4 (Day) Notes | Sutta Study @ Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields | Bhante Dr. G. Chandima

 

Maggānaṭṭhaṅgiko seṭṭho saccānaṃ caturo padā
Virāgo seṭṭho dhammānaṃ divipadānaṃ ca cakkhumā 

(Dhammapada 273) 

Of all the paths the Eightfold Path is the best; of all the truths the Four Noble Truths are the best; of all things passionlessness is the best: of men the Seeing One (the Buddha) is the best. 

Eso'va maggo natthañño dassanassa visuddhiyā
Etaṃ hi tumhe paṭipajjatha mārassetaṃ pamohanaṃ

(Dhammapada 274)

This is the only path; there is none other for the purification of insight. Tread this path, and you will bewilder Mara. 

“Ekāyano ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā, sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya, dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya, ñāyassa adhigamāya, nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā. 

(Satipaṭṭhānā Sutta, MN 10)

This is the only way, O bhikkhus, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana, namely, the Four Arousings of Mindfulness.

1. The Noble Eightfold Path and the Noble Tenfold Path Flyer https://patisota.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-noble-eightfold-path-poster.html

2. How does the Noble Eightfold Path lead to awakening (Nagara Sutta, SN 12.65)?

"It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. He would go to address the king or the king's minister, saying, 'Sire, you should know that while traveling along a wilderness track I saw an ancient path... I followed it... I saw an ancient city, an ancient capital... complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. Sire, rebuild that city!' The king or king's minister would rebuild the city, so that at a later date the city would become powerful, rich, & well-populated, fully grown & prosperous.

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

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.065.than.html

3. Order of Practice (the Noble Eightfold Path)

-one by one?
-simultaneity?

-which one first?

-which one last?

- Majjhima Nikāya 117, Mahācattārīsaka Sutta, describes the first seven practices as requisites for right samādhi.

“ariyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhiṁ desessāmi saupanisaṁ saparikkhāraṁ. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ariyo sammāsamādhi saupaniso saparikkhāro? Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati; yā kho, bhikkhave, imehi sattahaṅgehi cittassa ekaggatā parikkhatā—ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyo sammāsamādhi saupaniso itipi, saparikkhāro itipi.

“Bhikkhus, I shall teach you noble right concentration with its supports and its requisites. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.”—“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“What, bhikkhus, is noble right concentration with its supports and its requisites, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness?

Unification of mind equipped with these seven factors is called noble right concentration with its supports and its requisites.

4. How do the three disciplines (sīla, samādhi, paññā) serve the Noble Eightfold Path (Cula Vedalla Sutta MN 44)?

Ariyo panayye aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhato udāhu asaṅkhatoti?

Ariyo kho āvuso visākha aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhatoti.

Ariyena nu kho ayye aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena tayo khandhā saṅgahītā, udāhu tīhi khandhehi ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅgahītoti?

Na kho āvuso visākha ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena tayo khandhā saṅgahītā. Tīhi ca kho āvuso visākha khandhehi ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅgahīto: yā cāvuso visākha sammāvācā yo ca sammākammanto yo ca sammāājīvo, ime dhammā sīlakkhandhe saṅgahītā. Yo ca sammāvāyāmo yā ca sammāsati yo ca sammāsamādhi, ime dhammā samādhikkhandhe saṅgahītā. Yā ca sammādiṭṭhi yo ca sammāsaṅkappo, ime dhammā paññākkhandhe saṅgahītāti.

"Is the noble eightfold path fabricated or unfabricated?"

"The noble eightfold path is fabricated."

"And are the three aggregates [of virtue, concentration, & discernment] included under the noble eightfold path, lady, or is the noble eightfold path included under the three aggregates?"

"The three aggregates are not included under the noble eightfold path, friend Visakha, but the noble eightfold path is included under the three aggregates. Right speech, right action, & right livelihood come under the aggregate of virtue. Right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration come under the aggregate of concentration. Right view & right resolve/intention come under the aggregate of discernment."

5. Can we adopt the following approach to the order of practice?

paññā>sīla>samādhi>paññā

6. A good person (sappurisa) practices the eightfold path for themselves, while a better person (sappurisatara) encourages others as well (Aṭṭhaṅgika Sutta, AN 4. 205)

“Asappurisañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, asappurisena asappurisatarañca; sappurisañca, sappurisena sappurisatarañca. Taṁ suṇātha …pe…. 

 “Mendicants, I will teach you a bad person and a worse person, a good person and a better person.

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, micchāsaṅkappo hoti, micchāvāco hoti, micchākammanto hoti, micchāājīvo hoti, micchāvāyāmo hoti, micchāsati hoti, micchāsamādhi hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso. 

And what is a bad person? It’s someone who has wrong view, wrong thought, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong living, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong concentration. This is called a bad person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? Idha bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti; attanā ca micchāsaṅkappo hoti, parañca micchāsaṅkappe samādapeti; attanā ca micchāvāco hoti, parañca micchāvācāya samādapeti; attanā ca micchākammanto hoti, parañca micchākammante samādapeti; attanā ca micchāājīvo hoti, parañca micchāājīve samādapeti; attanā ca micchāvāyāmo hoti, parañca micchāvāyāme samādapeti; attanā ca micchāsati hoti, parañca micchāsatiyā samādapeti; attanā ca micchāsamādhi hoti, parañca micchāsamādhimhi samādapeti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

And what is a worse person? It’s someone who has wrong view, wrong thought, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong living, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong concentration. And they encourage others in these same qualities. This is called a worse person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappuriso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, sammāsaṅkappo hoti, sammāvāco hoti, sammākammanto hoti, sammāājīvo hoti, sammāvāyāmo hoti, sammāsati hoti, sammāsamādhi hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappuriso.

And what is a good person? It’s someone who has the right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This is called a good person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca sammādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti; attanā ca sammāsaṅkappo hoti, parañca sammāsaṅkappe samādapeti; attanā ca sammāvāco hoti, parañca sammāvācāya samādapeti; attanā ca sammākammanto hoti, parañca sammākammante samādapeti; attanā ca sammāājīvo hoti, parañca sammāājīve samādapeti; attanā ca sammāvāyāmo hoti, parañca sammāvāyāme samādapeti; attanā ca sammāsati hoti, parañca sammāsatiyā samādapeti; attanā ca sammāsamādhi hoti, parañca sammāsamādhimhi samādapeti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro”ti.

And what is a better person? It’s someone who has the right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. And they encourage others in these same qualities. This is called a better person.”