Post # 16 - Why engage in Dhamma Practice?- The Direct Path to Enlightenment The Noble Eightfold Path-
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archives and read the 1st Post to know about this Blog and reading Post # 14 for an introduction to ‘Why engage in Dhamma Practice’, before attempting to read this Post.
The
Direct Path to Enlightenment
1.0
We saw in the earlier Posts that ethical practices of Buddha Dhamma can be
grouped for our purpose, into three parts. They are, engaging in punya kamma (meritorious acts) as the 1st
part, practice of kusala kamma
(ethical skills) as the 2nd part, and following the marga prathi padawa (the direct path to
enlightenment) as the 3rd part.
We
will discuss the practice of the marga
prathi padawa (the direct path to enlightenment) in this Post.
2.0
It was noted from the previous posts on Punnya
Kamma and Kusala Kamma that
acquisition of these virtues were seen as necessary for the well being in our
present life and future lives. Understanding that escape from Samsara advocated in Buddha Dhamma is the main objective of dhamma practice, one knows that this
escape is however difficult to realize in this life, although not impossible .
Therefore
it is essential to have an insurance to ensure ourselves with a birth in a
happy realm in the next birth endowed with necessary means (paramithas) to continue the
practice for reaching liberation at the earliest. Therefore the acquisition of Punya Kamma and Kusala Kamma will be essential, although these endowments are not
the final goal. To reach the final goal, the 3rd part of the
practice, viz path to enlightenment also has to be pursued.
3.0 Upon reaching
enlightenment the Buddha discovered the four Noble Truths, consisting of Dhukka or the unsatisfactory nature of
existence, the cause, the liberation or Nibbana,
and the path of practice to liberation. If one were to single out one truth out
of above for the realization of liberation, it is the fourth. Not that it is more
important than the others, but because one can engage in a practice to
experience the truth when compared to the other three which are more focused on
intellectual understanding of the truths. It is a path to spiritual
development.
4.0 When a Buddha arises
in this world he discovers this path which has up to then been shrouded in
spiritual darkness. He then commits himself to teach this to the people to help
them escape from entrapment in the samsara,
whose un-satisfactory-ness (suffering) is explained in the first truth, its
cause in the second truth, and the state which is liberation, in the third. In
his teaching in the Pattica Samupadda (Dependent
Origination) he explains the process of re-becoming, pinpointing to the cause, as the clinging rooted in ignorance. By developing right view and other
spiritual qualities in the ‘Path’, ignorance (and clinging) is eliminated
giving rise to liberating wisdom..
5.0 In some Dhamma Desanas (talks) monks explain a
very precise and clear practice that one may engage in to attain Nibbana. The basic steps one has to
follow are not too demanding. They seem very encouraging and clear enough to
engage in as a practice. This practice is followed in three stages.
6.0 In the first stage, a
practitioner by following four virtuous qualities of Kalyana Mitra Sevanaya - associating with noble friends; Saddarma Sravanaya -listening to and learning the
Dhamma; Yoniso Manasikara - being always
mindful and acting wisely with clear comprehension in accordance with Dhamma; and following a Dhamma-nu-Dhamma Prathipadawa - the
noble eightfold path, gains entry into the Path - stream entry path.
7.0 In addition to the
four fold virtues described above, the stream enterer has to also develop
unwavering trust (Sraddawa) in the
Buddha, the Dhamma (the teaching),
the Sanga (the noble community) and
the Seela (virtuous living).
This part of the practice
described in the first stage is not at all demanding and only needs motivation
to pursue. Except for the noble eightfold path referred to at para 6 above, all
the other factors can be easily included and practiced as part of daily life
activities by any righteous person.
8.0 In the second stage,
the practitioner while continuing to develop the virtues described in the first
stage, will engage in a special practice targeted more on the Dhamma-nu-Dhamma Prathipadawa, a
practice focused on the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path - the
key to the whole truth, is made up of ‘ right
view’; ‘right intention’; ‘right
speech’; ‘right action’; ‘right livelihood’; ‘right
effort’; ‘right mindfulness’ and ‘right concentration’. This is also
referred to in some Dhamma Desanas
(talks) as the ‘Direct Path’ to liberation.
9.0 This is the subject
of the discussion in this post. The practice followed in Stages 1 and 2 above are
referred to as the laukika, (mundane)
or worldly Noble Eightfold Path. These factors in the eightfold path are not some
things to be developed one by one but rather simultaneously so that each will
refine and support the other till they become a ‘unified whole’ as an
achievement.
The teachers of Dhamma,
explain that the eight factors can be grouped into three parts, identifying
them respectively as the Seela (Moral
Restraint) Part, Samadhi (Concentrated
Mind) Part, and the Panna (Wisdom)
Part. Correspondingly the right speech, right action and right livelihood are
included in the Seela Part; right
effort, right mindfulness and right concentration in the Samadhi Part; and right view and right intention in the Panna Part. Let us discuss the practice
on the basis of the same grouping.
There is also a teaching
to group these into two parts with Right View, being a vision as one part and
all the others falling into a practice as the other part. This way the teachers
try to highlight the importance of right view as fundamental to reaching
liberation.
From the many ways
explained, as to how a devotee may follow the Path, the one that has appealed
to me most, as practicable for a lay follower, is the one that associates the
practice with the observance of the pancha
seela (the vows we take for moral restraint). Most of us have occasion to
observe pancha seela regularly,
sometimes even daily. This practice often is associated with observing the varithra (restraint) aspects of the
precept, whereas there is also the possibility to observe the corresponding charithra (righteous action) aspects of the precept. It
is by observing the latter aspects that we are able to develop the factors of
the Path during the observance of pancha
seela.
Given the importance of
this activity, we may have to find some way to dedicate a convenient time of
the day for the observance. Then by associating each precept with the relevant
factor in the eightfold path you will engage in a practice that progressively
develops the required spiritual qualities.
Observance of pancha seela is also followed under eight
virtues, instead of the five. Here the fourth virtue of refraining from false
speech is expanded to include three other sub specifics of malicious speech,
harsh speech and idle speech or gossip. The last virtue of refraining from
consuming intoxicants is substituted by refraining from unethical livelihood
patterns which also includes refraining from taking intoxicants. This way it
becomes convenient to relate the factors of the Path to the corresponding vows
in the expanded pancha seela (the
vows we take for moral restraint) by observing them under eight precepts.
When one engages in a simple process on the above lines you will
find that the Seela (Moral Restraint) Part ie. Right Livelihood, Right Action and Right Speech, gradually matures. Along with this the
development of the factor ‘right effort’ of the Samadhi (Concentrated Mind) Part also happens. In addition the
factor ‘right intention’ of the Panna
(Wisdom) Part and that part of 'right view' also starts to develop.
To complete the development of the Samadhi (Concentrated Mind) Part, the devotee has to supplement
this process by some specific bhawana
(meditation) practices. This way the other factors of ‘right mindfulness’ and
‘right concentration ‘of this Part can be developed.
Finally the Panna
(Wisdom) Part is completed by engaging in a contemplative analysis of how the noble ones see the phenomena of
the world we live in. By learning and practicing to emulate them, the factor ‘right view’ of this
Part is developed.
I will attempt in the next Post to discuss how one would develop
the Seela (Moral Restraint) Part by using the expanded pancha seela (the vows we take for moral restraint), observed as
eight precepts instead of five, as stated above.
In the Post that will
follow the next, I will discuss the specific bhawana (meditation) practices for developing ‘right mindfulness’
and ‘right concentration’ of the Samadhi (Concentrated
Mind) Part.
In a third Post to follow I will attempt to discuss the balance of
the Panna (Wisdom) Part, where the
follower is encouraged to contemplate on
how the noble ones see the phenomena of the world we live in, and learning to
emulate them, by developing right view under six aspects focused on Nibbana.
Thus the total development of the Path is achieved. This however
gives the follower an intellectual understanding of the path, and is therefore
treated as the second stage of the development or achieving the Laukika (mundane) Noble Eightfold Path.
In a Post to follow I will attempt to discuss the third stage, Lokothara (world transcending) part of the Noble Eightfold Path.
If one were to engage in a regular practice to develop the Stage 1
and 2 of this Path as above, and the other virtues of punnya kamma and kusala kamma
as discussed earlier, he/she could have the confidence that he/she is spending
quality time in a steady dhamma
practice.
Therefore one could spend his/her days in the comfort zone that, in terms of the popular teaching- dhammo
have' rakkathi dhamma chari - the one who is in the right dhamma practice
gets protection from the dhamma.
This is particularly so with regard to protection one gets from being born
in an unhappy realm at the next birth.
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