Eightfold Path

1) Right Views, 2) Right Thought, 3) Right Speech, 4) Right Conduct, 5) Right Livelihood, 6) Right Effort, 7) Right Mindfulness, 8) Right Concentration.

The Eightfold Path is one of the principal constituents of the Holy Truth of the Path (see Four Holy Truths).

"1) Right views refers to understanding of the Four Holy Truths. It also can refer to insight into the nature of the Dharma Body of the Buddhas.
Right views "refers to your manner of regarding something, your mental outlook and your opinions, not to what you view with your eyes. You practice the non-outflow conduct in contemplating yourself. Your own views and understanding must be proper." (AS 125)

2) Right thought means freedom from mental attachments, to have renounced thoughts of hatred and harm. It can also refer to the purification of the mind so that one no longer has any polluted thinking. It is sometimes translated 'right resolve' or 'right aspirations,' indicating the importance of mental intention.
"If it is not in accord with propriety, don't listen to it. Why would you think about it? Because you listened to it."
(DFS IV 663)

3) Right speech means always speaking the truth, avoiding false speech, coarse speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech. Right speech also means that because one realizes the emptiness of all dharmas, one can resolve all disputes.
"If it is not in accord with propriety, don't talk about it. Don't gossip." (DFS IV 663)
"If someone speaks improperly to you, you should think of it as proper. This is the pure karma of speech. Worldly people are of many kinds, and when they speak improperly, do not criticize them saying, 'Ah! He's speaking incorrectly!' On the other hand, be careful not to get too close to such people either." (AS 125-126)

4) Right conduct means that one does not take life, steal, or engage in sexual misconduct.
"If it is not in accord with propriety, don't do it. Don't do deviant things like going into the gambling business and developing spiritual powers in the numbers racket. That's deviant action.
"What is right action? Sitting in -meditation without any false thinking. Studying the Buddhadharma. That is the most proper form of action.
"'But,' you ask, 'if I study the Buddhadharma, where will I get food to eat?'
"You shouldn't worry about that. If you study well, you will naturally have food to eat." (DFS IV 664)
"Proper action refers to pure bodily karma. Use non-outflow wisdom to discard improper bodily karma, specifically sexual desire. I can't make it clear; I can't say it frankly. Many people say, 'Oh well, emptiness is form, and form is emptiness,' and they casually play around. That is improper action." (AS 126)

5) Right livelihood refers to having a correct lifestyle or way of life. One is content and has few wishes. One avoids karmically unwholesome occupations such as selling alcohol or drugs, selling firearms, being a butcher, or doing fortune-telling. It also refers to one's way of relating to others. For example, you should not dress or act eccentrically to call attention to yourself. You should not praise yourself, calling attention to your good deeds. You should not act in a loud or overbearing manner.
"'Look at me,' says the Great Vehicle monk dressed in Small Vehicle robes. 'I'm special. You should make offerings to me.'
"`He's special,' say the blind followers. 'He's probably a Buddha or a Bodhisattva,' taking the gaudy rick-rack for a treasure." (AS 126)

6) Right effort means you should be vigorous in your practice, always thinking, saying, and doing what is right and not what is improper.
"Strangely enough, if you chat with someone, the more you chat, the more energy you have--talking, talking, too much talking. But of what use is all your vigorous talking? It's improper vigor." (AS 127)

"What is deviant vigor? Deviant dharmas harm other people. Those who cultivate deviant dharmas work very hard in the six periods of the day and night, cultivating all kinds of ascetic practices. Nevertheless, their ascetic practices are not beneficial. They may imitate the behavior of cows or of dogs, or practice being like chickens. They may imitate cows, eat grass, and say they are being vigorous because cows eat grass all day long. This happens because they saw that a cow was born in the heavens. They didn't realize it was because of the merit and virtue accrued from acts which the cow had performed in previous lives. They thought the cow had been born in the heavens because it ate grass! And so they take a cow for their teacher. The cow has no understanding of Dharma whatsoever, and so studying with a cow is called improper vigor." (DFS IV 665)
"Right vigor means to cultivate according to the Buddhadharma. One should not cultivate dharmas which the Buddha did not teach. That is called offering up your conduct in accord with the Buddha's instructions. Right vigor means vigor with the body and vigor with the mind. Mental vigor means recollecting the Three Jewels and not neglecting them for an instant. Vigor with the body means putting the teachings into actual practice. . . . " (DFS IV 666)

7) Right mindfulness. This means mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (see Three Jewels). Deviant mindfulness means mindfulness of deviant views, prejudiced views, love and emotion. Deviant mindfulness means always thinking about yourself first." (DFS IV 666)

8) Right concentration refers to taking leave of one's desires and of unwholesome dharmas and then entering the first and those succeeding (see four dhyanas) in the correct fashion.

"Right concentration is the opposite of deviant concentration. What is deviant concentration? It's concentration that is an attachment, that you can't let go of. For example, some people like to drink, and although you tell them not to, they continue to drink with great concentration because they have deviant concentration. Or some people like to take drugs. The more they take, the stupider they get. When you tell them not to, they say 'I can get enlightened taking this stuff. When I take this, things really start happening. I go through changes. I see and hear differently. The world becomes adorned with the seven jewels. Isn't that a state?' It's deviant concentration, that's what it is! For example, one person came here to listen to a lecture, but not a word could get in because he had his deviant concentration going, and he was very attached: 'I'm right! I can't listen to you!' That's deviant, knowledge, deviant views, and deviant concentration.
"Then what is right concentration? Right concentration is the cultivation of the Four Dhyanas and the Eight Samadhis. Don't have a self at all. Cultivate these Dharmas, but forget your 'self'. If you have forgotten your 'self', how could you still keep on drinking, taking drugs, and indulging yourself? Everyone looks for advantages for themselves, but people who cultivate . . . forget about advantages. That's right concentration." (DFS IV 669-670)

(Source: Epstein, 2003: pp.65 - 67 )

1) Chinese Mandarin: , , 2) Sanskrit: (), 3) Pali: (), 4) Alternate Translations: Proper Eightfold Path, Eight Sagely Way Shares; Aryan Eightfold Path.

See also: Four Holy Truths, Four Applications of Mindfulness, mindfulness, samadhi, Three Principle Aspects of the Path, Bodhisattva, Shravaka (lacks Bodhichitta initially), Arhat (Hearer, Auditor lacks Bodhichitta initially), Pratyekabuddha (Solitary Enlightened One), enlightenment, Eighty-Eight Deluded Viewpoints, Eighty-One Cognitive Delusions, Three Vehicles, Dharma Flower Sutra - One Vehicle (Ekayana), Mahayana and Hinayana Compared, Theravada School, Two Truths, bodhi, bodhi resolve (Bodhichitta).

Buddhist Text Translation Society (http://www.BTTSonline.org) References: HS 87-88, DFS IV 663-670; AS 125-128.

(Source: Columbia 2004: Entry 22760, http://www.bartleby.com/65/hu/HuayenBu.html)

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)

Primary Original Source: The Tripitaka Sutra, Shastra and Vinaya teachings
(as found in the scripture storehouse of the Indian Sanskrit-Siddham, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese traditions of the Nalanda Tradition of ancient Nalanda University) of Shakyamuni Buddha, and his Arya Sagely Bodhisattva Bhikshu Monk and Upasaka disciples.

These Good and Wise Advisors (Kaliyanamitra) Dharma Master teachers include Arya Venerables Nagarjuna, Ashvaghosha, Aryasura, Kumarajiva, Shantideva, Chandrakirti, Chandragomin, Vasubandhu, Asanga, Hui Neng, Atisha, Kamalashila, Dharmarakshita, Tsong Khapa, Thogme Zangpo, Patanjali, Sushruta, Charaka, Vagbhata, Nichiren, Hsu Yun, Hsuan Hua, Shen Kai, Tenzin Gyatso, Kyabje Zopa, Ajahn Chah, Vasant Lad, and other modern day masters. We consider them to be in accord with Master Hsuan Hua’s "Seven Guidelines for Recognizing Genuine Teachers"

Nalanda Online University's teachings are based especially on the Dharma Flower Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Shurangama Sutra, the Ksitigarbha Sutra, the Bhaisajya Guru Sutra, the Dharani Sutra, the Vajra Sutra, the Prajna Paramita Hridayam Sutra, the Guhyasamaja, the Kalachakra and their commentaries (shastras) by the above Arya Tripitakacharya Dharma Masters.

At Nalanda Online University we practice daily and introduce you to (via downloadable multimedia MP3 audio and WMV video lectures) the teachings and practices of the Five Traditions transmitted by the Buddha Shakyamuni:

1. Teaching School (Mahayana Sutrayana - Paramitayana - Hua Yan and Tian Tai, Yogachara, Nalanda Prasangika Madhyamika, Theravada Sutta)

See also: Tripitaka (1. Sutras, 2. Vinaya, 3. Shastras or Abhidharma, or Tantra), Taisho Catalog Numbering System, Dharma, and names of individual sutras (such as Shurangama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra [Flower Adornment Sutra], Lotus Sutra [Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra], Earth Store Sutra, Dharani Sutra, Brahma Net Sutra, Medicine Master Buddha Sutra, Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra, Sutra in 42 Sections, Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching, et al.

2. Moral Regulations School (Vinaya Pratimoksha Shila - Bodhisattva Pranidhana - Vajrayana-Samaya - Yogic Yama)

3. Esoteric School (Vajrayana - Mantrayana - Tantrayana - Dharani - Secret School of the Mahayana)

4. Meditation School (Indian Dhyana Samadhi - Shamatha - Vipassana, Chinese Chan, Japanese Zen,
        Tibetan Mahamudra of Kagyupa, and Tibetan Dzogchen of Nyingmapa)

5. Pure Land Devotional School (Bhakti Puja - Buddha-Bodhisattva Mindfulness and Nama Japa --
         Name Recitation of Buddhas Amitabha-Amitayus, Medicine Buddha - Bhaisajya Guru - Akshobhya,
         and Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara-Guanyin-Chenrezig-Mahakala, Tara, Samantabhadra Universal Worthy,
         Manjushri-Kalarupa Great Wisdom, Maitreya Great Loving-Kindness, Mahasthamaprapta Great Strength,
         Ksitigarbha - Earth Store Great Vows, Vajrapani, Vajrasattva,
         Chandraprabha Moonlight Radiance, Suryaprabha Sunlight Radiance, Medicine King Bodhisattva, Medicine Superior Bodhisattva
         and others Dharma Protecting Dharmapala Lokapala Bodhisattvas, Gods and Goddesses)

Compilation Sources for the Above Material on the Teachings of the Buddha:

Primary Compilation Source: Epstein, Ronald B., Ph.D, compiler, Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism A to Z, Burlingame, California: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003. ISBN: 0881393533 Paperback: 284 pages. www.BTTSOnline.org www.Amazon.com
http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=118 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881393533/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20

Secondary Compilation Source: The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism, 2nd ed., San Francisco, California: Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, 1998: www.budaedu.org.tw

Secondary Compilation Source: Muller, Charles, editor, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism [DDB], Toyo Gakuen University, Japan, 2007: Username is "guest", with no password.
http://buddhism-dict.net/ddb - Based in large part on the Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms with Sanskrit and English Equivalents (by Soothill and Hodous) Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass, 1997.

Secondary Compilation Source: Ehrhard, Diener, Fischer, et al, The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, 1991. 296 pages. ISBN 978-0-87773-520-5 www.Shambhala.com, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877735204/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20,
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-0-87773-520-5.cfm

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To increase by 100,000 times the merit created:
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I Now Universally Transfer the Merit and Virtue of to All Beings to realize Anuttara-Samyak-Sam-Bodhi
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Sarva Mangalam.
May all be Auspicious.

Arya Bhikshu Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara says:
Just as Manjushri works
To fulfill the aims of all limited beings
To the far reaches of space in the ten directions,
May my behavior become just like that.

For as long as space remains,
And for as long as wandering beings remain,
May I too remain for that long,
Dispelling the sufferings of wandering beings.

(Like Ananda says in the Shurangama Sutra introduction to the Shurangama Mantra,
"And even could the nature of shunyata melt away, my vajra-like Supreme Resolve would still remain unmoved.)

Whatever sufferings wandering beings might have,
May all of them ripen on me,
And through the Bodhisattva assembly,
May wandering beings enjoy happiness.

May the teachings,
the sole medicine for the sufferings of wandering beings
And the source of all happiness,
Continue to endure for a very long time,
With material support and shows of respect.

Updated May 10, 2008