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THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

THUS has it been said by the Buddha, the Enlightened
One: It is through not understanding, not realizing four things,
that I, Disciples, as well as you, had to wander so long through
this round of rebirths. And what are these four things? They
are the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin
of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering,
the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the Extinction of
Suffering.
As long as the absolutely true knowledge and insight as
regards these Four Noble Truths was not quite clear in me, so
long was I not sure, whether I had won that supreme
Enlightenment which is unsurpassed in all the world with its
heavenly beings, evil spirits and gods, amongst all the hosts of
ascetics and priests, heavenly beings and men. But as soon as
the absolutely true knowledge and insight as regards these Four
Noble Truths had become perfectly clear in me, there arose in
me the assurance that I had won that supreme Enlightenment
unsurpassed.
And I discovered that-profound truth, so difficult to
perceive, difficult to understand, tranquilizing and sublime,
which is not to be gained by mere reasoning, and is visible
only to the wise.
The world, however, is given to pleasure, delighted with
pleasure, enchanted with pleasure. Verily, such beings will
hardly understand the law of conditionality, the Dependent
Origination of every thing; incomprehensible to them will also
be the end of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum
of rebirth, the fading away of craving; detachment, extinction,
Nirvana.
Yet there are beings whose eyes are only a little covered
with dust: they will understand the truth.

FIRST TRUTH
THE NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING

WHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of Suffering?
Birth is suffering; Decay is suffering; Death is suffering;
Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair, are suffering;
not to get what one desires, is suffering; in short: the Five
Groups of Existence are suffering.
What, now, is Birth? The birth of beings belonging to this
or that order of beings, their being born, their conception and
springing into existence, the manifestation of the groups of
existence, the arising of sense activity-this is called Birth.
And what is Decay? The decay of beings belonging to
this or that order of beings; their getting aged, frail, grey, and
wrinkled; the failing of their vital force, the wearing out of the
senses-this is called Decay.
And what is Death? The parting and vanishing of beings
out of this or that order of beings, their destruction,
disappearance, death, the completion of their life-period,
dissolution of the groups of existence, the discarding of the
body-this is called Death.
And what is Sorrow? The sorrow arising through this or
that loss or misfortune which one encounters, the worrying
oneself, the state of being alarmed, inward sorrow, inward
woe-this is called Sorrow.
And what is Lamentation? Whatsoever, through this or
that loss or misfortune which befalls one, is wail and lament,
wailing and lamenting, the state of woe and lamentation this is
called Lamentation.
And what is Pain? The bodily pain and unpleasantness,
the painful and unpleasant feeling produced by bodily contact-
this is called Pain.
And what is Grief? The mental pain and unpleasantness,
the painful and unpleasant feeling produced by mental contact-
this is called Grief.
And what is Despair? Distress and despair arising
through this or that loss or misfortune which one encounters,
distressfulness, and desperation-this is called Despair.
And what is the "suffering of not getting what one
desires?" To beings subject to birth there comes the desire: "O
that we were not subject to birth! O that no new birth was
before us!" Subject to decay, disease, death, sorrow,
lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, the desire comes to them:
"O that we were not subject to these things! O that these things
were not before us!" But this cannot be got by mere desiring;
and not to get what one desires, is suffering.

THE FIVE GROUPS OF EXISTENCE

And what, in brief, are the Five Groups of Existence?
They are Corporeality, Feeling, Perception, [mental]
Formations, and Consciousness.
Any corporeal phenomenon, whether one's own or
external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, belongs to
the Group of Corporeality; any feeling belongs to the Group of
Feeling; any perception belongs to the Group of Perception;
any mental formation belongs to the Group of Formations; all
consciousness belongs to the Group of Consciousness.
[Our so-called individual existence is in reality nothing
but a mere process of these "bodily and mental" phenomena,
which since immemorial times was going on before one's
apparent birth, and which also after death will continue for
immemorial periods of time. In the following, we shall see that
these five Groups, or Khandhas-either taken separately, or
combined-in no way constitute any real "Ego-entity," and that
no Ego-entity exists apart from them, and hence that the belief
in an Ego-entity is merely an illusion. Just as that which we
designate by the name of "chariot," has no existence apart from
axle, wheels, shaft, and so forth: or as the word "house" is
merely a convenient designation for various materials put
together after a certain fashion so as to enclose a portion of
space, and there is no separate house-entity in existence:-in
exactly the same way, that which we call a "being," or an
"individual," or a "person," or by the name is nothing but a
changing combination of physical and psychical phenomena,
and has no real existence in itself.]

THE "CORPOREALITY GROUP" OF FOUR ELEMENTS

What, now, is the Group of Corporeality? It is the four
primary elements, and Corporeality derived from them.
And what are the four primary elements? They are the
Solid Element, the Fluid Element, the Heating Element, the
Vibrating Element.
[The four elements, or-to speak more correctly-the four
elementary qualities of matter, may be rendered in English as:
Inertia, Cohesion, Radiation, and Vibration.
The twenty-four corporeal phenomena which depend
upon them are, according to the Abhidharma: eye, ear, nose,
tongue, body, visible form, sound, odor, taste, masculinity,
femininity, vitality, organ of thinking, gesture, speech, space
(cavities of ear, nose, etc.), agility, elasticity, adaptability,
growth, duration, decay, variability, change of substance.]
1. What, now, is the Solid Element? The solid element
may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is one's
own solid element? The dependent properties, which on one's
own person and body are hard and solid, as the hairs of head
and body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow,
kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, stomach,
bowels, mesentery, excrement, or whatever other dependent
properties which on one's own person and body are hard and
solid-this is called one's own solid element. Now, whether it be
one's own solid element, or whether it be the external solid
element, they are both only the solid element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true
wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not
my Ego."
2. What, now, is the Fluid Element? The fluid element
may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is one own
fluid element? The dependent properties, which on one's own
person and body are watery or cohesive, as bile, phlegm, pus,
blood, sweat, lymph, tears, semen, spit, nasal mucus, oil of the
joints, urine or whatever other dependent properties which on
one own person and body are watery or cohesive-this is called
one's own fluid element. Now, whether it be one's own fluid
element, or whether it be the external fluid element, they are
both only the fluid element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true
wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not
my Ego."
3. What, now, is the Heating Element? The heating
element may be one own, or it may be external. And what is
one's own heating element? The dependent properties, which
on one's own person and body are heating and radiating, as that
whereby one is heated, consumed, scorched, whereby that
which has been eaten, drunk, chewed, or tasted, is fully
digested; or whatever other dependent properties, which on
one's own person and body are heating and radiating this is
called one's own heating element. Now, whether it be one's
own heating element, or whether it be the external heating
element, they are both only the heating element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true
wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not
my Ego."
4. What, now, is the Vibrating Element? The vibrating
element may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is
one's own vibrating element? The dependent properties, which
on one's own person and body are mobile and gaseous, as the
upward-going and downward-going winds; the winds of
stomach and intestines; in-breathing and out-breathing; or
whatever other dependent properties, which on one's own
person and body are mobile and gaseous-this is called one's
own vibrating element. Now, whether it be one's own vibrating
element, or whether it be the external vibrating element, they
are both only the vibrating element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true
wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not
my Ego."
Just as one calls "hut" the circumscribed space which
comes to be by means of wood and rushes, reeds, and clay,
even so we call "body" the circumscribed space that comes to
be by means of bones and sinews, flesh and skin.

DEPENDENT ORIGINATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Now, though one's eye be intact, yet if the external forms
do not fall within the field of vision, and no corresponding
conjunction takes place, in that case there occurs no formation
of the corresponding aspect of consciousness. Or, though one
eye be intact, and the external forms fall within the field of
vision, yet if no corresponding conjunction takes place, in that
case also there occurs no formation of the corresponding
aspect of consciousness. If, however, one's eye is intact, and
the external forms fall within the field of vision, and the
corresponding conjunction takes place, in that case there arises
the corresponding aspect of consciousness.
Hence, I say: the arising of consciousness is dependent
upon conditions; and without these conditions, no
consciousness arises. And upon whatsoever conditions the
arising of consciousness is dependent, after these it is called.
Consciousness whose arising depends on the eye and
forms, is called "eye-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the ear and
sound, is called "ear-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the olfactory
organ and odors, is called "nose-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the tongue and
taste, is called "tongue-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the body and
bodily contacts, is called "body-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the mind and
ideas, is called "mind-consciousness."
Whatsoever there is of "corporeality" in the
consciousness thus arisen, that belongs to the Group of
Corporeality. there is of "feeling"-bodily ease, pain, joy,
sadness, or indifferent feeling-belongs to the Group of Feeling.
Whatsoever there is of "perception"-visual objects, sounds,
odors, tastes, bodily impressions, or mind objects-belongs to
the Group of Perception. Whatsoever there are of mental
"formations" impression, volition, etc.-belong to the Group of
mental Formations. Whatsoever there is of "consciousness"
therein, belongs to the Group of Consciousness.
And it is impossible that any one can explain the passing
out of one existence, and the entering into a new existence, or
the growth, increase, and development of consciousness,
independent of corporeality, feeling, perception, and mental
formations.

THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTENCE

All formations are "transient"; all formations are "subject
to suffering"; all things are "without an Ego-entity."
Corporeality is transient, feeling is transient, perception is
transient, mental formations are transient, consciousness is
transient.
And that which is transient, is subject to suffering; and of
that which is transient, and subject to suffering and change,
one cannot rightly say: "This belongs to me; this am I; this is
my Ego."
Therefore, whatever there be of corporeality, of feeling,
perception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether one's
own or external, whether gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or
near, one should understand, according to reality, and true
wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not
my Ego."
Suppose, a man who is not blind, were to behold the
many bubbles on the Ganges as they are driving along; and he
should watch them, and carefully examine them. After
carefully examining them, they will appear to him empty,
unreal, and unsubstantial. In exactly the same way, does the
monk behold all the corporeal phenomena, feelings,
perceptions, mental formations, and states of consciousness-
whether they be of the past, or the present, or the future, far, or
near. And he watches them, and examines them carefully; and,
after carefully examining them, they appear to him empty,
void, and without an Ego
Whoso delights in corporeality, or feeling, or perception,
or mental formations, or consciousness, he delights in
suffering; and whoso delights in suffering, will not be freed
from suffering. Thus I say

How can you find delight and mirth,
Where there is burning without end?
In deepest darkness you are wrapped!
Why do you not seek for the light?

Look at this puppet here, well rigged,
A heap of many sores, piled up,
Diseased, and full of greediness,
Unstable, and impermanent!

Devoured by old age is this frame,
A prey of sickness, weak and frail;
To pieces breaks this putrid body,
All life must truly end in death.

THE THREE WARNINGS

Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman,
eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, frail, crooked as a gable
roof, bent down, resting on crutches, with tottering steps,
infirm, youth long since fled, with broken teeth, grey and
scanty hair, or bald-headed, wrinkled, with blotched limbs?
And did the thought never come to you that also you are
subject to decay, that also you cannot escape it?
Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman, who
being sick, afflicted, and grievously ill, and wallowing in his
own filth, was lifted up by some people, and put to bed by
others? And did the thought never come to you that also you
are subject to disease, that also you cannot escape it?
Did you never see in the world the corpse of a man, or a
woman, one, or two, or three days after death, swollen up,
blue-black in color, and full of corruption? And did the
thought never come to you that also you are subject to death,
that also you cannot escape it?

SAMSARA, THE WHEEL OF EXISTENCE

Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara; not to be
discovered is any first beginning of beings, who, obstructed by
ignorance, and ensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening
through this round of rebirths.
[Samsara-the Wheel of Existence, lit., the "Perpetual
Wandering"-is the name by which is designated the sea of life
ever restlessly heaving up and down, the symbol of this
continuous process of ever again and again being born,
growing old, suffering, and dying. More precisely Put:
Samsara is the unbroken chain of the fivefold Khandha-
combinations, which, constantly changing from moment to
moment, follow continuously one upon the other through
inconceivable periods of time. Of this Samsara, a single
lifetime constitutes only a vanishingly tiny fraction; hence, to
be able to comprehend the first noble truth, one must let one's
gaze rest upon the Samsara, upon this frightful chain of
rebirths, and not merely upon one single lifetime, which, of
course, may be sometimes not very painful.]
Which do you think is the more: the flood of tears, which
weeping and wailing you have shed upon this long way-
hurrying and hastening through this round of rebirths, united
with the undesired, separated from the desired this, or the
waters of the four oceans?
Long time have you suffered the death of father and
mother, of sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. And whilst
you were thus suffering, you have, verily, shed more tears upon
this long way than there is water in the four oceans.
Which do you think is the more: the streams of blood
that, through your being beheaded, have flowed upon this long
way, or the waters in the four oceans?
Long time have you been caught as dacoits, or
highwaymen, or adulterers; and, through your being beheaded,
verily, more blood has flowed upon this long way than there is
water in the four oceans.
But how is this possible?
Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara; not to be
discovered is any first beginning of beings, who, obstructed by
ignorance, and ensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening
through this round of rebirths.
And thus have you long time undergone suffering,
undergone torment, undergone misfortune, and filled the
graveyards full; verily, long enough to be dissatisfied with all
the forms of existence, long enough to turn away, and free
yourselves from them all.

SECOND TRUTH
THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING

WHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of the Origin of
Suffering? It is that craving which gives rise to fresh rebirth,
and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now there,
finds ever fresh delight.
[In the absolute sense, it is no real being, no self-
determined, unchangeable, Ego-entity that is reborn. Moreover,
there is nothing that remains the same even for two consecutive
moments; for the Five Khandhas, or Groups of Existence, are
in a state of perpetual change, of continual dissolution and
renewal. They die every moment, and every moment new ones
are born. Hence it follows that there is no such thing as a real
existence, or "being" (Latin esse), but only as it were an
endless process, a continuous change, a "becoming," consisting
in a "producing," and in a "being produced"; in a "process of
action," and in a "process of reaction," or "rebirth."
This process of perpetual "producing" and "being
produced" may best be compared with an ocean wave. In the
case of a wave, there is not the slightest quantity of water
traveling over the surface of the sea. But the wave structure,
that hastens over the surface of the water, creating the
appearance of one and the same mass of water, is, in reality,
nothing but the continuous rising and falling of continuous, but
quite different, masses of water, produced by the transmission
of force generated by the wind. Even so, the Buddha did not
teach that Ego-entities hasten through the ocean of rebirth, but
merely life-waves, which, according to their nature and
activities (good, or evil), manifest themselves here as men,
there as animals, and elsewhere as invisible beings.]

THE THREEFOLD CRAVING

There is the "Sensual Craving," the "Craving for Eternal-
Annihilation." Existence," the "Craving for Self-Annihilation."
[The "Craving for Eternal Existence," according to the
Visuddhi-Magga, is intimately connected with the so-called
Eternity-Belief," i.e., the belief in an absolute, eternal, Ego-
entity persisting independently of our body.
The Craving for Self-Annihilation is the outcome of the
so-called "Annihilation-Belief," the delusive materialistic
notion of an Ego which is annihilated at death, and which does
not stand in any causal relation with the time before birth or
after death.]
But, where does this craving arise and take root?
Wherever in the world there are delightful and pleasurable
things, there this craving arises and takes root. Eye, ear, nose,
tongue, body, and mind, are delightful and pleasurable: there
this craving arises and takes root.
Visual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily impressions,
and mind-objects, are delightful and pleasurable: there this
craving arises and takes root.
Consciousness, sense impression, feeling born of sense
impression, perception, will, craving, thinking, and reflecting,
are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and
takes root.
If, namely, when perceiving a visual object, a sound,
odor, taste, bodily impression, or a mind object, the object is
pleasant, one is attracted; and if unpleasant, one is repelled.
Thus, whatever kind of "Feeling" one experiences,
pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent-one approves of, and
cherishes the feeling, and clings to it; and while doing so, lust
springs up; but lust for feelings, means Clinging; and on
Clinging, depends the "Process of Becoming"; on the Process
of Becoming (Karma-process), depends (future) "Birth"; and
dependent on Birth, are Decay and Death, Sorrow,
Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair. Thus arises this whole
mass of suffering.
This is called the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering.

HEAPING UP OF PRESENT SUFFERING

Verily, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through
sensuous craving, impelled by sensuous craving, entirely
moved by sensuous craving, kings fight with kings, princes
with princes, priests with priests, citizens with citizens; the
mother quarrels with the son, the son with the mother, the
father with the son, the son with the father; brother quarrels
with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend
with friend. Thus, given to dissension, quarreling and fighting,
they fall upon one another with fists, sticks, or weapons. And
thereby they suffer death or deadly pain.
And further, due to sensuous craving, conditioned
through sensuous craving, impelled by sensuous craving,
entirely moved by sensuous craving, people break into houses,
rob, plunder, pillage whole houses, commit highway robbery,
seduce the wives of others. Then, the rulers have such people
caught, and inflict on them various forms of punishment. And
thereby they incur death or deadly pain. Now, this is the misery
of sensuous craving, the heaping up of suffering in this present
life, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous
craving, caused by sensuous craving, entirely dependent on
sensuous craving.

HEAPING UP OF FUTURE SUFFERING

And further, people take the evil way in deeds, the evil
way in words, the evil way in thoughts; and by taking the evil
way in deeds, words, and thoughts, at the dissolution of the
body, after death, they fall into a downward state of existence,
a state of suffering, into perdition, and the abyss of hell. But,
this is the misery of sensuous craving, the heaping up of
suffering in the future life, due to sensuous craving,
conditioned through sensuous craving, caused by sensuous
craving, entirely dependent on sensuous craving.

Not in the air, nor ocean-midst,
Nor hidden in the mountain clefts,
Nowhere is found a place on earth,
Where man is freed from evil deeds.

INHERITANCE OF DEEDS (KARMA)

For, owners of their deeds (karma) are the beings, heirs
of their deeds; their deeds are the womb from which they
sprang; with their deeds they are bound up; their deeds are
their refuge. Whatever deeds they do-good or evil-of such they
will be the heirs.
And wherever the beings spring into existence, there their
deeds will ripen; and wherever their deeds ripen, there they
will earn the fruits of those deeds, be it in this life, or be it in
the next life, or be it in any other future life.
There will come a time, when the mighty ocean will dry
up, vanish, and be no more. There will come a time, when the
mighty earth will be devoured by fire, perish, and be no more.
But, yet there will be no end to the suffering of beings, who,
obstructed by ignorance, and ensnared by craving, are hurrying
and hastening through this round of rebirths.

THIRD TRUTH
THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE EXTINCTION OF
SUFFERING

WHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of
Suffering? It is the complete fading away and extinction of this
craving, its forsaking and giving up, the liberation and
detachment from it.
But where may this craving vanish, where may it be
extinguished? Wherever in the world there are delightful and
pleasurable things, there this craving may vanish, there it may
be extinguished.
Be it in the past, present, or future, whosoever of the
monks or priests regards the delightful and pleasurable things
in the world as "impermanent," "miserable," and "without an
Ego," as a disease and cancer; it is he who overcomes the
craving.
And released from Sensual Craving, released from the
Craving for Existence, he does not return, does not enter again
into existence.

DEPENDENT EXTINCTION OF ALL PHENOMENA

For, through the total fading away and extinction of
Craving, Clinging is extinguished; through the extinction of
clinging, the Process of Becoming is extinguished; through the
extinction of the (karmic) process of becoming, Rebirth is
extinguished; and through the extinction of rebirth, Decay and
Death, Sorrow, Lamentation, Suffering, Grief, and Despair, are
extinguished. Thus comes about the extinction of this whole
mass of suffering.
Hence, the annihilation, cessation, and overcoming of
corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations, and
consciousness, this is the extinction of suffering, the end of
disease, the overcoming of old age and death.
[The undulatory motion, which we call wave-which in the
spectator creates the illusion of a single mass of water moving
over the surface of the lake-is produced and fed by the wind,
and maintained by the stored-up energies. After the wind has
ceased, and no fresh wind again whips up the water, the stored-
up energies will gradually be consumed, and the whole
undulatory motion come to an end. Similarly, if fire does not
get new fuel, it will become extinct. just so, this Five-
Khandha-process-which, in the ignorant worldling, creates the
illusion of an Ego-entity-is produced and fed by the life-
affirming craving, and maintained for some time by means of
the stored-up life-energies. Now, after the fuel, i.e., the craving
and clinging to life, has ceased, and no new craving impels
again this Five-Khandha-process, life will continue as long as
there are still life-energies stored up, but at their destruction at
death, the Five-Khandha-process will reach final extinction.
Thus, nirvana or "Extinction" (Sanskrit: to cease
blowing, to become extinct), may be considered under two
aspects:
1. "Extinction of Impurities," reached at the attainment of
Arahatship, or Holiness, which takes place during the life-
time.
2. "Extinction of the Five-Khandha-process," which takes
place at the death of the Arahat.]

NIRVANA

This, truly, is the Peace, this is the Highest, namely the
end of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum of
rebirth, the fading away of craving: detachment, extinction-
Nirvana.
Enraptured with lust, enraged with anger, blinded by
delusion, overwhelmed, with mind ensnared, man aims at his
own ruin, at others' ruin, at the ruin of both parties, and he
experiences mental pain and grief. But, if lust, anger, and
delusion are given up, man aims neither at his own ruin, nor at
others' ruin, nor at the ruin of both parties, and he experiences
no mental pain and grief. Thus is Nirvana immediate, visible in
this life, inviting, attractive, and comprehensible to the wise.
The extinction of greed, the extinction of anger, the
extinction of delusion: this, indeed, is called Nirvana.

THE ARAHAT, OR HOLY ONE

And for a disciple thus freed, in whose heart dwells
peace, there is nothing to be added to what has been done, and
naught more remains for him to do. Just as a rock of one solid
mass remains unshaken by the wind, even so, neither forms,
nor sounds, nor odors, nor tastes, nor contacts of any kind,
neither the desired, nor the undesired, can cause such an one to
waver. Steadfast is his mind, gained is deliverance.
And he who has considered all the contrasts on this earth,
and is no more disturbed by anything whatever in the world,
the Peaceful One, freed from rage, from sorrow, and from
longing, he has passed beyond birth and decay.

THE IMMUTABLE

There is a realm, where there is neither the solid, nor the
fluid, neither heat, nor motion, neither this world, nor any other
world, neither sun, nor moon. This I call neither arising, nor
passing away, neither standing still nor being born, nor dying.
There is neither foothold, nor development, nor any basis. This
is the end of suffering.
There is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed.
If there were not this Unborn, this Unoriginated, this
Uncreated, this Unformed, escape from the world of the born,
the originated, the created, the formed, would not be possible.
But since there is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated,
Unformed, therefore is escape possible from the world of the
born, the originated, the created, the formed.

FOURTH TRUTH
THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE PATH THAT LEADS TO
THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING

THE TWO EXTREMES AND THE MIDDLE PATH

TO GIVE oneself up to indulgence in sensual pleasure,
the base, common, vulgar, unholy, unprofitable; and also to
give oneself up to self-mortification, the painful, unholy,
unprofitable: both these two extremes the Perfect One has
avoided, and found out the Middle Path, which makes one both
to see and to know, which leads to peace, to discernment, to
enlightenment, to Nirvana.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

It is the Noble Eightfold Path, the way that leads to the
extinction of suffering, namely:
1. Right Understanding, 2. Right Mindedness, which
together are Wisdom. 3. Right Speech, 4. Right Action, 5.
Right Living, which together are Morality. 6. Right Effort, 7.
Right Attentiveness, 8. Right Concentration, which together
are Concentration.
This is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has found
out, which makes one both to see and to know, which leads to
peace, to discernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.
Free from pain and torture is this path, free from groaning
and suffering; it is the perfect path.
Truly, like this path there is no other path to the purity of
insight. If you follow this path, you will put an end to
suffering.
But each one has to struggle for himself, the Perfect Ones
have only pointed out the way.
Give ear then, for the Immortal is found. I reveal, I set
forth the Truth. As I reveal it to you, so act! And that supreme
goal of the holy life, for the sake of which, sons of good
families rightly go forth from home to the homeless state: this
you will, in no long time, in this very life, make known to
yourself, realize, and make your own.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

FIRST STEP
RIGHT UNDERSTANDING

WHAT, now, is Right Understanding? It is understanding
the Four Truths. To understand suffering; to understand the
origin of suffering; to understand the extinction of suffering; to
understand the path that leads to the extinction of suffering:
This is called Right Understanding
Or, when the noble disciple understands what is
karmically wholesome, and the root of wholesome karma;
what is karmically unwholesome, and the root of unwholesome
karma, then he has Right Understanding.
["Karmically unwholesome" is every volitional act of
body, speech, or mind which is rooted in greed, hatred, or
delusion, and produces evil and painful results in this or any
future form of existence.]
What, now, is "karmically unwholesome?"
In Bodily Action it is destruction of living beings;
stealing; and unlawful sexual intercourse. In Verbal Action it
is lying; tale-bearing; harsh language; and frivolous talk. In
Mental Action it is covetousness; ill-will; and wrong views.
And what is the root of unwholesome karma? Greed is a
root of unwholesome karma; Anger is a root of unwholesome
karma; Delusion is a root of unwholesome karma. [The state
of greed, as well as that of anger, is always accompanied by
delusion; and delusion, ignorance, is the primary root of all
evil.]
Therefore, I say, these demeritorious actions are of three
kinds: either due to greed, or due to anger, or due to delusion.
What, now, is "karmically wholesome?"
In Bodily Action it is to abstain from killing; to abstain
from stealing; and to abstain from unlawful sexual intercourse.
In Verbal Action it is to abstain from lying; to abstain
from tale-bearing; to abstain from harsh language; and to
abstain from frivolous talk.
In Mental Action it is absence of covetousness; absence
of ill-will; and right understanding.
And what is the root of wholesome karma? Absence of
greed (unselfishness) is a root of wholesome karma; absence
of anger (benevolence) is a root of wholesome karma; absence
of delusion (wisdom) is a root of wholesome karma.
Or, when one understands that corporeality, feeling,
perception, mental formation, and consciousness, are transient
[subject to suffering, and without an Ego], also in that case
one possesses Right Understanding.

UNPROFITABLE QUESTIONS

Should anyone say that he does not wish to lead the holy
life under the Blessed One, unless the Blessed One first tells
him, whether the world is eternal or temporal, finite or infinite;
whether the life principle is identical with the body, or
something different; whether the Perfect One continues after
death, and so on such a man would die, ere the Perfect One
could tell him all this.
It is as if a man were pierced by a poisoned arrow, and
his friends, companions, or near relations, should send for a
surgeon; but that man should say: "I will not have this arrow
pulled out, until I know who the man is that has wounded me:
whether he is a noble, a priest, a citizen, or a servant"; or:
"what his name is, and to what family he belongs"; or:
"whether he is tall, or short, or of medium height." Verily, such
a man would die, ere he could adequately learn all this.
Therefore, the man who seeks his own welfare, should
pull out this arrow-this arrow of lamentation, pain, and sorrow.
For, whether the theory exists, or whether it does not
exist, that the world is eternal, or temporal, or finite, or
infinite-certainly, there is birth, there is decay, there is death,
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, the extinction of
which, attainable even in this present life, I make known unto
you.
There is, for instance, an unlearned worldling, void of
regard for holy men, ignorant of the teaching of holy men,
untrained in the noble doctrine. And his heart is possessed and
overcome by Self-Illusion, by Skepticism, by attachment to
mere Rule and Ritual, by Sensual Lust, and by will; and how to
free himself from these things, he does not really know.
[Self-Illusion may reveal itself as "Eternalism" or
Eternity-belief" i.e., the belief that one's Ego is existing
independently of the material body, and continuing even after
the dissolution of the latter; or as "Annihilationism," or
"Annihilation-belief" i.e., the materialistic belief that this
present life constitutes the Ego, and hence that it is annihilated
at the death of the material body.]
Not knowing what is worthy of consideration, and what is
unworthy of consideration, he considers the unworthy, and not
the worthy.
And unwisely he considers thus: "Have I been in the past?
Or. have I not been in the past? What have I been in the past?
How have I been in the past? From what state into what state
did I change in the past?-Shall I be in the future? Or, shall I not
be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be
in the future? From what state into what state shall I change in
the future?" And the present also fills him with doubt: "Am I?
Or, am I not? What am I? How am I? This being, whence has
it come? Whither will it go?"
And with such unwise considerations, he falls into one or
other of the six views, and it becomes his conviction and firm
belief: "I have an Ego"; or: "I have no Ego"; or: "With the Ego
I perceive the Ego"; or: "With that which is no Ego, I perceive
the Ego"; or: "With the Ego I perceive that which is no Ego.
Or, he falls into the following view: "This my Ego, which can
think and feel, and which, now here, now there, experiences
the fruit of good and evil deeds; this my Ego is permanent,
stable, eternal, not subject to change, and will thus eternally
remain the same."
If there really existed the Ego, there would be also
something which belonged to the Ego. As, however, in truth
and reality, neither the Ego, nor anything belonging to the Ego,
can be found, is it not therefore really an utter fool's doctrine to
say: "This is the world, this am I; after death, I shall be
permanent, persisting, and eternal?"
These are called mere views, a thicket of views, a puppet
show of views, a toil of views, a snare of views; and ensnared
in the fetter of views, the ignorant worldling will not be freed
from rebirth, from decay, and from death, from sorrow, pain,
grief, and despair; he will not be freed, I say, from suffering.

THE SOTAPAN, OR "STREAM-ENTERER"

The learned and noble disciple, however, who has regard
for holy men, knows the teaching of holy men, is well trained
in the noble doctrine, he understands what is worthy of
consideration, and what is unworthy. And knowing this, he
considers the worthy, and not the unworthy. What suffering is,
he wisely considers. What the origin of suffering is, he wisely
considers; what the extinction of suffering is, he wisely
considers; what the path is that leads to the extinction of
suffering, he wisely considers.
And by thus considering, three fetters vanish, namely:
Self-illusion, Skepticism, and Attachment to mere Rule and
Ritual.
But those disciples in whom these three fetters have
vanished have "entered the Stream," have forever escaped the
states of woe, and are assured of final enlightenment.

More than any earthly power,
More than all the joys of heaven,
More than rule o'er all the world,
Is the Entrance to the Stream.

And, verily, those who are filled with unshaken faith in
me, all those have entered the stream.
There are ten "Fetters" by which beings are bound to the
wheel of existence. They are: Self-Illusion, Skepticism,
Attachment to mere Rule and Ritual, Sensual Lust, Ill-will,
Craving for the World of pure Form, Craving for the Formless
World, Conceit, Restlessness, Ignorance.
A Sotapan, or "Stream-Enterer" i.e. "one who has entered
the stream leading to Nirvana," is free from the first three
fetters.
A Sakadagamin, or "Once-Returned"-namely to this
sensuous sphere-has overcome the 4th and 5th fetters in their
grosser form. An Anagamin, or "Non-Returner," is wholly
freed from the first five fetters, which bind to rebirth in the
sensuous sphere; after death, whilst living in the sphere of pure
form, he will reach the goal. An Arahat, or perfectly "Holy
One," is freed from all fetters.]

THE TWO UNDERSTANDINGS

Therefore, I say, Right Understanding is of two kinds:
1. The view that alms and offerings are not useless; that
there is fruit and result, both of good and bad actions; that
there are such things as this life, and the next life; that father
and mother as spontaneously born beings (in the heavenly
worlds) are no mere words; that there are monks and priests
who are spotless and perfect, who can explain this life and the
next life, which they themselves have understood: this is called
the "Mundane Right Understanding," which yields worldly
fruits, and brings good results.
2. But whatsoever there is of wisdom, of penetration, of
right understanding, conjoined with the Path-the mind being
turned away from the world, and conjoined with the path, the
holy path being turned away from the world, and conjoined
with the path, the holy path being pursued;-this is called the
"Ultramundane Right Understanding," which is not of the
world, but is ultramundane, and conjoined with the Path.
[Thus, there are two kinds of the Eightfold Path: the
"mundane," practiced by the "worldling"; and the "ultra-
mundane," practiced by the "Noble Ones."]
Now, in understanding wrong understanding as wrong,
and right understanding as right, one practices Right
Understanding [1st step]; and in making efforts to overcome
wrong understanding, and to arouse right understanding, one
practices. Right Effort [6th step]; and in overcoming wrong
understanding with attentive mind, and dwelling with attentive
mind in the possession of right understanding, one practices
Right-Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence, there are three things
that accompany and follow upon right understanding, namely:
right understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.

COMPLETE DELIVERANCE

Now, if any one should put the question, whether I admit
any view at all, he should be answered thus:
The Perfect One is free from any theory, for the Perfect
One has understood what corporeality is, and how it arises, and
passes away. He has understood what feeling is, and how it
arises, and passes away. He has understood what perception is,
and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what
the mental formations are, and how they arise, and pass away.
He has understood what consciousness is, and how it arises,
and passes away. Therefore, I say, the Perfect One has won
complete deliverance through the extinction, fading-away,
disappearance, rejection, and getting rid of all opinions and
conjectures, of all inclination to the vainglory of "I" and
"mine."
Whether Perfect Ones [Buddhas] appear in the world or
whether Perfect Ones do not appear in the world, it still
remains a firm condition, an immutable fact and fixed law: that
all formations are impermanent" that all formations are
"subject to suffering"; that everything is "without an Ego."
[The word sankhara (formations) comprises all things
which have a beginning and an end, the so-called created, or
"formed" things, i.e., all possible physical and mental
constituents of existence.]
A corporeal phenomenon, a feeling, a perception, a
mental formation, a consciousness, that is permanent and
persistent, eternal and not subject to change: such a thing the
wise men in this world do not recognize; and I also say, there
is no such thing.
And it is impossible that a being possessed of Right
Understanding should regard anything as the Ego.
Now, if someone should say that Feeling is his Ego, he
should be answered thus: "There are three kinds of feeling:
pleasurable, painful, and indifferent feeling. Which of these
three feelings, now, do you consider your Ego?" At the
moment namely of experiencing one of these feelings one does
not experience the other two. These three kinds of feelings are
impermanent, of dependent origin, are subject to decay and
dissolution, to fading-away and extinction. Whosoever, in
experiencing one of these feelings, thinks that this is his Ego,
will, after the extinction of that feeling, admit that his Ego has
become dissolved. And thus he will consider his Ego already in
this present life as impermanent, mixed up with pleasure and
pain, subject to rising and passing away.
If any one should say that Feeling is not his Ego, and that
his Ego is inaccessible to feeling, he should be asked thus:
"Now, where there is no feeling, is it there possible to say:
'This am I?'"
Or, someone might say: "Feeling, indeed, is not my Ego,
but it also is untrue that my Ego is inaccessible to feeling; for
it is my Ego that feels, for my Ego has the faculty of feeling."
Such a one should be answered thus: "Suppose, feeling should
become altogether totally extinguished; now, if there, after the
extinction of feeling, no feeling whatever exists, it is then
possible to say: 'This am I?'"
To say that the mind, or the mind-objects, or the mind-
consciousness, constitute the Ego; such an assertion is
unfounded. For an arising and a passing away is seen there;
and seeing this, one should come to the conclusion that one's
Ego arises and passes away.
It would be better for the unlearned worldling to regard
this body, built up of the four elements, as his Ego, rather than
the mind. For it is evident that this body may last for a year, for
two years, for three years, four, five, or ten years, or even a
hundred years and more; but that which is called thought, or
mind, or consciousness, is continuously, during day and night,
arising as one thing, and passing away as another thing.
Therefore, whatsoever there is of corporeality, of feeling,
of perception, of mental formations, of consciousness, whether
one's own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near;
there one should understand according to reality and true
wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not
my Ego."
[To show the Egolessness, utter emptiness of existence,
Visuddhi-Magga XVI quotes the following verse:

Mere suffering exists, no sufferer is found;
The deed is, but no doer of the deed is there;
Nirvana is, but not the man that enters it;
The Path is, but no traveler on it is seen.]

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

If, now, any one should ask: "Have you been in the past,
and is it untrue that you have not been? Will you be in the
future, and is it untrue that you will not be? Are you, and is it
untrue that you are not?"-you may say that you have been in
the past, and it is untrue that you have not been; that you will
be in the future, and it is untrue that you will not be; that you
are, and it is untrue that you are not.
In the past only the past existence was real, but unreal the
future and present existence. In the future only the future
existence will be real, but unreal the past and present
existence. Now only the present existence is real, but unreal
the past and future existence.
Verily, he who perceives the Dependent Origination,
perceives the truth and he who perceives the truth, perceives
the dependent origination. For, just as from the cow comes
milk, from milk curds, from curds butter, from butter ghee,
from ghee the scum of ghee; and when it is milk, it is not
counted as curds, or butter, or ghee, or scum of ghee, but only
as milk; and when it is curds, it is only counted as curds-just so
was my past existence at that time real, but unreal the future
and present existence; and my future existence will be at one
time real, but unreal the past and present existence; and my
present existence is now real, but unreal the past and future
existence. All these are merely popular designations and
expressions, mere conventional terms of speaking, mere
popular notions. The Perfect One, indeed, makes use of these,
without, however, clinging to them.
Thus, he who does not understand corporeality, feeling,
perception, mental formations and consciousness according to
reality [i.e., as void of a personality, or Ego], and not their
arising, their extinction, and the way to their extinction, he is
liable to believe, either that the Perfect One continues after
death, or that he does not continue after death, and so forth.
Verily, if one holds the view that the vital principle
[Ego] is identical with this body, in that case a holy life is not
possible; or, if one holds the view that the vital principle is
something quite different from the body, in that case also a
holy life is not possible. Both these two Extremes the Perfect
One has avoided, and shown the Middle Doctrine, saying:

DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

On Delusion depend the Karma-Formations. On the
karma-formations depends Consciousness [starting with
rebirth-consciousness in the womb of the mother].- On
consciousness depends the Mental and Physical Existence.-On
the mental and physical existence depend the Six Sense-
Organs.-On the six sense-organs depends the Sensory
Impression.-On the sensory impression depends Feeling.-On
feeling depends; Craving.-On craving depends Clinging. On
clinging depends the Process of Becoming.-On the process of
becoming [here: karmaprocess] depends Rebirth.-On rebirth
depend Decay and Death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and
despair. Thus arises this whole mass of suffering. This is
called the noble truth of the origin of suffering.
In whom, however, Delusion has disappeared and
wisdom arisen, such a disciple heaps up neither meritorious,
nor demeritorious, nor imperturbable Karma-formations.
Thus, through the entire fading away and extinction of
this Delusion, the Karma-Formations are extinguished.
Through the extinction of the Karma-formations,
Consciousness [rebirth] is extinguished. Through the
extinction of consciousness, the Mental and Physical Existence
is extinguished. Through the extinction of the mental and
physical existence, the six Sense-Organs are extinguished.
Through the extinction of the six sense-organs, the Sensory
Impression is extinguished. Through the extinction of the
sensory impression, Feeling is extinguished. Through the
extinction of feeling, Craving is extinguished. Through the
extinction of craving, Clinging is extinguished. Through the
extinction of clinging, the Process of Becoming is
extinguished. Through the extinction of the process of
becoming, Rebirth is extinguished. Through the extinction of
rebirth, Decay and Death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and
despair are extinguished. Thus takes place the extinction of
this whole mass of suffering. This is called the Noble Truth of
the Extinction of Suffering.

KARMA: REBIRTH - PRODUCING AND BARREN

Verily, because beings, obstructed by Delusion, and ensnared
by Craving, now here now there seek ever fresh delight,
therefore such action comes to ever fresh Rebirth.
And the action that is done out of greed, anger and
delusion, that springs from them, has its source and origin
there: this action ripens wherever one is reborn; and wherever
this action ripens, there one experiences the fruits of this
action, be it in this life, or the next life, or in some future life.
However, through the fading away of delusion through
the arising of wisdom, through the extinction of craving, no
future rebirth takes place again
For the actions, which are not done out of greed, anger
and delusion, which have not sprung from them, which have
not their source and origin there-such actions are, through the
absence of greed, anger and delusion, abandoned, rooted out,
like a palm-tree torn out of the soil, destroyed, and not liable to
spring up again.
In this respect one may rightly say of me: that I teach
annihilation, that I propound my doctrine for the purpose of
annihilation, and that I herein train my disciples; for, certainly,
I do teach annihilation-the annihilation, namely, of greed,
anger and delusion, as well as of the manifold evil and
unwholesome things.
["Dependent Origination" is the teaching of the strict
conformity to law of everything that happens, whether in the
realm of the physical, or the psychical. It shows how the
totality of phenomena, physical and mental, the entire
phenomenal world that depends wholly upon the six senses,
together with all its suffering-and this is the vital point of the
teaching is not the mere play of blind chance, but has an
existence that is dependent upon conditions; and that, precisely
with the removal of these conditions, those things that have
arisen in dependence upon them-thus also all suffering-must
perforce disappear and cease to be.]

SECOND STEP
RIGHT MINDEDNESS

WHAT, now, is Right Mindedness? It is thoughts free
from lust; thoughts free from ill-will; thoughts free from
cruelty. This is called right mindedness.
Now, Right Mindedness, let me tell you, is of two kinds:
1. Thoughts free from lust, from ill-will, and from cruelty:-this
is called the "Mundane Right Mindedness," which yields
worldly fruits and brings good results.
2. But, whatsoever there is of thinking, considering,
reasoning, thought, ratiocination, application-the mind being
holy, being turned away from the world, and conjoined with
the path, the holy path being pursued-: these "Verbal
Operations" of the mind are called the "Ultramundane Right
Mindedness which is not of the world, but is ultra mundane,
and conjoined with the paths.
Now, in understanding wrong-mindedness as wrong, and
right-mindedness as right, one practices Right Understanding
[1st step]; and in making efforts to overcome evil-mindedness,
and to arouse right-mindedness, one practices Right Effort
[6th step]; and in overcoming evil-mindedness with attentive
mind, and dwelling with attentive mind in possession of right-
mindedness, one practices Right Attentiveness [7th step].
Hence, there are three things that accompany and follow upon
right-mindedness, namely: right understanding, right effort,
and right attentiveness.

THIRD STEP
RIGHT SPEECH

WHAT, now, is Right Speech? It is abstaining from
lying; abstaining from tale-bearing; abstaining from harsh
language; abstaining from vain talk.
There, someone avoids lying, and abstains from it. He
speaks the truth, is devoted to the truth, reliable, worthy of
confidence, is not a deceiver of men. Being at a meeting, or
amongst people, or in the midst of his relatives, or in a society,
or in the king's court, and called upon and asked as witness, to
tell what he knows, he answers, if he knows nothing: "I know
nothing"; and if he knows, he answers: "I know"; if he has seen
nothing, he answers: "I have seen nothing," and if he has seen,
he answers: "I have seen." Thus, he never knowingly speaks a
lie, neither for the sake of his own advantage, nor for the sake
of another person's advantage, nor for the sake of any
advantage whatsoever.
He avoids tale-bearing, and abstains from it. What he has
heard here, he does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension
there; and what he heard there, he does not repeat here, so as to
cause dissension here. Thus he unites those that are divided;
and those that are united, he encourages. Concord gladdens
him, he delights and rejoices in concord, and it is concord that
he spreads by his words.
He avoids harsh language, and abstains from it. He
speaks such words as are gentle, soothing to the ear, loving,
going to the heart, courteous and dear, and agreeable to many.
[In Majjhima-Nikaya, No. 21, the Buddha says: "Even, O
monks, should robbers and murderers saw through your limbs
and joints, whoso gave way to anger thereat, would not be
following my advice. For thus ought you to train yourselves:
"'Undisturbed shall our mind remain, no evil words shall
escape our lips; friendly and full of sympathy shall we remain,
with heart full of love, and free from any hidden malice; and
that person shall we penetrate with loving thoughts, wide,
deep, boundless, freed from anger and hatred.'"]
He avoids vain talk, and abstains from it. He speaks at the
right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what is useful,
speaks about the law and the discipline; his speech is like a
treasure, at the right moment accompanied by arguments,
moderate and full of sense.
This is called right speech.
Now, right speech, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1.
Abstaining from lying, from tale-bearing, from harsh language,
and from vain talk; this is called the "Mundane Right Speech,
which yields worldly fruits and brings good results.
2. But the abhorrence of the practice of this four-fold
wrong speech, the abstaining, withholding, refraining
therefrom-the mind being holy, being turned away from the
world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path being
pursued-: this is called the "Ultramundane Right Speech,
which is not of the world, but is ultramundane, and conjoined
with the paths.
Now, in understanding wrong speech as wrong, and right
speech as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st step);
and in making efforts to overcome evil speech and to arouse
right speech, one practices Right Effort [6th step]; and in
overcoming wrong speech with attentive mind, and dwelling
with attentive mind in possession of right speech, one practices
Right Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence, there are three things
that accompany and follow upon right attentiveness.

FOURTH STEP
RIGHT ACTION

WHAT, now, is Right Action? It is abstaining from
killing; abstaining from stealing; abstaining from unlawful
sexual intercourse.
There, someone avoids the killing of living beings, and
abstains from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of
sympathy, he is anxious for the welfare of all living beings.
He avoids stealing, and abstains from it; what another
person possesses of goods and chattels in the village or in the
wood, that he does not take away with thievish intent.
He avoids unlawful sexual intercourse, and abstains from
it. He has no intercourse with such persons as are still under
the protection of father, mother, brother, sister or relatives, nor
with married women, nor female convicts, nor, lastly, with
betrothed girls.
This is called Right Action.
Now, Right Action, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1.
Abstaining from killing, from stealing, and from unlawful
sexual intercourse-this is called the "Mundane Right Action,
which yields worldly fruits and brings good results. But the
abhorrence of the practice of this three-fold wrong action, the
abstaining, withholding, refraining therefrom-the mind being
holy, being turned away from the world, and conjoined with
the path, the holy path being pursued-: this is called the
"Ultramundane Right Action," which is not of the world, but is
ultramundane, and conjoined with the paths.
Now, in understanding wrong action as wrong, and right
action as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st step];
and in making efforts to overcome wrong action, and to arouse
right action, one practices Right Effort [6th step]; and in
overcoming wrong action with attentive mind, and dwelling
with attentive mind in possession of right action, one practices
Right Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence, there are three things
that accompany and follow upon right action, namely: right
understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.

FIFTH STEP
RIGHT LIVING

WHAT, now, is Right Living? When the noble disciple,
avoiding a wrong way of living, gets his livelihood by a right
way of living, this is called Right Living.
Now, right living, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1.
When the noble disciple, avoiding wrong living, gets his
livelihood by a right way of living-this is called the "Mundane
Right Living," which yields worldly fruits and brings good
results.
2. But the abhorrence of wrong living, the abstaining,
withholding, refraining therefrom-the mind being holy, being
turned away from the world, and conjoined with the path, the
holy path being pursued-: this is called the "Ultramundane
Right Living," which is not of the world, but is ultramundane,
and conjoined with the paths.
Now, in understanding wrong living as wrong, and right
living as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st step];
and in making efforts to overcome wrong living, to arouse
right living, one practices Right Effort [6th step]; and in
overcoming wrong living with attentive mind, and dwelling
with attentive mind in possession of right living, one practices
Right Attentiveness [7th step]. Hence, there are three things
that accompany and follow upon right living, namely: right
understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.

SIXTH STEP
RIGHT EFFORT

WHAT, now, is Right Effort? There are Four Great
Efforts: the effort to avoid, the effort to overcome, the effort to
develop, and the effort to maintain.
What, now, is the effort to avoid? There, the disciple
incites his mind to avoid the arising of evil, demeritorious
things that have not yet arisen; and he strives, puts forth his
energy, strains his mind and struggles.
Thus, when he perceives a form with the eye, a sound
with the ear, an odor with the nose, a taste with the tongue, a
contact with the body, or an object with the mind, he neither
adheres to the whole, nor to its parts. And he strives to ward
off that through which evil and demeritorious things, greed and
sorrow, would arise, if he remained with unguarded senses;
and he watches over his senses, restrains his senses.
Possessed of this noble "Control over the Senses," he
experiences inwardly a feeling of joy, into which no evil thing
can enter. This is called the effort to avoid.
What, now, is the effort to Overcome? There, the disciple
incites his mind to overcome the evil, demeritorious things that
have already arisen; and he strives, puts forth his energy,
strains his mind and struggles.
He does not retain any thought of sensual lust, ill-will, or
grief, or any other evil and demeritorious states that may have
arisen; he abandons them, dispels them, destroys them, causes
them to disappear.

FIVE METHODS OF EXPELLING EVIL THOUGHTS

If, whilst regarding a certain object, there arise in the
disciple, on account of it, evil and demeritorious thoughts
connected with greed, anger and delusion, then the disciple
should, by means of this object, gain another and wholesome
object. Or, he should reflect on the misery of these thoughts:
"Unwholesome, truly, are these thoughts! Blameable are these
thoughts! Of painful result are these thoughts!" Or, he should
pay no attention to these thoughts. Or, he should consider the
compound nature of these thoughts. Or, with teeth clenched
and tongue pressed against the gums, he should, with his mind,
restrain, suppress and root out these thoughts; and in doing so,
these evil and demeritorious thoughts of greed, anger and
delusion will dissolve and disappear; and the mind will
inwardly become settled and calm, composed and
concentrated.
This is called the effort to overcome.
What, now, is the effort to Develop? There the disciple
incites his will to arouse meritorious conditions that have not
yet arisen; and he strives, puts forth his energy, strains his
mind and struggles.
Thus he develops the "Elements of Enlightenment," bent
on solitude, on detachment, on extinction, and ending in
deliverance, namely: Attentiveness, Investigation of the Law,
Energy, Rapture, Tranquility, Concentration, and Equanimity.
This is called the effort to develop.
What, now, is the effort to Maintain? There, the disciple
incites his will to maintain the meritorious conditions that have
already arisen, and not to let them disappear, but to bring them
to growth, to maturity and to the full perfection of
development; and he strives, puts forth his energy, strains his
mind and struggles.
Thus, for example, he keeps firmly in his mind a
favorable object of concentration that has arisen, as the mental
image of a skeleton, of a corpse infested by worms, of a corpse
blue-black in color, of a festering corpse, of a corpse riddled
with holes, of a corpse swollen up.
This is called the effort to maintain.
Truly, the disciple who is possessed of faith and has
penetrated the Teaching of the Master, he is filled with the
thought: "May rather skin, sinews and bones wither away, may
the flesh and blood of my body dry up: I shall not give up my
efforts so long as I have not attained whatever is attainable by
manly perseverance, energy and endeavor!"
This is called right effort.

The effort of Avoiding, Overcoming,
Of Developing and Maintaining:
These four great efforts have been shown
By him, the scion of the sun.
And he who firmly clings to them,
May put an end to all the pain.

SEVENTH STEP
RIGHT ATTENTIVENESS

WHAT, now, is Right Attentiveness? The only way that
leads to the attainment of purity, to the overcoming of sorrow
and lamentation, to the end of pain and grief, to the entering
upon the right path and the realization of Nirvana, is the "Four
Fundamentals of Attentiveness." And which are these four? In
them, the disciple dwells in contemplation of the Body, in
contemplation of Feeling, in contemplation of the Mind, in
contemplation of the Mind-objects, ardent, clearly conscious
and attentive, after putting away worldly greed and grief.

CONTEMPLATION OF THE BODY

But, how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the
body? There, the disciple retires to the forest, to the foot of a
tree, or to a solitary place, sits himself down, with legs
crossed, body erect, and with attentiveness fixed before him.
With attentive mind he breathes in, with attentive mind he
breathes out. When making a long inhalation, he knows: "I
make a long inhalation"; when making a long exhalation, he
knows: "I make a long exhalation." when making a short
inhalation, he knows: "I make a short inhalation"; when
making a short exhalation, he knows: "I make a short
exhalation." "Clearly perceiving the entire [breath]-body, I
will breathe in": thus he trains himself; "clearly perceiving the
entire [breath]-body, I will breathe out": thus he trains
himself. "Calming this bodily function, I will breathe n": thus
he trains himself; "calming this bodily function, I will breathe
out": thus he trains himself.
Thus he dwells in contemplation of the body, either with
regard to his own person, or to other persons, or to both. He
beholds how the body arises; beholds how it passes away;
beholds the arising and passing away of the body. "A body is
there-

"A body is there, but no living being, no individual, no
woman,
no man, no self, and nothing that belongs to a self; neither a
person, nor anything belonging to a person"-

this clear consciousness is present in him, because of his
knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives independent,
unattached to anything in the world. Thus does the disciple
dwell in contemplation of the body.
And further, whilst going, standing, sitting, or lying
down, the disciple understands the expressions: "I go"; "I
stand"; "I sit"; "I lie down"; he understands any position of the
body.
[The disciple understands that it is not a being, a real
Ego, that goes, stands, etc., but that it is by a mere figure of
speech that one says: "I go," "I stand," and so forth.]
And further, the disciple is clearly conscious in his going
and coming; clearly conscious in looking forward and
backward; clearly conscious in bending and stretching; clearly
conscious in eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; clearly
conscious in discharging excrement and urine; clearly
conscious in walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep and
awakening; clearly conscious in speaking and in keeping
silent.
"In all the disciple is doing, he is clearly conscious: of his
intention, of his advantage, of his duty, of the reality."
And further, the disciple contemplates this body from the
sole of the foot upward, and from the top of the hair
downward, with a skin stretched over it, and filled with
manifold impurities: "This body consists of hairs, nails, teeth,
skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver,
diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, bowels, stomach, and
excrement; of bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph, tears,
semen, spittle, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, and urine."
Just as if there were a sack, with openings at both ends,
filled with all kinds of grain-with paddy, beans, sesamum and
husked rice-and a man not blind opened it and examined its
contents, thus: "That is paddy, these are beans, this is
sesamum, this is husked rice": just so does the disciple
investigate this body.
And further, the disciple contemplates this body with
regard to the elements: "This body consists of the solid
element, the liquid element, the heating element and the
vibrating element." Just as a skilled butcher or butcher's
apprentice, who has slaughtered a cow and divided it into
separate portions, should sit down at the junction of four
highroads: just so does the disciple contemplate this body with
regard to the elements.
And further, just as if the disciple should see a corpse
thrown into the burial-ground, one, two, or three days dead,
swollen-up, blue-black in color, full of corruption he draws the
conclusion as to his own body: "This my body also has this
nature, has this destiny, and cannot escape it." And further, just
as if the disciple should see a corpse thrown into the burial-
ground, eaten by crows, hawks or vultures, by dogs or jackals,
or gnawed by all kinds of worms-he draws the conclusion as to
his own body: "This my body also has this nature, has this
destiny, and cannot escape it."
And further, just as if the disciple should see a corpse
thrown into the burial-ground, a framework of bones, flesh
hanging from it, bespattered with blood, held together by the
sinews; a framework of bones, stripped of flesh, bespattered
with blood, held together by the sinews; a framework of bones,
without flesh and blood, but still held together by the sinews;
bones, disconnected and scattered in all directions, here a bone
of the hand, there a bone of the foot, there a shin bone, there a
thigh bone, there the pelvis, there the spine, there the skull-he
draws the conclusion as to his own body: "This my body also
has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot escape it."
And further, just as if the disciple should see bones lying
in the burial ground, bleached and resembling shells; bones
heaped together, after the lapse of years; bones weathered and
crumbled to dust;-he draws the conclusion as to his own body:
"This my body also has this nature, has this destiny, and cannot
escape it "
Thus he dwells in contemplation of the body, either with
regard to his own person, or to other persons, or to both. He
beholds how the body arises; beholds how it passes away;
beholds the arising and passing of the body. "A body is there"
this clear consciousness is present in him, because of his
knowledge and mindfulness; and he lives independent,
unattached to anything in the world. Thus does the disciple
dwell in contemplation of the body.

THE TEN BLESSINGS

Once the contemplation of the body is practiced, developed,
often repeated, has become one's habit, one's foundation, is
firmly established, strengthened and well perfected, one may
expect ten blessings:
Over Delight and Discontent one has mastery; one does
not allow himself to be overcome by discontent; one subdues
it, as soon as it arises. One conquers Fear and Anxiety; one
does not allow himself to be overcome by fear and anxiety; one
subdues them, as soon as they arise. One endures cold and
heat, hunger and thirst, wind and sun, attacks by gadflies,
mosquitoes and reptiles; patiently one endures wicked and
malicious speech, as well as bodily pains, that befall one,
though they be piercing, sharp, bitter, unpleasant, disagreeable
and dangerous to life. The four "Trances," the mind bestowing
happiness even here: these one may enjoy at will, without
difficulty, without effort.
One may enjoy the different "Magical Powers." With the
"Heavenly Ear," the purified, the super-human, one may hear
both kinds of sounds, the heavenly and the earthly, the distant
and the near. With the mind one may obtain "Insight into the
Hearts of Other Beings of other persons. One may obtain
"Remembrance of many Previous Births." With the "Heavenly
Eye," the purified, the super-human, one may see beings vanish
and reappear, the base and the noble, the beautiful and the
ugly, the happy and the unfortunate; one may perceive how
beings are reborn according to their deeds.
One may, through the "Cessation of Passions," come to
know for oneself, even in this life, the stainless deliverance of
mind, the deliverance through wisdom.

CONTEMPLATION OF THE FEELINGS

But how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the
feelings?
In experiencing feelings, the disciple knows: "I have an
indifferent agreeable feeling," or "I have a disagreeable
feeling," or "I have an indifferent feeling," or "I have a worldly
agreeable feeling," or "I have an unworldly agreeable feeling,"
or "I have a worldly disagreeable feeling," or "I have an
unworldly disagreeable feeling," or "I have a worldly
indifferent feeling," or have an unworldly indifferent feeling.
Thus he dwells in contemplation of the feelings, either
with regard to his own person, or to other persons, or to both.
He beholds how the feelings arise; beholds how they pass
away; beholds the arising and passing away of the feelings.
"Feelings are there": this clear consciousness is present in him,
because of his knowledge and mindfulness; and he lives
independent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus does
the disciple dwell in contemplation of the feelings.
[The disciple understands that the expression "I feel" has
no validity except as an expression of common speech; he
understands that, in the absolute sense, there are only feelings,
and that there is no Ego, no person, no experience of the
feelings.]

CONTEMPLATION OF THE MIND

But how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the
mind? The disciple knows the greedy mind as greedy, and the
not greedy mind as not greedy; knows the angry mind as angry,
and the not angry mind as not angry; knows the deluded mind
as deluded, and the undeluded mind as undeluded. He knows
the cramped mind as cramped, and the scattered mind as
scattered; knows the developed mind as developed, and the
undeveloped mind as undeveloped; knows the surpassable
mind as surpassable, and the unsurpassable mind as
unsurpassable; knows the concentrated mind as concentrated,
and the unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; knows the
freed mind as freed, and the unfreed mind as unfreed.
["Mind" is here used as a collective for the moments of
consciousness. Being identical with consciousness, it should
not be translated by "thought." "Thought" and "thinking"
correspond rather to the so-called "verbal operations of the
mind"; they are not, like consciousness, of primary, but of
secondary nature, and are entirely absent in all sensuous
consciousness, as well as in the second, third and fourth
Trances. (See eighth step).]
Thus he dwells in contemplation of the mind, either with
regard to his own person, or to other persons, or to both. He
beholds how consciousness arises; beholds how it passes
away; beholds the arising and passing away of consciousness.
"Mind is there"; this clear consciousness is present in him,
because of his knowledge and mindfulness; and he lives
independent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus does
the disciple dwell in contemplation of the mind.

CONTEMPLATION OF PHENOMENA (Mind-objects)

But how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the
phenomena? First, the disciple dwells in contemplation of the
phenomen, of the "Five Hindrances."
He knows when there is "Lust" in him: "In me is lust";
knows when there is "Anger" in him: "In me is anger"; knows
when there is "Torpor and Drowsiness" in him: "In me is
torpor and drowsiness"; knows when there is "Restlessness and
Mental Worry" in him: "In me is restlessness and mental
worry"; knows when there are "Doubts" in him: "In me are
doubts." He knows when these hindrances are not in him: "In
me these hindrances are not." He knows how they come to
arise; knows how, once arisen, they are overcome; knows how,
once overcome, they do not rise again in the future.
[For example, Lust arises through unwise thinking on the
agreeable and delightful. it may be suppressed by the following
six methods: fixing the mind upon an idea that arouses disgust;
contemplation of the loathsomeness of the body; controlling
one's six senses; moderation in eating; friendship with wise
and good men; right instruction. Lust is forever extinguished
upon entrance into Anagamiship; Restlessness is extinguished
by reaching Arahatship; Mental Worry, by reaching
Sotapanship.]
And further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the
phenomena, of the five Groups of Existence. He knows what
Corporeality is, how it arises, how it passes away; knows what
Feeling is, how it arises, how it away; knows what Perception
is, how it arises, how it passes away; knows what the Mental
Formations are, how they arise, how they pass away; knows
what Consciousness is, how it arises, how it passes away.
And further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the
phenomena of the six Subjective-Objective Sense-Bases. He
knows eye and visual objects, ear and sounds, nose and odors,
tongue and tastes, body and touches, mind and mind objects;
and the fetter that arises in dependence on them, he also
knows. He knows how the fetter comes to arise, knows how
the fetter is overcome, and how the abandoned fetter does not
rise again in future.
And further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the
phenomena of the seven Elements of Enlightenment. The
disciple knows when there is Attentiveness in him; when there
is Investigation of the Law in him; when there is Energy in
him; when there is Enthusiasm in him; when there is
Tranquility in him; when there is Concentration in him; when
there is Equanimity in him. He knows when it is not in him,
knows how it comes to arise, and how it is fully developed.
And further: the disciple dwells in contemplation of the
phenomena of the Four Noble Truths. He knows according to
reality, what Suffering is; knows according to reality, what the
Origin of Suffering is; knows according to reality, what the
Extinction of Suffering is; knows according to reality, what the
Path is that leads to the Extinction of Suffering.
Thus he dwells in contemplation of the phenomena, either
with regard to his own person, or to other persons, or to both.
He beholds how the phenomena arise; beholds how they pass
away; beholds the arising and passing away of the phenomena.
"Phenomena are there this consciousness is present in him
because of his knowledge and mindfulness; and he lives
independent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus does
the disciple dwell in contemplation of the phenomena.
The only way that leads to the attainment of purity, to the
overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, to the end of pain and
grief, to the entering upon the right path, and the realization of
Nirvana, is these four fundamentals of attentiveness.

NIRVANA THROUGH WATCHING OVER BREATHING

"Watching over In-and Out-breathing" practiced and
developed, brings the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to
perfection; the four fundamentals of attentiveness, practiced
and developed bring the seven Elements of Enlightenment to
perfection; the seven elements of enlightenment, practiced and
developed, bring Wisdom and Deliverance to perfection.
But how does Watching over In-and Out-breathing,
practiced and developed, bring the four Fundamentals of
Attentiveness to perfection?
I. Whenever the disciple is conscious in making a long
inhalation or exhalation, or in making a short inhalation or
exhalation, or is training himself to inhale or exhale whilst
feeling the whole [breath]-body, or whilst calming down this
bodily function-at such a time the disciple is dwelling in
"contemplation of the body," of energy, clearly conscious,
attentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief. For,
inhalation and exhalation I call one amongst the corporeal
phenomena.
II. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or
exhale whilst feeling rapture, or joy, or the mental functions, or
whilst calming down the mental functions-at such a time he is
dwelling in "contemplation of the feelings," full of energy,
clearly conscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and
grief. For, the full awareness of in-and outbreathing I call one
amongst the feelings.
III. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or
exhale whilst feeling the mind, or whilst gladdening the mind
or whilst concentrating the mind, or whilst setting the mind
free-at such a time he is dwelling in "contemplation of the
mind," full of energy, clearly conscious, attentive, after
subduing worldly greed and grief. For, without attentiveness
and clear consciousness, I say, there is no Watching over in-
and Out-breathing.
IV. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or
exhale whilst contemplating impermanence, or the fading away
of passion, or extinction, or detachment at such a time he is
dwelling in "contemplation of the phenomena," full of energy,
clearly conscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and
grief.
Watching over In-and Out-breathing, thus practiced and
developed, brings the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to
perfection.
But how do the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness,
practiced and developed, bring the seven Elements of
Enlightenment to full perfection?
Whenever the disciple is dwelling in contemplation of
body, feeling, mind and phenomena, strenuous, clearly
conscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief-at
such a time his attentiveness is undisturbed; and whenever his
attentiveness is present and undisturbed, at such a time he has
gained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment
"Attentiveness"; and thus this element of enlightenment
reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst dwelling with attentive mind, he
wisely investigates, examines and thinks over the Law-at such
a time he has gained and is developing the Element of
Enlightenment "Investigation of the Law"; and thus this
element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst wisely investigating, examining
and thinking over the law, his energy is firm and unshaken-at
such a time he has gained and is developing the Element of
Enlightenment "Energy"; and thus this element of
enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever in him, whilst firm in energy, arises
supersensuous rapture-at such a time he has gained and is
developing the Element of Enlightenment "Rapture"; and thus
this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst enraptured in mind, his spiritual
frame and his mind become tranquil-at such a time he has
gained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment
"Tranquility"; and thus this element of enlightenment reaches
fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst being tranquilized in his spiritual
frame and happy, his mind becomes concentrated-at such a
time he has gained and is developing the Element of
Enlightenment "Concentration; and thus this element of
enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever he thoroughly looks with indifference on
his mind thus concentrated-at such a time he has gained and is
developing the Element of Enlightenment "Equanimity."
The four fundamentals of attentiveness, thus practiced
and developed, bring the seven elements of enlightenment to
full perfection.
But how do the seven elements of enlightenment,
practiced and developed, bring Wisdom and Deliverance to full
perfection?
There, the disciple is developing the elements of
enlightenment: Attentiveness, Investigation of the Law,
Energy, Rapture, Tranquility, Concentration and Equanimity,
bent on detachment, on absence of desire, on extinction and
renunciation.
Thus practiced and developed, do the seven elements of
enlightenment bring wisdom and deliverance to full perfection.
Just as the elephant hunter drives a huge stake into the
ground and chains the wild elephant to it by the neck, in order
to drive out of him his wonted forest ways and wishes, his
forest unruliness, obstinacy and violence, and to accustom him
to the environment of the village, and to teach him such good
behavior as is required amongst men: in like manner also has
the noble disciple to fix his mind firmly to these four
fundamentals of attentiveness, so that he may drive out of
himself his wonted worldly ways and wishes, his wonted
worldly unruliness, obstinacy and violence, and win to the
True, and realize Nirvana.

EIGHTH STEP
RIGHT CONCENTRATION

WHAT, now, is Right Concentration? Fixing the mind to
a single object ("One-pointedness of mind"): this is
concentration.
The four Fundamentals of Attentiveness (seventh step):
these are the objects of concentration.
The four Great Efforts (sixth step): these are the
requisites for concentration.
The practicing, developing and cultivating of these
things: this is the "Development" of concentration.
[Right Concentration has two degrees of development: 1.
"Neighborhood-Concentration," which approaches the first
trance, without however attaining it; 2. "Attainment
Concentration," which is the concentration present in the four
trances. The attainment of the trances, however, is not a
requisite for the realization of the Four Ultramundane Paths of
Holiness; and neither Neighborhood-Concentration nor
Attainment-Concentration, as such, in any way possesses the
power of conferring entry into the Four Ultramundane Paths;
hence, in them is really no power to free oneself permanently
from evil things. The realization of the Four Ultramundane
Paths is possible only at the moment of insight into the
impermanency, miserable nature, and impersonality of
phenomenal process of existence. This insight is attainable
only during Neighborhood-Concentration, not during
Attainment-Concentration.
He who has realized one or other of the Four
Ultramundane Paths without ever having attained the Trances,
is called a "Dry-visioned One," or one whose passions are
"dried up by Insight." He, however, who after cultivating the
Trances has reached one of the Ultramundane Paths, is called
"one who has taken tranquility as his vehicle."]

THE FOUR TRANCES

Detached from sensual objects, detached from
unwholesome things, the disciple enters into the first trance,
which is accompanied by "Verbal Though," and "Rumination,"
is born of "Detachment," and filled with "Rapture," and
"Happiness."
This first trance is free from five things, and five things
are present. When the disciple enters the first trance, there
have vanished [the 5 Hindrances]: Lust, Ill-will, Torpor and
Dullness, Restlessness and Mental Worry, Doubts; and there
are present: Verbal Thought, Rumination, Rapture, Happiness,
and Concentration.
And further: after the subsiding of verbal thought and
rumination, and by the gaining of inward tranquility and
oneness of mind, he enters into a state free from verbal thought
and rumination, the second trance, which is born of
Concentration, and filled with Rapture and Happiness.
And further: after the fading away of rapture, he dwells in
equanimity, attentive, clearly conscious; and he experiences in
his person that feeling, of which the Noble Ones say: "Happy
lives the man of equanimity and attentive mind"-thus he enters
the third trance.
And further: after the giving up of pleasure and pain, and
through the disappearance of previous joy and grief, he enters
into a state beyond pleasure and pain, into the fourth trance,
which is purified by equanimity and attentiveness.
[The four Trances may be obtained by means of
Watching over In-and Out-breathing, as well as through the
fourth sublime meditation, the "Meditation of Equanimity,"
and others.
The three other Sublime Meditations of "Loving
Kindness," "Compassion", and "Sympathetic Joy" may lead to
the attainment of the first three Trances. The "Cemetery
Meditations," as well as the meditation "On Loathsomeness,"
will produce only the First Trance.
The "Analysis of the Body," and the Contemplation on
the Buddha, the Law, the Holy Brotherhood, Morality, etc.,
will only produce Neighborhood-Concentration.]
Develop your concentration: for he who has concentration
understands things according to their reality. And what are
these things? The arising and passing away of corporeality, of
feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness.
Thus, these five Groups of Existence must be wisely
penetrated; Delusion and Craving must be wisely abandoned;
Tranquility and Insight must be wisely developed.
This is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has
discovered, which makes one both to see and to know, and
which leads to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment, to
Nirvana.
And following upon this path, you will put an end to
suffering.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE EIGHTFOLD PATH IN THE
DISCIPLE

CONFIDENCE AND RIGHT-MINDEDNESS (2nd Step)

SUPPOSE a householder, or his son, or someone reborn
in any family, hears the law; and after hearing the law he is
filled with confidence in the Perfect One. And filled with this
confidence, he thinks: "Full of hindrances is household life, a
refuse heap; but pilgrim life is like the open air. Not easy is it,
when one lives at home, to fulfill in all points the rules of the
holy life. How, if now I were to cut off hair and beard, put on
the yellow robe and go forth from home to the homeless life?"
And in a short time, having given up his more or less extensive
possessions, having forsaken a smaller or larger circle of
relations, he cuts off hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe,
and goes forth from home to the homeless life.

MORALITY (3rd, 4th, 5th Step)

Having thus left the world, he fulfills the rules of the
monks. He avoids the killing of living beings and abstains
from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of
sympathy, he is anxious for the welfare of all living beings.-He
avoids stealing, and abstains from taking what is not given to
him. Only what is given to him he takes, waiting till it is given;
and he lives with a heart honest and pure.-He avoids
unchastity, living chaste, resigned, and keeping aloof from
sexual intercourse, the vulgar way.-He avoids lying and
abstains from it. He speaks the truth, is devoted to the truth,
reliable, worthy of confidence, is not a deceiver of men.-He
avoids tale-bearing and abstains from it. What he has heard
here, he does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension there;
and what he has heard there, he does not repeat here, so as to
cause dissension here. Thus he unites those that are divided,
and those that are united he encourages; concord gladdens him,
he delights and rejoices in concord, and it is concord that he
spreads by his words.-He avoids harsh language and abstains
from it. He speaks such words as are gentle, soothing to the
ear, loving, going to the heart, courteous and dear, and
agreeable to many.- He avoids vain talk and abstains from it.
He speaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks
what is useful, speaks about the law and the disciple; his
speech is like a treasure, at the right moment accompanied by
arguments, moderate, and full of sense.
He keeps aloof from dance, song, music and the visiting
of shows; rejects flowers, perfumes, ointments, as well as
every kind of adornment and embellishment. High and
gorgeous beds he does not use. Gold and silver he does not
accept. Raw corn and meat he does not accept. Women and
girls he does not accept. He owns no male and female slaves,
owns no goats, sheep, fowls, pigs, elephants, cows or horses,
no land and goods. He does not go on errands and do the duties
of a messenger. He keeps aloof from buying and selling things.
He has nothing to do with false measures, metals and weights.
He avoids the crooked ways of bribery, deception and fraud.
He keeps aloof from stabbing, beating, chaining, attacking,
plundering and oppressing.
He contents himself with the robe that protects his body,
and with the alms with which he keeps himself alive. Wherever
he goes, he is provided with these two things; just as a winged
bird, in flying, carries his wings along with him. By fulfilling
this noble Domain of Morality he feels in his heart an
irreproachable happiness.

CONTROL OF THE SENSES (6th Step)

Now, in perceiving a form with the eye- a sound with the
ear- an odor with the nose- a taste with the tongue- a touch
with the body- an object with his mind, he sticks neither to the
whole, nor to its details. And he tries to ward off that which,
by being unguarded in his senses, might give rise to evil and
unwholesome states, to greed and sorrow; he watches over his
senses, keep his senses under control. By practicing this noble
"Control of the Senses" he feels in his heart an unblemished
happiness.

ATTENTIVENESS AND CLEAR CONSCIOUSNESS (7th
Step)

Clearly conscious is he in his going and coming; clearly
conscious in looking forward and backward; clearly conscious
in bending and stretching his body; clearly conscious in eating,
drinking, chewing and tasting; dearly conscious in discharging
excrement and urine; clearly conscious in walking, standing,
sitting, falling asleep and awakening; clearly conscious in
speaking and keeping silent.
Now, being equipped with this lofty Morality, equipped
with this noble Control of the Senses, and filled with this noble
"Attentiveness and Clear Consciousness, he chooses a secluded
dwelling in the forest, at the foot of a tree, on a mountain, in a
cleft, in a rock cave, on a burial ground, on a woody table-
land, in the open air, or on a heap of straw. Having returned
from his alms-round, after the meal, he sits himself down with
legs crossed, body erect, with attentiveness fixed before him.

ABSENCE OF THE FIVE HINDRANCES

He has cast away Lust; he dwells with a heart free from
lust; from lust he cleanses his heart. He has cast away Ill-will;
he dwells with a heart free from ill-will; cherishing love and
compassion toward all living beings, he cleanses his heart from
ill-will.
He has cast away Torpor and Dullness; he dwells free
from torpor and dullness; loving the light, with watchful mind,
with clear consciousness, he cleanses his mind from torpor and
dullness.
He has cast away Restlessness and Mental Worry;
dwelling with mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, he
cleanses his mind from restlessness and mental worry.
He has cast away Doubt; dwelling free from doubt, full of
confidence in the good, he cleanses his heart from doubt.

THE TRANCES (8th Step)

He has put aside these five Hindrances and come to know
the paralyzing corruptions of the mind. And far from sensual
impressions, far from unwholesome things, he enters into the
Four Trances.

INSIGHT (1st Step)

But whatsoever there is of feeling, perception, mental
formation, or consciousness-all these phenomena he regards as
"impermanent," "subject to pain," as infirm, as an ulcer, a
thorn, a misery, a burden, an enemy, a disturbance, as empty
and "void of an Ego"; and turning away from these things, he
directs his mind towards the abiding, thus: "This, verily, is the
Peace, this is the Highest, namely the end of all formations, the
forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of
craving; detachment, extinction: Nirvana." And in this state he
reaches the "Cessation of Passions."

NIRVANA

And his heart becomes free from sensual passion, free
from the passion for existence, free from the passion of
ignorance. "Freed am I!": this knowledge arises in the liberated
one; and he knows: "Exhausted is rebirth, fulfilled the Holy
Life; what was to be done, has been done; naught remains
more for this world to do."

Forever am I liberated,
This is the last time that I'm born,
No new existence waits for me.

This, verily, is the highest, holiest wisdom: to know that
all suffering has passed away.
This, verily, is the highest, holiest peace: appeasement of
greed, hatred and delusion.

THE SILENT THINKER

"I am" is a vain thought; "I am not" a vain thought; "I
shall be" is a vain thought; "I shall not be" is a vain thought.
Vain thoughts are a sickness, an ulcer, a thorn. But after
overcoming all vain thoughts, one is called silent thinker." And
the thinker, the Silent One, does no more arise, no more pass
away, no more tremble, no more desire. For there is nothing in
him that he should arise again. And as he arises no more, how
should he grow old again? And as he grows no more old, how
should he die again? And as he dies no more, how should he
tremble? And as he trembles no more, how should he have
desire?

THE TRUE GOAL

Hence, the purpose of the Holy Life does not consist in
acquiring alms, honor, or fame, nor in gaining morality,
concentration, or the eye of knowledge. That unshakable
deliverance of the heart: that, verily, is the object of the Holy
Life, that is its essence, that is its goal.
And those, who formerly, in the past, were Holy and
Enlightened Ones, those Blessed Ones also have pointed out to
their disciples this self-same goal, as has been pointed out by
me to my disciples. And those, who afterwards, in the future,
will be Holy and Enlightened Ones, those Blessed Ones also
will point out to their disciples this self-same goal, as has been
pointed out by me to my disciples.
However, Disciples, it may be that (after my passing
away) you might think: "Gone is the doctrine of our Master.
We have no Master more." But you should not think; for the
Law and the Discipline, which I have taught you, Will, after
my death, be your master.

The Law be your light,
The Law be your refuge!
Do not look for any other refuge!

Disciples, the doctrines, which I advised you to penetrate,
you should well preserve, well guard, so that this Holy Life
may take its course and continue for ages, for the weal and
welfare of the many, as a consolation to the world, for the
happiness, weal and welfare of heavenly beings and men.

THE END

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