as wrong, and right action as\nright, one practices Right Understanding [1st step]; and in making\nefforts to overcome wrong action, and to arouse right action, one\npractices Right Effort [6th step]; and in overcoming wrong action\nwith attentive mind, and dwelling with attentive mind in possession of\nright action, one practices Right Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence,\nthere are three things that accompany and follow upon right action,\nnamely: right understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.\nFIFTH STEP\nRIGHT LIVING\nWHAT, now, is Right Living? When the noble disciple, avoiding a\nwrong way of living, gets his livelihood by a right way of living,\nthis is called Right Living.\nNow, right living, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1. When the\nnoble disciple, avoiding wrong living, gets his livelihood by a\nright way of living-this is called the \"Mundane Right Living,\" which\nyields worldly fruits and brings good results.\n2. But the abhorrence of wrong living, the abstaining,\nwithholding, refraining therefrom-the mind being holy, being turned\naway from the world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path\nbeing pursued-: this is called the \"Ultramundane Right Living,\"\nwhich is not of the world, but is ultramundane, and conjoined with the\npaths.\nNow, in understanding wrong living as wrong, and right living as\nright, one practices Right Understanding [1st step]; and in making\nefforts to overcome wrong living, to arouse right living, one\npractices Right Effort [6th step]; and in overcoming wrong living\nwith attentive mind, and dwelling with attentive mind in possession of\nright living, one practices Right Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence,\nthere are three things that accompany and follow upon right living,\nnamely: right understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.\nSIXTH STEP\nRIGHT EFFORT\nWHAT, now, is Right Effort? There are Four Great Efforts: the effort\nto avoid, the effort to overcome, the effort to develop, and the\neffort to maintain.\nWhat, now, is the effort to avoid? There, the disciple incites his\nmind to avoid the arising of evil, demeritorious things that have\nnot yet arisen; and he strives, puts forth his energy, strains his\nmind and struggles.\nThus, when he perceives a form with the eye, a sound with the ear,\nan odor with the nose, a taste with the tongue, a contact with the\nbody, or an object with the mind, he neither adheres to the whole, nor\nto its parts. And he strives to ward off that through which evil and\ndemeritorious things, greed and sorrow, would arise, if he remained\nwith unguarded senses; and he watches over his senses, restrains his\nsenses.\nPossessed of this noble \"Control over the Senses,\" he experiences\ninwardly a feeling of joy, into which no evil thing can enter. This is\ncalled the effort to avoid.\nWhat, now, is the effort to Overcome? There, the disciple incites\nhis mind to overcome the evil, demeritorious things that have\nalready arisen; and he strives, puts forth his energy, strains his\nmind and struggles.\nHe does not retain any thought of sensual lust, ill-will, or\ngrief, or any other evil and demeritorious states that may have\narisen; he abandons them, dispels them, destroys them, causes them\nto disappear.\nFIVE METHODS OF EXPELLING EVIL THOUGHTS\nIf, whilst regarding a certain object, there arise in the\ndisciple, on account of it, evil and demeritorious thoughts\nconnected with greed, anger and delusion, then the disciple should, by\nmeans of this object, gain another and wholesome object. Or, he should\nreflect on the misery of these thoughts: \"Unwholesome, truly, are\nthese thoughts! Blameable are these thoughts! Of painful result are\nthese thoughts!\" Or, he should pay no attention to these thoughts. Or,\nhe should consider the compound nature of these thoughts. Or, with\nteeth clenched and tongue pressed against the gums, he should, with\nhis mind, restrain, suppress and root out these thoughts; and in doing\nso, these evil and demeritorious thoughts of greed, anger and delusion\nwill dissolve and disappear; and the mind will inwardly become settled\nand calm, composed and concentrated.\nThis is called the effort to overcome.\nWhat, now, is the effort to Develop? There the disciple incites\nhis will to arouse meritorious conditions that have not yet arisen;\nand he strives, puts forth his energy, strains his mind and struggles.\nThus he develops the \"Elements of Enlightenment,\" bent on\nsolitude, on detachment, on extinction, and ending in deliverance,\nnamely: Attentiveness, Investigation of the Law, Energy, Rapture,\nTranquility, Concentration, and Equanimity. This is called the\neffort to develop.\nWhat, now, is the effort to Maintain? There, the disciple incites\nhis will to maintain the meritorious conditions that have already\narisen, and not to let them disappear, but to bring them to growth, to\nmaturity and to the full perfection of development; and he strives,\nputs forth his energy, strains his mind and struggles.\nThus, for example, he keeps firmly in his mind a favorable object of\nconcentration that has arisen, as the mental image of a skeleton, of a\ncorpse infested by worms, of a corpse blue-black in color, of a\nfestering corpse, of a corpse riddled with holes, of a corpse\nswollen up.\nThis is called the effort to maintain.\nTruly, the disciple who is possessed of faith and has penetrated the\nTeaching of the Master, he is filled with the thought: \"May rather\nskin, sinews and bones wither away, may the flesh and blood of my body\ndry up: I shall not give up my efforts so long as I have not\nattained whatever is attainable by manly perseverance, energy and\nendeavor!\"\nThis is called right effort.\nThe effort of Avoiding, Overcoming,\nOf Developing and Maintaining:\nThese four great efforts have been shown\nBy him, the scion of the sun.\nAnd he who firmly clings to them,\nMay put an end to all the pain.\nSEVENTH STEP\nRIGHT ATTENTIVENESS\nWHAT, now, is Right Attentiveness? The only way that leads to the\nattainment of purity, to the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation,\nto the end of pain and grief, to the entering upon the right path\nand the realization of Nirvana, is the \"Four Fundamentals of\nAttentiveness.\" And which are these four? In them, the disciple dwells\nin contemplation of the Body, in contemplation of Feeling, in\ncontemplation of the Mind, in contemplation of the Mind-objects,\nardent, clearly conscious and attentive, after putting away worldly\ngreed and grief.\nCONTEMPLATION OF THE BODY\nBut, how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the body?\nThere, the disciple retires to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or\nto a solitary place, sits himself down, with legs crossed, body erect,\nand with attentiveness fixed before him.\nWith attentive mind he breathes in, with attentive mind he\nbreathes out. When making a long inhalation, he knows: \"I make a\nlong inhalation\"; when making a long exhalation, he knows: \"I make a\nlong exhalation.\" when making a short inhalation, he knows: \"I make\na short inhalation\"; when making a short exhalation, he knows: \"I make\na short exhalation.\" \"Clearly perceiving the entire [breath]-body, I\nwill breathe in\": thus he trains himself; \"clearly perceiving the\nentire [breath]-body, I will breathe out\": thus he trains himself.\n\"Calming this bodily function, I will breathe n\": thus he trains\nhimself; \"calming this bodily function, I will breathe out\": thus he\ntrains himself.\nThus he dwells in contemplation of the body, either with regard to\nhis own person, or to other persons, or to both. He beholds how the\nbody arises; beholds how it passes away; beholds the arising and\npassing away of the body. \"A body is there-\n\"A body is there, but no living being, no individual, no woman,\nno man, no self, and nothing that belongs to a self; neither a\nperson, nor anything belonging to a person\"-\nthis clear consciousness is present in him, because of his knowledge\nand mindfulness, and he lives independent, unattached to anything in\nthe world. Thus does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the body.\nAnd further, whilst going, standing, sitting, or lying down, the\ndisciple understands the expressions: \"I go\"; \"I stand\"; \"I sit\"; \"I\nlie down\"; he understands any position of the body.\n[The disciple understands that it is not a being, a real Ego, that\ngoes, stands, etc., but that it is by a mere figure of speech that one\nsays: \"I go,\" \"I stand,\" and so forth.]\nAnd further, the disciple is clearly conscious in his going and\ncoming; clearly conscious in looking forward and backward; clearly\nconscious in bending and stretching; clearly conscious in eating,\ndrinking, chewing, and tasting; clearly conscious in discharging\nexcrement and urine; clearly conscious in walking, standing,\nsitting, falling asleep and awakening; clearly conscious in speaking\nand in keeping silent.\n\"In all the disciple is doing, he is clearly conscious: of his\nintention, of his advantage, of his duty, of the reality.\"\nAnd further, the disciple contemplates this body from the sole of\nthe foot upward, and from the top of the hair downward, with a skin\nstretched over it, and filled with manifold impurities: \"This body\nconsists of hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow,\nkidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, bowels,\nstomach, and excrement; of bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph,\ntears, semen, spittle, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, and urine.\"\nJust as if there were a sack, with openings at both ends, filled\nwith all kinds of grain-with paddy, beans, sesamum and husked rice-and\na man not blind opened it and examined its contents, thus: \"That is\npaddy, these are beans, this is sesamum, this is husked rice\": just so\ndoes the disciple investigate this body.\nAnd further, the disciple contemplates this body with regard to\nthe elements: \"This body consists of the solid element, the liquid\nelement, the heating element and the vibrating element.\" Just as a\nskilled butcher or butcher's apprentice, who has slaughtered a cow and\ndivided it into separate portions, should sit down at the junction\nof four highroads: just so does the disciple contemplate this body\nwith regard to the elements.\nAnd further, just as if the disciple should see a corpse thrown into\nthe burial-ground, one, two, or three days dead, swollen-up,\nblue-black in color, full of corruption he draws the conclusion as\nto his own body: \"This my body also has this nature, has this destiny,\nand cannot escape it.\" And further, just as if the disciple should see\na corpse thrown into the burial-ground, eaten by crows, hawks or\nvultures, by dogs or jackals, or gnawed by all kinds of worms-he draws\nthe conclusion as to his own body: \"This my body also has this nature,\nhas this destiny, and cannot escape it.\"\nAnd further, just as if the disciple should see a corpse thrown into\nthe burial-ground, a framework of bones, flesh hanging from it,\nbespattered with blood, held together by the sinews; a framework of\nbones, stripped of flesh, bespattered with blood, held together by the\nsinews; a framework of bones, without flesh and blood, but still\nheld together by the sinews; bones, disconnected and scattered in\nall directions, here a bone of the hand, there a bone of the foot,\nthere a shin bone, there a thigh bone, there the pelvis, there the\nspine, there the skull-he draws the conclusion as to his own body:\n\"This my body also has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot\nescape it.\"\nAnd further, just as if the disciple should see bones lying in the\nburial ground, bleached and resembling shells; bones heaped\ntogether, after the lapse of years; bones weathered and crumbled to\ndust;-he draws the conclusion as to his own body: \"This my body also\nhas this nature, has this destiny, and cannot escape it \"\nThus he dwells in contemplation of the body, either with regard to\nhis own person, or to other persons, or to both. He beholds how the\nbody arises; beholds how it passes away; beholds the arising and\npassing of the body. \"A body is there\" this clear consciousness is\npresent in him, because of his knowledge and mindfulness; and he lives\nindependent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus does the\ndisciple dwell in contemplation of the body.\nTHE TEN BLESSINGS\nOnce the contemplation of the body is practiced, developed, often\nrepeated, has become one's habit, one's foundation, is firmly\nestablished, strengthened and well perfected, one may expect ten\nblessings:\nOver Delight and Discontent one has mastery; one does not allow\nhimself to be overcome by discontent; one subdues it, as soon as it\narises. One conquers Fear and Anxiety; one does not allow himself to\nbe overcome by fear and anxiety; one subdues them, as soon as they\narise. One endures cold and heat, hunger and thirst, wind and sun,\nattacks by gadflies, mosquitoes and reptiles; patiently one endures\nwicked and malicious speech, as well as bodily pains, that befall one,\nthough they be piercing, sharp, bitter, unpleasant, disagreeable and\ndangerous to life. The four \"Trances,\" the mind bestowing happiness\neven here: these one may enjoy at will, without difficulty, without\neffort.\nOne may enjoy the different \"Magical Powers.\" With the \"Heavenly\nEar,\" the purified, the super-human, one may hear both kinds of\nsounds, the heavenly and the earthly, the distant and the near. With\nthe mind one may obtain \"Insight into the Hearts of Other Beings of\nother persons. One may obtain \"Remembrance of many Previous Births.\"\nWith the \"Heavenly Eye,\" the purified, the super-human, one may see\nbeings vanish and reappear, the base and the noble, the beautiful\nand the ugly, the happy and the unfortunate; one may perceive how\nbeings are reborn according to their deeds.\nOne may, through the \"Cessation of Passions,\" come to know for\noneself, even in this life, the stainless deliverance of mind, the\ndeliverance through wisdom.\nCONTEMPLATION OF THE FEELINGS\nBut how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the feelings?\nIn experiencing feelings, the disciple knows: \"I have an indifferent\nagreeable feeling,\" or \"I have a disagreeable feeling,\" or \"I have\nan indifferent feeling,\" or \"I have a worldly agreeable feeling,\" or\n\"I have an unworldly agreeable feeling,\" or \"I have a worldly\ndisagreeable feeling,\" or \"I have an unworldly disagreeable\nfeeling,\" or \"I have a worldly indifferent feeling,\" or have an\nunworldly indifferent feeling.\nThus he dwells in contemplation of the feelings, either with\nregard to his own person, or to other persons, or to both. He\nbeholds how the feelings arise; beholds how they pass away; beholds\nthe arising and passing away of the feelings. \"Feelings are there\":\nthis clear consciousness is present in him, because of his knowledge\nand mindfulness; and he lives independent, unattached to anything in\nthe world. Thus does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the\nfeelings.\n[The disciple understands that the expression \"I feel\" has no\nvalidity except as an expression of common speech; he understands\nthat, in the absolute sense, there are only feelings, and that there\nis no Ego, no person, no experience of the feelings.]\nCONTEMPLATION OF THE MIND\nBut how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the mind? The\ndisciple knows the greedy mind as greedy, and the not greedy mind as\nnot greedy; knows the angry mind as angry, and the not angry mind as\nnot angry; knows the deluded mind as deluded, and the undeluded mind\nas undeluded. He knows the cramped mind as cramped, and the\nscattered mind as scattered; knows the developed mind as developed,\nand the undeveloped mind as undeveloped; knows the surpassable mind as\nsurpassable, and the unsurpassable mind as unsurpassable; knows the\nconcentrated mind as concentrated, and the unconcentrated mind as\nunconcentrated; knows the freed mind as freed, and the unfreed mind as\nunfreed.\n[\"Mind\" is here used as a collective for the moments of\nconsciousness. Being identical with consciousness, it should not be\ntranslated by \"thought.\" \"Thought\" and \"thinking\" correspond rather to\nthe so-called \"verbal operations of the mind\"; they are not, like\nconsciousness, of primary, but of secondary nature, and are entirely\nabsent in all sensuous consciousness, as well as in the second,\nthird and fourth Trances. (See eighth step).]\nThus he dwells in contemplation of the mind, either with regard to\nhis own person, or to other persons, or to both. He beholds how\nconsciousness arises; beholds how it passes away; beholds the\narising and passing away of consciousness. \"Mind is there\"; this clear\nconsciousness is present in him, because of his knowledge and\nmindfulness; and he lives independent, unattached to anything in the\nworld. Thus does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the mind.\nCONTEMPLATION OF PHENOMENA (Mind-objects)\nBut how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the phenomena?\nFirst, the disciple dwells in contemplation of the phenomen, of the\n\"Five Hindrances.\"\nHe knows when there is \"Lust\" in him: \"In me is lust\"; knows when\nthere is \"Anger\" in him: \"In me is anger\"; knows when there is \"Torpor\nand Drowsiness\" in him: \"In me is torpor and drowsiness\"; knows when\nthere is \"Restlessness and Mental Worry\" in him: \"In me is\nrestlessness and mental worry\"; knows when there are \"Doubts\" in\nhim: \"In me are doubts.\" He knows when these hindrances are not in\nhim: \"In me these hindrances are not.\" He knows how they come to\narise; knows how, once arisen, they are overcome; knows how, once\novercome, they do not rise again in the future.\n[For example, Lust arises through unwise thinking on the agreeable\nand delightful. it may be suppressed by the following six methods:\nfixing the mind upon an idea that arouses disgust; contemplation of\nthe loathsomeness of the body; controlling one's six senses;\nmoderation in eating; friendship with wise and good men; right\ninstruction. Lust is forever extinguished upon entrance into\nAnagamiship; Restlessness is extinguished by reaching Arahatship;\nMental Worry, by reaching Sotapanship.]\nAnd further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the\nphenomena, of the five Groups of Existence. He knows what Corporeality\nis, how it arises, how it passes away; knows what Feeling is, how it\narises, how it away; knows what Perception is, how it arises, how it\npasses away; knows what the Mental Formations are, how they arise, how\nthey pass away; knows what Consciousness is, how it arises, how it\npasses away.\nAnd further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the phenomena\nof the six Subjective-Objective Sense-Bases. He knows eye and visual\nobjects, ear and sounds, nose and odors, tongue and tastes, body and\ntouches, mind and mind objects; and the fetter that arises in\ndependence on them, he also knows. He knows how the fetter comes to\narise, knows how the fetter is overcome, and how the abandoned\nfetter does not rise again in future.\nAnd further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the phenomena\nof the seven Elements of Enlightenment. The disciple knows when\nthere is Attentiveness in him; when there is Investigation of the\nLaw in him; when there is Energy in him; when there is Enthusiasm in\nhim; when there is Tranquility in him; when there is Concentration\nin him; when there is Equanimity in him. He knows when it is not in\nhim, knows how it comes to arise, and how it is fully developed.\nAnd further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the phenomena\nof the Four Noble Truths. He knows according to reality, what\nSuffering is; knows according to reality, what the Origin of Suffering\nis; knows according to reality, what the Extinction of Suffering is;\nknows according to reality, what the Path is that leads to the\nExtinction of Suffering.\nThus he dwells in contemplation of the phenomena, either with regard\nto his own person, or to other persons, or to both. He beholds how the\nphenomena arise; beholds how they pass away; beholds the arising and\npassing away of the phenomena. \"Phenomena are there this consciousness\nis present in him because of his knowledge and mindfulness; and he\nlives independent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus does\nthe disciple dwell in contemplation of the phenomena.\nThe only way that leads to the attainment of purity, to the\novercoming of sorrow and lamentation, to the end of pain and grief, to\nthe entering upon the right path, and the realization of Nirvana, is\nthese four fundamentals of attentiveness.\nNIRVANA THROUGH WATCHING OVER BREATHING\n\"Watching over In-and Out-breathing\" practiced and developed, brings\nthe four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to perfection; the four\nfundamentals of attentiveness, practiced and developed bring the seven\nElements of Enlightenment to perfection; the seven elements of\nenlightenment, practiced and developed, bring Wisdom and Deliverance\nto perfection.\nBut how does Watching over In-and Out-breathing, practiced and\ndeveloped, bring the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to perfection?\nI. Whenever the disciple is conscious in making a long inhalation or\nexhalation, or in making a short inhalation or exhalation, or is\ntraining himself to inhale or exhale whilst feeling the whole\n[breath]-body, or whilst calming down this bodily function-at such\na time the disciple is dwelling in \"contemplation of the body,\" of\nenergy, clearly conscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and\ngrief. For, inhalation and exhalation I call one amongst the corporeal\nphenomena.\nII. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or exhale\nwhilst feeling rapture, or joy, or the mental functions, or whilst\ncalming down the mental functions-at such a time he is dwelling in\n\"contemplation of the feelings,\" full of energy, clearly conscious,\nattentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief. For, the full\nawareness of in-and outbreathing I call one amongst the feelings.\nIII. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or exhale\nwhilst feeling the mind, or whilst gladdening the mind or whilst\nconcentrating the mind, or whilst setting the mind free-at such a time\nhe is dwelling in \"contemplation of the mind,\" full of energy, clearly\nconscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief. For,\nwithout attentiveness and clear consciousness, I say, there is no\nWatching over in-and Out-breathing.\nIV. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or exhale\nwhilst contemplating impermanence, or the fading away of passion, or\nextinction, or detachment at such a time he is dwelling in\n\"contemplation of the phenomena,\" full of energy, clearly conscious,\nattentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief.\nWatching over In-and Out-breathing, thus practiced and developed,\nbrings the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to perfection.\nBut how do the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness, practiced and\ndeveloped, bring the seven Elements of Enlightenment to full\nperfection?\nWhenever the disciple is dwelling in contemplation of body, feeling,\nmind and phenomena, strenuous, clearly conscious, attentive, after\nsubduing worldly greed and grief-at such a time his attentiveness is\nundisturbed; and whenever his attentiveness is present and\nundisturbed, at such a time he has gained and is developing the\nElement of Enlightenment \"Attentiveness\"; and thus this element of\nenlightenment reaches fullest perfection.\nAnd whenever, whilst dwelling with attentive mind, he wisely\ninvestigates, examines and thinks over the Law-at such a time he has\ngained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment \"Investigation\nof the Law\"; and thus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest\nperfection.\nAnd whenever, whilst wisely investigating, examining and thinking\nover the law, his energy is firm and unshaken-at such a time he has\ngained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment \"Energy\"; and\nthus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.\nAnd whenever in him, whilst firm in energy, arises supersensuous\nrapture-at such a time he has gained and is developing the Element\nof Enlightenment \"Rapture\"; and thus this element of enlightenment\nreaches fullest perfection.\nAnd whenever, whilst enraptured in mind, his spiritual frame and his\nmind become tranquil-at such a time he has gained and is developing\nthe Element of Enlightenment \"Tranquility\"; and thus this element of\nenlightenment reaches fullest perfection.\nAnd whenever, whilst being tranquilized in his spiritual frame and\nhappy, his mind becomes concentrated-at such a time he has gained\nand is developing the Element of Enlightenment \"Concentration; and\nthus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.\nAnd whenever he thoroughly looks with indifference on his mind\nthus concentrated-at such a time he has gained and is developing the\nElement of Enlightenment \"Equanimity.\"\nThe four fundamentals of attentiveness, thus practiced and\ndeveloped, bring the seven elements of enlightenment to full\nperfection.\nBut how do the seven elements of enlightenment, practiced and\ndeveloped, bring Wisdom and Deliverance to full perfection?\nThere, the disciple is developing the elements of enlightenment:\nAttentiveness, Investigation of the Law, Energy, Rapture, Tranquility,\nConcentration and Equanimity, bent on detachment, on absence of\ndesire, on extinction and renunciation.\nThus practiced and developed, do the seven elements of enlightenment\nbring wisdom and deliverance to full perfection.\nJust as the elephant hunter drives a huge stake into the ground\nand chains the wild elephant to it by the neck, in order to drive\nout of him his wonted forest ways and wishes, his forest unruliness,\nobstinacy and violence, and to accustom him to the environment of\nthe village, and to teach him such good behavior as is required\namongst men: in like manner also has the noble disciple to fix his\nmind firmly to these four fundamentals of attentiveness, so that he\nmay drive out of himself his wonted worldly ways and wishes, his\nwonted worldly unruliness, obstinacy and violence, and win to the\nTrue, and realize Nirvana.\nEIGHTH STEP\nRIGHT CONCENTRATION\nWHAT, now, is Right Concentration? Fixing the mind to a single\nobject (\"One-pointedness of mind\"): this is concentration.\nThe four Fundamentals of Attentiveness (seventh step): these are\nthe objects of concentration.\nThe four Great Efforts (sixth step): these are the requisites\nfor concentration.\nThe practicing, developing and cultivating of these things: this\nis the \"Development\" of concentration.\n[Right Concentration has two degrees of development: 1.\n\"Neighborhood-Concentration,\" which approaches the first trance,\nwithout however attaining it; 2. \"Attainment Concentration,\" which\nis the concentration present in the four trances. The attainment of\nthe trances, however, is not a requisite for the realization of the\nFour Ultramundane Paths of Holiness; and neither\nNeighborhood-Concentration nor Attainment-Concentration, as such, in\nany way possesses the power of conferring entry into the Four\nUltramundane Paths; hence, in them is really no power to free\noneself permanently from evil things. The realization of the Four\nUltramundane Paths is possible only at the moment of insight into\nthe impermanency, miserable nature, and impersonality of phenomenal\nprocess of existence. This insight is attainable only during\nNeighborhood-Concentration, not during Attainment-Concentration.\nHe who has realized one or other of the Four Ultramundane Paths\nwithout ever having attained the Trances, is called a \"Dry-visioned\nOne,\" or one whose passions are \"dried up by Insight.\" He, however,\nwho after cultivating the Trances has reached one of the\nUltramundane Paths, is called \"one who has taken tranquility as his\nvehicle.\"]\nTHE FOUR TRANCES\nDetached from sensual objects, detached from unwholesome things, the\ndisciple enters into the first trance, which is accompanied by \"Verbal\nThough,\" and \"Rumination,\" is born of \"Detachment,\" and filled with\n\"Rapture,\" and \"Happiness.\"\nThis first trance is free from five things, and five things are\npresent. When the disciple enters the first trance, there have\nvanished [the 5 Hindrances]: Lust, Ill-will, Torpor and Dullness,\nRestlessness and Mental Worry, Doubts; and there are present: Verbal\nThought, Rumination, Rapture, Happiness, and Concentration.\nAnd further: after the subsiding of verbal thought and rumination,\nand by the gaining of inward tranquility and oneness of mind, he\nenters into a state free from verbal thought and rumination, the\nsecond trance, which is born of Concentration, and filled with Rapture\nand Happiness.\nAnd further: after the fading away of rapture, he dwells in\nequanimity, attentive, clearly conscious; and he experiences in his\nperson that feeling, of which the Noble Ones say: \"Happy lives the man\nof equanimity and attentive mind\"-thus he enters the third trance.\nAnd further: after the giving up of pleasure and pain, and through\nthe disappearance of previous joy and grief, he enters into a state\nbeyond pleasure and pain, into the fourth trance, which is purified by\nequanimity and attentiveness.\n[The four Trances may be obtained by means of Watching over In-and\nOut-breathing, as well as through the fourth sublime meditation, the\n\"Meditation of Equanimity,\" and others.\nThe three other Sublime Meditations of \"Loving Kindness,\"\n\"Compassion\", and \"Sympathetic Joy\" may lead to the attainment of\nthe first three Trances. The \"Cemetery Meditations,\" as well as the\nmeditation \"On Loathsomeness,\" will produce only the First Trance.\nThe \"Analysis of the Body,\" and the Contemplation on the Buddha, the\nLaw, the Holy Brotherhood, Morality, etc., will only produce\nNeighborhood-Concentration.]\nDevelop your concentration: for he who has concentration understands\nthings according to their reality. And what are these things? The\narising and passing away of corporeality, of feeling, perception,\nmental formations and consciousness.\nThus, these five Groups of Existence must be wisely penetrated;\nDelusion and Craving must be wisely abandoned; Tranquility and Insight\nmust be wisely developed.\nThis is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has discovered,\nwhich makes one both to see and to know, and which leads to peace,\nto discernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.\nAnd following upon this path, you will put an end to suffering.\nDEVELOPMENT OF THE EIGHTFOLD PATH IN THE DISCIPLE\nCONFIDENCE AND RIGHT-MINDEDNESS (2nd Step)\nSUPPOSE a householder, or his son, or someone reborn in any\nfamily, hears the law; and after hearing the law he is filled with\nconfidence in the Perfect One. And filled with this confidence, he\nthinks: \"Full of hindrances is household life, a refuse heap; but\npilgrim life is like the open air. Not easy is it, when one lives at\nhome, to fulfill in all points the rules of the holy life. How, if now\nI were to cut off hair and beard, put on the yellow robe and go\nforth from home to the homeless life?\" And in a short time, having\ngiven up his more or less extensive possessions, having forsaken a\nsmaller or larger circle of relations, he cuts off hair and beard,\nputs on the yellow robe, and goes forth from home to the homeless\nlife.\nMORALITY (3rd, 4th, 5th Step)\nHaving thus left the world, he fulfills the rules of the monks. He\navoids the killing of living beings and abstains from it. Without\nstick or sword, conscientious, full of sympathy, he is anxious for the\nwelfare of all living beings.-He avoids stealing, and abstains from\ntaking what is not given to him. Only what is given to him he takes,\nwaiting till it is given; and he lives with a heart honest and\npure.-He avoids unchastity, living chaste, resigned, and keeping aloof\nfrom sexual intercourse, the vulgar way.-He avoids lying and\nabstains from it. He speaks the truth, is devoted to the truth,\nreliable, worthy of confidence, is not a deceiver of men.-He avoids\ntale-bearing and abstains from it. What he has heard here, he does not\nrepeat there, so as to cause dissension there; and what he has heard\nthere, he does not repeat here, so as to cause dissension here. Thus\nhe unites those that are divided, and those that are united he\nencourages; concord gladdens him, he delights and rejoices in concord,\nand it is concord that he spreads by his words.-He avoids harsh\nlanguage and abstains from it. He speaks such words as are gentle,\nsoothing to the ear, loving, going to the heart, courteous and dear,\nand agreeable to many.- He avoids vain talk and abstains from it. He\nspeaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what is\nuseful, speaks about the law and the disciple; his speech is like a\ntreasure, at the right moment accompanied by arguments, moderate,\nand full of sense.\nHe keeps aloof from dance, song, music and the visiting of shows;\nrejects flowers, perfumes, ointments, as well as every kind of\nadornment and embellishment. High and gorgeous beds he does not use.\nGold and silver he does not accept. Raw corn and meat he does not\naccept. Women and girls he does not accept. He owns no male and female\nslaves, owns no goats, sheep, fowls, pigs, elephants, cows or\nhorses, no land and goods. He does not go on errands and do the duties\nof a messenger. He keeps aloof from buying and selling things. He\nhas nothing to do with false measures, metals and weights. He avoids\nthe crooked ways of bribery, deception and fraud. He keeps aloof\nfrom stabbing, beating, chaining, attacking, plundering and\noppressing.\nHe contents himself with the robe that protects his body, and with\nthe alms with which he keeps himself alive. Wherever he goes, he is\nprovided with these two things; just as a winged bird, in flying,\ncarries his wings along with him. By fulfilling this noble Domain of\nMorality he feels in his heart an irreproachable happiness.\nCONTROL OF THE SENSES (6th Step)\nNow, in perceiving a form with the eye- a sound with the ear- an\nodor with the nose- a taste with the tongue- a touch with the body- an\nobject with his mind, he sticks neither to the whole, nor to its\ndetails. And he tries to ward off that which, by being unguarded in\nhis senses, might give rise to evil and unwholesome states, to greed\nand sorrow; he watches over his senses, keep his senses under control.\nBy practicing this noble \"Control of the Senses\" he feels in his heart\nan unblemished happiness.\nATTENTIVENESS AND CLEAR CONSCIOUSNESS (7th Step)\nClearly conscious is he in his going and coming; clearly conscious\nin looking forward and backward; clearly conscious in bending and\nstretching his body; clearly conscious in eating, drinking, chewing\nand tasting; dearly conscious in discharging excrement and urine;\nclearly conscious in walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep and\nawakening; clearly conscious in speaking and keeping silent.\nNow, being equipped with this lofty Morality, equipped with this\nnoble Control of the Senses, and filled with this noble \"Attentiveness\nand Clear Consciousness, he chooses a secluded dwelling in the forest,\nat the foot of a tree, on a mountain, in a cleft, in a rock cave, on a\nburial ground, on a woody table-land, in the open air, or on a heap of\nstraw. Having returned from his alms-round, after the meal, he sits\nhimself down with legs crossed, body erect, with attentiveness fixed\nbefore him.\nABSENCE OF THE FIVE HINDRANCES\nHe has cast away Lust; he dwells with a heart free from lust; from\nlust he cleanses his heart.\nHe has cast away Ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from\nill-will; cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings,\nhe cleanses his heart from ill-will.\nHe has cast away Torpor and Dullness; he dwells free from torpor and\ndullness; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear\nconsciousness, he cleanses his mind from torpor and dullness.\nHe has cast away Restlessness and Mental Worry; dwelling with mind\nundisturbed, with heart full of peace, he cleanses his mind from\nrestlessness and mental worry.\nHe has cast away Doubt; dwelling free from doubt, full of confidence\nin the good, he cleanses his heart from doubt.\nTHE TRANCES (8th Step)\nHe has put aside these five Hindrances and come to know the\nparalyzing corruptions of the mind. And far from sensual\nimpressions, far from unwholesome things, he enters into the Four\nTrances.\nINSIGHT (1st Step)\nBut whatsoever there is of feeling, perception, mental formation, or\nconsciousness-all these phenomena he regards as \"impermanent,\"\n\"subject to pain,\" as infirm, as an ulcer, a thorn, a misery, a\nburden, an enemy, a disturbance, as empty and \"void of an Ego\"; and\nturning away from these things, he directs his mind towards the\nabiding, thus: \"This, verily, is the Peace, this is the Highest,\nnamely the end of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum of\nrebirth, the fading away of craving; detachment, extinction: Nirvana.\"\nAnd in this state he reaches the \"Cessation of Passions.\"\nNIRVANA\nAnd his heart becomes free from sensual passion, free from the\npassion for existence, free from the passion of ignorance. \"Freed am\nI!\": this knowledge arises in the liberated one; and he knows:\n\"Exhausted is rebirth, fulfilled the Holy Life; what was to be done,\nhas been done; naught remains more for this world to do.\"\nForever am I liberated,\nThis is the last time that I'm born,\nNo new existence waits for me.\nThis, verily, is the highest, holiest wisdom: to know that all\nsuffering has passed away.\nThis, verily, is the highest, holiest peace: appeasement of greed,\nhatred and delusion.\nTHE SILENT THINKER\n\"I am\" is a vain thought; \"I am not\" a vain thought; \"I shall be\" is\na vain thought; \"I shall not be\" is a vain thought. Vain thoughts\nare a sickness, an ulcer, a thorn. But after overcoming all vain\nthoughts, one is called silent thinker.\" And the thinker, the Silent\nOne, does no more arise, no more pass away, no more tremble, no more\ndesire. For there is nothing in him that he should arise again. And as\nhe arises no more, how should he grow old again? And as he grows no\nmore old, how should he die again? And as he dies no more, how\nshould he tremble? And as he trembles no more, how should he have\ndesire?\nTHE TRUE GOAL\nHence, the purpose of the Holy Life does not consist in acquiring\nalms, honor, or fame, nor in gaining morality, concentration, or the\neye of knowledge. That unshakable deliverance of the heart: that,\nverily, is the object of the Holy Life, that is its essence, that is\nits goal.\nAnd those, who formerly, in the past, were Holy and Enlightened\nOnes, those Blessed Ones also have pointed out to their disciples this\nself-same goal, as has been pointed out by me to my disciples. And\nthose, who afterwards, in the future, will be Holy and Enlightened\nOnes, those Blessed Ones also will point out to their disciples this\nself-same goal, as has been pointed out by me to my disciples.\nHowever, Disciples, it may be that (after my passing away) you\nmight think: \"Gone is the doctrine of our Master. We have no Master\nmore.\" But you should not think; for the Law and the Discipline, which\nI have taught you, Will, after my death, be your master.\nThe Law be your light,\nThe Law be your refuge!\nDo not look for any other refuge!\nDisciples, the doctrines, which I advised you to penetrate, you\nshould well preserve, well guard, so that this Holy Life may take\nits course and continue for ages, for the weal and welfare of the\nmany, as a consolation to the world, for the happiness, weal and\nwelfare of heavenly beings and men.\nTHE END","title":"Buddha2","type":"page"}