The Five Pillars of Islam

 1) Shahada: Testifying to God's One-ness:

o The declaration "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet."

 2) Salat: Prayer.

 General Features of Islamic Prayer

 Five prayer times each day:

 early morning

 noon

 mid-afternoon

 sunset
 Du'a, spontaneous private prayer exists, but is less important than
 evening communal worship.

 Raq'ah: Bowing and prostration. Represents submission to God. o Elements of Public prayer:

 Masjid (Mosque):

 Ablutions, symbolic purification by washing hands, feet, etc. with

water (or sand).

 Qiblah, direction for prayer towards Mecca. Designated

by Mihrab, niche in the wall.

 Minaret (Tower for Muadhdhin to

announce services).
  Imam leads prayers. Worshippers stand
behind in straight lines.

 Imam or other scholar delivers a sermon

(khutba ) from the pulpit (minbar).

 Women are not required to attend prayers.

When they do, they usually stand behind the
men men.

 Friday, Yawm al-Jum'ah (Day of Assembly),

main day of public prayer.

 3) Zakat: Giving charity.

o Originally a free-will donation (what is no called Sadaqah).

o Symbolic reenactments of past events:
o Now largely compulsory.
 Tawaf: Circling Ka'ba counterclockwise seven times, emphasizing its
o General rate: 2 1/2% of income annually.
centrality.
o Given only to needy Muslims, or for religious purposes, etc.
 Touching black stone of Ka'bah

 Sa'y: Running seven times between hills and drinking from Zamam spring
(recalling Hagar's running for water)
 4) Sawm: Fast
 Throwing 49 stones at stone "Satan"s (recalling the resistance to Satan's
o In memory of the revelation of the Qur'an.
attempts to prevent Abraham from sacrificing Ishmael).
o During month of Ramadan, daylight hours.
 On eighth day pilgrims move to the desert and live in tents. Rituals
o Those who have medical exemptions etc. should fast at another time. performed there include:

o 'Id al-Fitr, Feast of Fast-breaking: at beginning of next month.  Wuquf: Standing in prayer at the Plain of Arafat and Mount of
Mercy.

 'Id al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice): Head or household slaughters

 5) Hajj: Pilgrimage. animal for feast. Meat is also distributed to the poor.

o Every Muslim man and woman (if physically and economically able) should try to  Return to Mecca for second circling of Ka'bah.
make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life-time.
 Most pilgrims also visit Medinah.
o Egalitarian atmosphere, Ihram:

 donning of simple white garments. Five Pillars of Islam

 Refraining from sex, haircuts, jewelry, arguing, etc. The Five Pillars of Islam (arkān al-Islām ‫ ;أركان اإلسالم‬also arkān al-dīn ‫" أركان الدين‬pillars of
the religion") are five basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation
o Importance of the Ka'ba, associations with Abraham, Hagar Ishmael and of Muslim life. They are summarized in the famous hadith of Gabriel.[1][2][3][4]
Muhammad.
The Shia, Ahmadiyya, and Sunni agree on the essential details for the performance and practice of
these acts,[5][2] but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name (see Ancillaries of the Faith, for
the Twelvers, and Seven pillars of Ismailism). They make up Muslim life, prayer, concern for the needy,
self-purification, and the pilgrimage,[6][7] if one is able.[8]
Pillars of Sunni Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam
An artwork depicting the 5 pillars
Shahada: Faith
Shahada is a declaration of faith and trust that professes that there is only one God (Allah) and
that Muhammad is God's messenger.[9]It is a set statement normally recited in Arabic: lā ʾilāha ʾillā-
llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu-llāh (‫سو ُل هللا‬ ُ ‫)َل إِ ٰلها إِ اَل هللا ُم اح ام ٌد ار‬
‫" ا‬There is no god but God (and) Muhammad is
the messenger of God." It is essential to utter it to become a Muslim and to convert to Islam.[10]
Salah: Prayer
Afghan politicians and foreign diplomats praying (making salah) at the U.S. Embassy in
Kabul, Afghanistan.
Salah (ṣalāh) is the Islamic prayer. Salah consists of five daily prayers according to the Sunna; the
names are according to the prayer
times: Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (noon), ʿAṣr (afternoon), Maghrib (evening), and ʿIshāʾ (night). The Fajr
prayer is performed before sunrise, Dhuhr is performed in the midday after the sun has surpassed its
highest point, Asr is the evening prayer before sunset, Maghrib is the evening prayer after sunset and
Isha is the night prayer. All of these prayers are recited while facing in the direction of
the Kaaba in Mecca and form an important aspect of the Muslim Ummah. Muslims must wash before
prayer; this washing is called wudu("purification"). The prayer is accompanied by a series of set
positions including; bowing with hands on knees, standing, prostrating and sitting in a special position
(not on the heels, nor on the buttocks). A Muslim may perform their prayer anywhere, such as in
offices, universities, and fields. However, the mosque is the more preferable place for prayers because
the mosque allows for fellowship.
Zakāt: Charity
Zakāt or alms-giving is the practice of charitable giving based on accumulated wealth. The word zakāt
can be defined as purification and growth because it allows an individual to achieve balance and
encourages new growth. The principle of knowing that all things belong to God is essential to
purification and growth. Zakāt is obligatory for all Muslims who are able to do so. It is the personal
responsibility of each Muslim to ease the economic hardship of others and to strive towards eliminating
inequality.[11] Zakāt consists of spending a portion of one's wealth for the benefit of the poor or needy,
like debtors or travelers. A Muslim may also donate more as an act of voluntary charity (sadaqah),
rather than to achieve additional divine reward.[12]
There are five principles that should be followed when giving the zakāt:
1. The giver must declare to God his intention to give the zakāt.
2. The zakāt must be paid on the day that it is due.
3. After the offering, the payer must not exaggerate on spending his money more than usual
means.
4. Payment must be in kind. This means if one is wealthy then he or she needs to pay a portion of
their income. If a person does not have much money, then they should compensate for it in
different ways, such as good deeds and good behavior toward others.
5. The zakāt must be distributed in the community from which it was taken.[13]
Sawm: Fasting
Muslims traditionally break their fasts in the month of Ramadan with dates (like those offered by this
date seller in Kuwait City), as was the recorded practice (Sunnah) of Muhammad.
Three types of fasting (Siyam) are recognized by the Quran: Ritual fasting,[14] fasting as compensation
for repentance (both from sura Al-Baqara),[15] and ascetic fasting (from Al-Ahzab).[16][17]
Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Ramadan.[18] Muslims must abstain from food
and drink from dawn to dusk during this month, and are to be especially mindful of other
sins.[18] Fasting is necessary for every Muslim that has reached puberty (unless he/she suffers from a
medical condition which prevents him/her from doing so).[19]
The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness and to look for forgiveness from God, to express
their gratitude to and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the
needy.[20] During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings
of Islam by refraining from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, profane language, gossip and to try to get
along with fellow Muslims better. In addition, all obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be
avoided.[21]
Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory, but is forbidden for several groups for whom it would be very
dangerous and excessively problematic. These include pre-pubescent children, those with a medical
condition such as diabetes, elderly people, and pregnant or breastfeedingwomen. Observing fasts is not
permitted for menstruating women. Other individuals for whom it is considered acceptable not to fast
are those who are ill or traveling. Missing fasts usually must be made up for soon afterward, although
the exact requirements vary according to circumstance.[22][23][24][25]
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
The Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah to the holy city 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their for they will see God.
life.[26] When the pilgrim is around 10 km (6.2 mi) from Mecca, he/she must dress in Ihram clothing, 9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
which, for men, consists of two white sheets. Both men and women are required to make the pilgrimage for they will be called children of God.
to Mecca. After a Muslim makes the trip to Mecca, he/she is known as a hajj/hajja (one who made the 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
pilgrimage to Mecca).[27] The main rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
termed Tawaf, touching the Black Stone termed Istilam, traveling seven times between Mount Safa and 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
Mount Marwah termed Sa'yee, and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina termed Ramee.[27] because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The pilgrim, or the haji, is honoured in the Muslim community. Islamic teachers say that the Hajj
should be an expression of devotion to God, not a means to gain social standing. The believer should be The ninth beatitude (Matthew 5:11–12) refers to the bearing of reviling and is addressed to the
self-aware and examine their intentions in performing the pilgrimage. This should lead to constant disciples.[10][11] R. T. France considers verses 11 and 12 to be based on Isaiah 51:7.[12]
striving for self-improvement.[28] A pilgrimage made at any time other than the Hajj season is called
an Umrah, and while not mandatory is strongly recommended. Also, they make a pilgrimage to the The Beatitudes unique to Matthew are the meek, the merciful, the pure of heart, and the
holy city of Jerusalem in their alms-giving feast peacemakers.[13] The other four have similar entries in Luke, but are followed almost immediately by
"four woes". The term "poor in spirit" is unique to Matthew.
Beatitudes
Luke[edit]
The Beatitudes are eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of
Matthew. Each is a proverb-like proclamation, without narrative. Four of the blessings also appear in The Eight Beatitudes. Folio from Walters manuscript W.171 (15th century)
the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woeswhich mirror the blessings.[1]
In the Vulgate, each of these blessings begins with the word beati, which translates to "happy", "rich", The four Beatitudes in Luke 6:20–22 are set within the Sermon on the Plain.
or "blessed" (plural adjective). The corresponding word in the original Greek is μακάριοι (makarioi), 20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
with the same meanings.[2][3] Thus "Blessed are the poor in spirit" appears in Latin as beati pauperes
spiritu.[4] The Latin noun beātitūdō was coined by Cicero to describe a state of blessedness, and was "Blessed are you who are poor,
later incorporated within the chapter headings written for Matthew 5 in various printed versions of the for yours is the kingdom of God.
Vulgate.[5] Subsequently, the word was anglicized to beatytudes in the Great Bible of 1540,[6] and has, 21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
over time, taken on a preferred spelling of beatitudes. for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
Biblical basis[edit] when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
While opinions may vary as to exactly how many distinct statements into which the Beatitudes should because of the Son of Man.
be divided (ranging from eight to ten), most scholars consider them to be only eight. [7][8] These eight of
Matthew follow a simple pattern: Jesus names a group of people normally thought to be unfortunate Luke 6:23 ("Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how
and pronounces them blessed.[1] their ancestors treated the prophets.") appears to parallel the text in Matthew 5:11-12.
Matthew[edit] The four woes that follow in Luke 6:24–26[14][7]

Plaque of the Eight beatitudes, St. Cajetan Church, Lindavista, Mexico 24 "But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
The eight Beatitudes in Matthew:[9][7][8] 25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, Woe to you who laugh now,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. for you will mourn and weep.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for they will be comforted. for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth. These woes are distinct from the Seven Woes of the Pharisees which appear later in Luke 11:37-54.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. Analysis and interpretation[edit]
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Church of the Beatitudes, the traditional location for the Sermon on the Mount
Each Beatitude consists of two phrases: the condition and the result. In almost all cases the phrases
used are familiar from an Old Testament context, but in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus elevates them
to new levels and teachings. Together, the Beatitudes present a new set of ideals that focus on love and
humility rather than force and exaction. They echo the highest ideals of Jesus' teachings on spirituality
and compassion.[13]
The term "the meek" would be familiar in the Old Testament, e.g., as in Psalm 37:11 .[15]Although the
Beatitude concerning the meek has been much praised even by some non-Christians such as Mahatma
Gandhi, some view the admonition to meekness skeptically. Friedrich Nietzsche in On the Genealogy of
Morals considered the verse to be embodying what he perceived as a slave morality.[16]
In Christian teachings, the Works of Mercy, which have corporal and spiritual components, have
resonated with the theme of the Beatitude for mercy.[17] These teachings emphasize that these acts of
mercy provide both temporal and spiritual benefits.[1][8] The theme of mercy has continued in devotions
such as the Divine Mercy in the 20th century.[18]
The term "peacemakers" has traditionally been interpreted to mean not only those who live in peace
with others, but also those who do their best to promote friendship among mankind and between God
and man. St. Gregory of Nyssa interpreted it as "Godly work", which was an imitation of God's love of
man.[8][17] John Wesley said the peacemakers 'endeavour to calm the stormy spirits of men, to quiet
their turbulent passions, to soften the minds of contending parties, and, if possible, reconcile them to
each other. They use all innocent arts, and employ all their strength, all the talents which God has given
them, as well to preserve peace where it is, as to restore it where it is not.'[19]
The phrase "poor in spirit" (πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι) in Matthew 5:3 has been subject to a variety of
interpretations. A.W. Tozer describes poverty of spirit as "an inward state paralleling the outward
circumstances of the common beggar in the streets."
These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things. They have broken the yoke of
the oppressor; and this they have done not by fighting but by surrendering. Though free from
all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things. "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven."[20]
William Burnet Wright, seeking to avoid a common misunderstanding of the meaning of poverty
of spirit, distinguishes those who are "poor in spirit" from those he calls "poor spirited," who
"consider crawling the Christian's proper gait."
There are men who fear to call their souls their own, and if they did, they would deceive—
themselves. At times such men baptize their cowardice in holy water, name it humility, and
tremble. ... They are not blessed. Their life is a creeping paralysis. Afraid to stand for their
convictions, they end by having no convictions to stand to.[21]
Dallas Willard, most notably, in the fourth chapter of his "The Divine Conspiracy:
Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God" has proposed that the Beatitudes are not virtues or
meritorious conditions. Rather, they are proclamations that the people before Jesus on the
mountain are blessed (well off) because they are disciples of Jesus Christ. These
proclamations are instructive in that they communicate to the hearers that many who are in a
deplorable condition are blessed in spite of this because the kingdom of heaven has been
opened even to them by Jesus Christ. Alfred Edersheim held a similar (or identical) view. He
is quoted by Willard as saying: "It is not because a man is poor in spirit that his is the
Kingdom of Heaven, in the sense that one state will grow into the other, or be its result; still
less is the one the reward of the other. The connecting link is in each case Christ Himself:
CATHOLICISM AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
because He . . . "has opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers." This interpretation
relies on a view of Jesus' main message being the availability of the Kingdom of Heaven (see
Mt 4:17). The Beatitudes then, are, according to Willard, "... proof that , in [Jesus], the rule of
God from the heavens truly is available in life circumstances that are beyond all human
hope." This interpretation sees the Beatitudes as continuing a biblical theme of status
inversion in such places as the "Song of Moses and Miriam" in Exodus 15, the prayer of
Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, Jehoshaphat's prayer
and battle in 2 Chronicles 20, and the "Magnificat" of the Virgin Mary in Luke 1. Also: Psalm
34, 37, and 107. Again, the inversion occurs, not because of a meritorious condition but in
spite of it and by God's salvific intiative.
In other religious texts[edit]
In the Book of Mormon, a religious text of Mormonism, Jesus gives a sermon to a group
of indigenous Americans including statements very similar to Matthew 6 and evidently
derived therefrom:[22]
Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit 'who come unto me,' for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven (3 Nephi 12:3).[23]
And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be
filled 'with the Holy Ghost' (3 Nephi 12:6).[23]
The Bahá'í Lawḥ-i-Aqdas contains the statement:
Blessed the soul that hath been raised to life through My quickening breath and hath
gained admittance into My heavenly Kingdom.[24]
The Qur'an quotes the Bible only in Q:21:105 which resembles Psalm 25:13 referred to
in Matthew 5:5; but the Qur'an uses "righteous" rather than "meek".[25] The Qur'an (e.g.,
"say the word of humility and enter the gate of paradise") and some Hadith (e.g., "My
mercy exceeds my anger") contain some passages with somewhat similar tone, but
distinct phraseology, from the Beatitudes.[26]
The Bhagavad Gita and the traditional writings of Buddhism (e.g., some of the Mangala
Sutta) have been interpreted as including teachings whose intentions resemble some of
the messages of Beatitudes (e.g., humility and absence of ego), although their wording is
not the same.[26][27]
Six "modern Beatitudes" were proposed by Pope Francis during his visit to Malmö,
Sweden on All Saints Day 2016:[28]
1. "Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them
by others and forgive them from their heart"
2. "Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized
and show them their closeness"
3. "Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also
discover him"
4. "Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home"
5. "Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others"
6. "Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians"
 According to Exodus in the Old Testament, God issued his own set of laws (the Ten Commandments) to
Moses on Mount Sinai. In Catholicism, the Ten Commandments are considered divine law because
God himself revealed them. And because they were spelled out specifically with no room for ambiguity,
they’re also positive law. Hence they’re also known as divine positive law.
The Church doesn’t see the Ten Commandments as arbitrary rules and regulations from the man
upstairs but as commandments for protection. Obey them and eternal happiness is yours. Disobey
them and suffer the consequences. For more, take a look at the Twelve Articles of Catholic Faith.
The ten commandments, in order, are:
1. “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me.”
This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and it
excludes polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God.
This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of
Caesar, for example.
2. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all
your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal
passion and vigor.
3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until
sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating
it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead.
4. “Honor thy father and mother.”
This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents — as children and adults.
Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when
they become old and infirm.
5. “Thou shalt not kill.”
The better translation from the Hebrew would be “Thou shalt not murder” — a subtle distinction but an
important one to the Church. Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust
aggressor to preserve your own life is still killing, but it isn’t considered murder or immoral.
6. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
The sixth and ninth commandments honor human sexuality. This commandment forbids the actual,
physical act of having immoral sexual activity, specifically adultery, which is sex with someone else’s
spouse or a spouse cheating on their partner. This commandment also includes fornication, which is
sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, homosexual activity, masturbation, group
sex, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.
7. “Thou shalt not steal.”
The seventh and tenth commandments focus on respecting and honoring the possessions of others.
This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes
that this commandment also denounces cheating people of their money or property, depriving workers
of their just wage, or not giving employers a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Embezzlement, fraud,
tax evasion, and vandalism are all considered extensions of violations of the Seventh Commandment.
8. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the
Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. The most obvious way to fulfill this
commandment is not to lie — intentionally deceive another by speaking a falsehood. So a good Catholic
is who you want to buy a used car from.
9. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”
The Ninth Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in
the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have
immoral sex with them. Just as human life is a gift from God and needs to be respected, defended, and
protected, so, too, is human sexuality. Catholicism regards human sexuality as a divine gift, so it’s
considered sacred in the proper context — marriage.
10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”
The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. Along with the
Seventh Commandment, this commandment condemns theft and the feelings of envy, greed, and
jealousy in reaction to what other people have
Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path (Pali: ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo; Sanskrit: āryāṣṭāṅgamārga)[1] is an early
summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle
of rebirth.[2][3]
The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct,
right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi ('meditative absorption or
union').[4] In early Buddhism, these practices started with understanding that the body-mind works in a
corrupted way (right view), followed by entering the Buddhist path of self-observance, self-restraint,
and cultivating kindness and compassion; and culminating in dhyana or samadhi, which re-inforces
these practices for the development of the body-mind.[5][6][7][8] In later Buddhism, insight (Prajñā)
became the central soteriological instrument, leading to a different concept and structure of the
path,[5][9] in which the "goal" of the Buddhist path came to be specified as ending ignorance
and rebirth.[10][11][12][3][13][14]
The Noble Eightfold Path is one of the principal teachings of Theravada Buddhism, taught to lead
to Arhatship.[15] In the Theravada tradition, this path is also summarized
as sila (morality), samadhi (meditation) and prajna (insight). In Mahayana Buddhism, this path is
contrasted with the Bodhisattva path, which is believed to go beyond Arahatship to
full Buddhahood.[15]
In Buddhist symbolism, the Noble Eightfold Path is often represented by means of the dharma
wheel (dharmachakra), in which its eight spokes represent the eight elements of the path.
Etymology and nomenclature[edit]
The Pali term ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Sanskrit: arya astanga marga) is typically translated in
English as "Noble Eightfold Path". This translation is a convention started by the early translators of
Buddhist texts into English, just like ariya sacca is translated as Four Noble Truths.[16][17] However, the
phrase does not mean the path is noble, rather that the path is of the noble people (Pali: arya meaning Following the Noble Eightfold Path leads to liberation in the form of nirvana:[40][41]
'enlightened, noble, precious people').[18] The term maggo (Sanskrit: marga) means "path",
while aṭṭhaṅgiko means "eightfold". Thus, an alternate rendering of ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo is (...) Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right
"eightfold path of the noble ones",[3][19][20] or "eightfold Aryan Path".[21][22][23] livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the ancient path, the ancient
road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path. Following it, I
All eight elements of the Path begin with the word samyañc (in Sanskrit) or sammā (in Pāli) which came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct
means "right, proper, as it ought to be, best".[21] The Buddhist texts contrast samma with its knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of
opposite miccha.[21] aging & death. I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth... becoming...
clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name-&-form... consciousness, direct
The Eightfold Path[edit] knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness,
direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.
Origin[edit]
See also: Buddhist paths to awakening — The Buddha, Nagara Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya ii.124, Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu[42][43]
According to Indologist Tilmann Vetter, the description of the Buddhist path may initially have been as Threefold division[edit]
simple as the term the middle way.[5] In time, this short description was elaborated, resulting in the
description of the eightfold path.[5] Tilmann Vetter and historian Rod Bucknell both note that longer The Noble Eightfold Path is sometimes divided into three basic divisions, as follows:[44]
descriptions of "the path" can be found in the early texts, which can be condensed into the eightfold
path.[5][24][note 1]
Division Eightfold Path factors
The Eight Divisions[edit]
The eight Buddhist practices in the Noble Eightfold Path are:[27][note 2]
3. Right speech
1. Right View: our actions have consequences, death is not the end, and our actions and beliefs
have consequences after death. The Buddha followed and taught a successful path out of this
world and the other world (heaven and underworld/hell).[28][29][30][31][note 3] Later on, right
view came to explicitly include karma and rebirth, and the importance of the Four Noble Moral virtue[33] (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla) 4. Right action
Truths, when "insight" became central to Buddhist soteriology.[32][33]
2. Right Resolve or Intention: the giving up home and adopting the life of a religious mendicant
in order to follow the path; this concept aims at peaceful renunciation, into an environment of
non-sensuality, non-ill-will (to loving kindness), away from cruelty (to compassion).[34] Such 5. Right livelihood
an environment aids contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-Self.[34]
3. Right Speech: no lying, no rude speech, no telling one person what another says about him.[27]
4. Right Conduct or Action: no killing or injuring, no taking what is not given, no sexual acts, no
material desires.[27] 6. Right effort
5. Right Livelihood: beg to feed, only possessing what is essential to sustain life;[27]
6. Right Effort: preventing the arising of unwholesome states, and generating wholesome states,
the bojjhagā (seven factors of awakening). This includes indriya-samvara, "guarding the Meditation[33] (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi) 7. Right mindfulness
sense-doors," restraint of the sense faculties.[35][34]
7. Right Mindfulness (sati; Satipatthana; Sampajañña): "retention," being mindful of
the dhammas ("teachings," "elements") that are beneficial to the Buddhist path.[36][note 4] In
the vipassana movement, sati is interpreted as "bare attention": never be absent minded, 8. Right concentration
being conscious of what one is doing;[38] this encourages the awareness of the impermanence
of body, feeling and mind, as well as to experience the five aggregates (skandhas), the five
hindrances, the four True Realities and seven factors of awakening.[34]
8. Right samadhi (Passaddhi; Ekaggata; sampasadana): practicing four stages 1. Right view
of dhyāna ("meditation"), which includes samadhi proper in the second stage, and reinforces
the development of the bojjhagā, culminating into upekkha (equanimity) and Insight, wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)
mindfulness.[39][8]. In the Theravada tradition and the Vipassana movement, this is
interpreted as ekaggata, concentration or one-pointedness of the mind, and supplemented 2. Right resolve
with Vipassana-meditation, which aims at insight.
Liberation[edit]
This order is a later development, when discriminating insight (prajna) became central to Buddhist
soteriology, and came to be regarded as the culmination of the Buddhist path.[45]Yet, Majjhima Nikaya
117, Mahācattārīsaka Sutta, describes the first seven practices as requisites for right samadhi.
According to Vetter, this may have been the original soteriological practice in early Buddhism.[5]
"Moral virtues" (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla) group consists of three paths: right speech, right action and
right livelihood.[33] The word śīla though translated by English writers as linked to "morals or ethics",
states Bhikkhu Bodhi, is in ancient and medieval Buddhist commentary tradition closer to the concept
of discipline and disposition that "leads to harmony at several levels – social, psychological, karmic and
contemplative".[46] Such harmony creates an environment to pursue the meditative steps in the Noble
Eightfold Path by reducing social disorder, preventing inner conflict that result from transgressions,
favoring future karma-triggered movement through better rebirths, and purifying the mind.[46][47]
The meditation group ("samadhi") of the path progresses from moral restraints to training the
mind.[48][49] Right effort and mindfulness calm the mind-body complex, releasing unwholesome states
and habitual patterns and encouraging the development of wholesome states and non-automatic
responses, the bojjhagā (seven factors of awakening). The practice of dhyana reinforces these
developments, leading to upekkha (equanimity) and mindfulness.[39][8] According to the Theravada
commentarial tradition and the contemporary Vipassana movement, the goal in this group of the Noble
Eightfold Path is to develop clarity and insight into the nature of reality – dukkha, anicca and anatta,
discard negative states and dispel avidya (ignorance), ultimately attaining nirvana.[50]
In the threefold division, prajna (insight, wisdom) is presented as the culmination of the path, whereas
in the eightfold division the path starts with correct knowledge or insight, which is needed to
understand why this path should be followed.[51]
Tenfold Path[edit]
In the Mahācattārīsaka Sutta[52][53] which appears in the Chinese and Pali canons, the Buddha explains
that cultivation of the noble eightfold path of a learner leads to the development of two further paths of
the Arahants, which are right knowledge, or insight (sammā-ñāṇa), and right liberation, or release
(sammā-vimutti).[54] These two factors fall under the category of wisdom (paññā).[55]
The Noble Eightfold Path, in the Buddhist traditions, is the direct means to nirvana and brings a
release from the cycle of life and death in the realms of samsara.[56][57]
Further explanation[edit]
Right view[edit]
See also: View (Buddhism)
"Right view" (samyak-dṛṣṭi / sammā-diṭṭhi) or "right understanding"[58] explicates that our actions
have consequences, that death is not the end, that our actions and beliefs also have consequences after
death, and that the Buddha followed and taught a successful path out of this world and the other
world (heaven and underworld or hell).[28][29][30][31] Majjhima Nikaya 117, Mahācattārīsaka Sutta, a text
from the Pāli Canon, describes the first seven practices as requisites of right samadhi, starting with
right view:
Of those, right view is the forerunner [...] And what is the right view with effluents, siding with merit,
resulting in acquisitions? 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed.[note 5] There are
fruits, and results of good and bad actions. There is this world and the next world. There is mother and
father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are contemplatives and brahmans who faring
rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly known and realized
it for themselves.' This is the right view with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions.[52][59]
Later on, right view came to explicitly include karma and rebirth, and the importance of the Four
Noble Truths, when "insight" became central to Buddhist soteriology.[32] This presentation of right view
still plays an essential role in Theravada Buddhism.[33]
The purpose of right view is to clear one's path from confusion, misunderstanding, and deluded
thinking. It is a means to gain right understanding of reality.[60] In the interpretation of some Buddhist
movements, state Religion Studies scholar George Chryssides and author Margaret Wilkins, right view
is non-view: as the enlightened become aware that nothing can be expressed in fixed conceptual terms
and rigid, dogmatic clinging to concepts is discarded.[60]
Theravada[edit]
Right View can be further subdivided, states translator Bhikkhu Bodhi, into mundane right view and
superior or supramundane right view:[61][62]
1. Mundane right view, knowledge of the fruits of good behavior. Having this type of view will
bring merit and will support the favourable rebirth of the sentient being in the realm
of samsara.
2. Supramundane (world-transcending) right view, the understanding of karma and rebirth, as
implicated in the Four Noble Truths, leading to awakening and liberation from rebirths and
associated dukkha in the realms of samsara.[63][33]
According to Theravada Buddhism, mundane right view is a teaching that is suitable for lay followers,
while supramundane right view, which requires a deeper understanding, is suitable for monastics.
Mundane and supramundane right view involve accepting the following doctrines of Buddhism:[64][65]
1. Karma: Every action of body, speech, and mind has karmic results, and influences the kind of
future rebirths and realms a being enters into.
2. Three marks of existence: everything, whether physical or mental, is impermanent (anicca), a
source of suffering (dukkha), and lacks a self (anatta).
3. The Four Noble Truths are a means to gaining insights and ending dukkha.
Right resolve[edit]
Right resolve (samyak-saṃkalpa / sammā saṅkappa) can also be known as "right thought", "right
intention", or "right aspiration". In this factor, the practitioner resolves to leave home, renounce the
worldly life and dedicate himself to an ascetic pursuit.[27][33] In section III.248, the Majjhima Nikaya
states,
And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness:
This is called right resolve.[66]
Like right view, this factor has two levels. At the mundane level, the resolve includes being harmless
(ahimsa) and refraining from ill will (avyabadha) to any being, as this accrues karma and leads to
rebirth.[33][67] At the supramundane level, the factor includes a resolve to consider everything and
everyone as impermanent, a source of suffering and without a Self.[67]
Right speech[edit]
Right speech (samyag-vāc / sammā-vācā) in most Buddhist texts is presented as four abstentions,
such as in the Pali Canon thus:[52][68]
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from
idle chatter: This is called right speech.
Instead of the usual "abstention and refraining from wrong" terminology,[46] a few texts such as the
Samaññaphala Sutta and Kevata Sutta in Digha Nikaya explain this virtue in an active sense, after
stating it in the form of an abstention.[69] For example, Samaññaphala Sutta states that a part of a
monk's virtue is that "he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, is firm,
reliable, no deceiver of the world."[69] Similarly, the virtue of abstaining from divisive speech is
explained as delighting in creating concord.[69] The virtue of abstaining from abusive speech is
explained in this Sutta to include affectionate and polite speech that is pleasing to people. The virtue of
abstaining from idle chatter is explained as speaking what is connected with the Dhamma goal of his
liberation.[69][33]
In the Abhaya-raja-kumara Sutta, the Buddha explains the virtue of right speech in different
scenarios, based on its truth value, utility value and emotive content.[70][71] The Tathagata, states
Abhaya Sutta, never speaks anything that is unfactual or factual, untrue or true, disagreeable or
agreeable, if that is unbeneficial and unconnected to his goals.[71][72] Further, adds Abhaya Sutta,
the Tathagata speaks the factual, the true, if in case it is disagreeable and unendearing, only if it is
beneficial to his goals, but with a sense of proper time.[71][72] Additionally, adds Abhaya Sutta,
the Tathagata, only speaks with a sense of proper time even when what he speaks is the factual, the
true, the agreeable, the endearing and what is beneficial to his goals.[71][72][73]
The Buddha thus explains right speech in the Pali Canon, according to Ganeri, as never speaking
something that is not beneficial; and, only speaking what is true and beneficial, "when the
circumstances are right, whether they are welcome or not".[73]
Right action[edit]
Right action (samyak-karmānta / sammā-kammanta) is like right speech, expressed as abstentions
but in terms of bodily action. In the Pali Canon, this path factor is stated as:
And what is right action? Abstaining from killing, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual
misconduct. This is called right action.[74]
The prohibition on killing precept in Buddhist scriptures applies to all living beings, states Christopher
Gowans, not just human beings.[75] Bhikkhu Bodhi agrees, clarifying that the more accurate rendering
of the Pali canon is a prohibition on "taking life of any sentient being", which includes human beings,
animals, birds, insects but excludes plants because they are not considered sentient beings.[76] Further,
adds Bodhi, this precept refers to intentional killing, as well as any form of intentional harming or
torturing any sentient being.[76]This moral virtue in early Buddhist texts, both in context of harm or
killing of animals and human beings, is similar to ahimsa precepts found in the texts particularly of
Jainism as well as of Hinduism,[77][78] and has been a subject of significant debate in various Buddhist
traditions.[76]
The prohibition on stealing in the Pali Canon is an abstention from intentionally taking what is not
voluntarily offered by the person to whom that property belongs. [79] This includes, states Bhikkhu
Bodhi, taking by stealth, by force, by fraud or by deceit.[80] Both the intention and the act matters, as
this precept is grounded on the impact on one's karma.[80]
The prohibition on sexual misconduct in the Noble Eightfold Path, states Tilmann Vetter, refers to "not
performing sexual acts".[81] This virtue is more generically explained in the Cunda Kammaraputta
Sutta, which teaches that one must abstain from all sensual misconduct, including getting sexually
involved with someone unmarried (anyone protected by parents or by guardians or by siblings), and
someone married (protected by husband), and someone betrothed to another person, and female
convicts or by dhamma.[82][83]
For monastics, the abstention from sensual misconduct means strict celibacy, states Christopher
Gowans, while for lay Buddhists this prohibits adultery as well as other forms of sensual
misconduct.[84][85][86] Later Buddhist texts, states Bhikkhu Bodhi, state that the prohibition on sexual
conduct for lay Buddhists includes any sexual involvement with someone married, a girl or woman
protected by her parents or relatives, and someone prohibited by dhamma conventions (such as
relatives, nuns and others).[82]
Right livelihood[edit]
Right livelihood (samyag-ājīva / sammā-ājīva) precept is mentioned in many early Buddhist texts,
such as the Mahācattārīsaka Sutta in Majjhima Nikaya as follows:[52]
"And what is right livelihood? Right livelihood, I tell you, is of two sorts: There is right livelihood with
effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions; there is right livelihood that is noble, without
effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path.
"And what is the right livelihood with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions? There is the
case where a disciple of the noble ones abandons wrong livelihood and maintains his life with right
livelihood. This is the right livelihood with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions.
"And what is the right livelihood that is noble, without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path? The
abstaining, desisting, abstinence, avoidance of wrong livelihood in one developing the noble path
whose mind is noble, whose mind is without effluents, who is fully possessed of the noble path. (...)
The early canonical texts state right livelihood as avoiding and abstaining from wrong livelihood. This
virtue is further explained in Buddhist texts, states Vetter, as "living from begging, but not accepting
everything and not possessing more than is strictly necessary".[81] For lay Buddhists, states Harvey, this
precept requires that the livelihood avoid causing suffering to sentient beings by cheating them, or
harming or killing them in any way.[34]
The Anguttara Nikaya III.208, states Harvey, asserts that the right livelihood does not trade in
weapons, living beings, meat, alcoholic drink or poison.[34][87] The same text, in section V.177, asserts
that this applies to lay Buddhists.[88] This has meant, states Harvey, that raising and trading cattle
livestock for slaughter is a breach of "right livelihood" precept in the Buddhist tradition, and Buddhist
countries lack the mass slaughter houses found in Western countries.[89]
Right effort[edit]
See also: Four Right Efforts and Viriya
Right effort (samyag-vyāyāma / sammā-vāyāma) is preventing the arising of unwholesome states,
and the generation of wholesome states. This includes indriya-samvara, "guarding the sense-doors,"
restraint of the sense faculties.[35] Right effort presented in the Pali Canon, such as the Sacca-vibhanga
Sutta as follows:[68][74]
And what is right effort?
Here the monk arouses his will, puts forth effort, generates energy, exerts his mind, and strives to
prevent the arising of evil and unwholesome mental states that have not yet arisen.
He arouses his will... and strives to eliminate evil and unwholesome mental states that have already
arisen. He arouses his will... and strives to generate wholesome mental states that have not yet arisen.
He arouses his will, puts forth effort, generates energy, exerts his mind, and strives to maintain
wholesome mental states that have already arisen, to keep them free of delusion, to develop, increase,
cultivate, and perfect them.
This is called right effort.
The unwholesome states (akusala) are described in the Buddhist texts, as those relating to thoughts,
emotions, intentions, and these include pancanivarana (five hindrances) – sensual thoughts, doubts
about the path, restlessness, drowsiness, and ill will of any kind.[81][90] Of these, the Buddhist traditions
consider sensual thoughts and ill will needing more right effort. Sensual desire that must be eliminated
by effort includes anything related to sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch.[91] This is to be done by texts, samadhi is also associated with the term "samatha" (calm abiding).[citation needed] In the suttas,
restraint of the sense faculties (indriya-samvara). Ill will that must be eliminated by effort includes samadhi is defined as one-pointedness of mind (Cittass'ekaggatā).[98] Buddhagosa defines samadhi as
any form of aversion including hatred, anger, resentment towards anything or anyone.[91] "the centering of consciousness and consciousness concomitants evenly and rightly on a single
object...the state in virtue of which consciousness and its concomitants remain evenly and rightly on a
Right mindfulness[edit] single object, undistracted and unscattered."[99]
Main article: Mindfulness (Buddhism)
According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, the right concentration factor is reaching a one-pointedness of mind and
See also: Sampajañña, Dhamma vicaya, Satipatthana, Anapanasati, and Satipatthana Sutta unifying all mental factors, but it is not the same as "a gourmet sitting down to a meal, or a soldier on
In the vipassana movement, mindfulness (samyak-smṛti / sammā-sati) is interpreted as "bare the battlefield" who also experience one-pointed concentration.[100] The difference is that the latter
attention": never be absent minded, being conscious of what one is doing.[38] Yet, originally it has the have a one-pointed object in focus with complete awareness directed to that object – the meal or the
meaning of "retention," being mindfull of the dhammas ("teachings," "elements") that are beneficial to target, respectively. In contrast, right concentration meditative factor in Buddhism is a state of
the Buddhist path.[36] According to Frauwallner, mindfulness was a means to prevent the arising of awareness without any object or subject, and ultimately unto nothingness and emptiness.[100]
craving, which resulted simply from contact between the senses and their objects. According to Practice[edit]
Frauwallner this may have been the Buddha's original idea. [37] According to Trainor, mindfulness aids
one not to crave and cling to any transitory state or thing, by complete and constant awareness of Bronkhorst notes that neither the Four Noble Truths nor the Noble Eightfold Path discourse provide
phenomena as impermanent, suffering and without self.[50] details of right samadhi.[101] The explanation is to be found in the Canonical texts of Buddhism, in
several Suttas, such as the following in Saccavibhanga Sutta:[68][74]
The Satipatthana Sutta describes the contemplation of four domains, namely body, feelings, mind and
phenomena.[note 6] The Satipatthana Sutta is regarded by the Vipassana movement as the quintessential And what is right concentration?
text on Buddhist meditation, taking ques from it on "bare attention" and the contemplation on the
observed phenomena as dukkha, anatta and anicca.[92][93][note 7][note 8] According to Grzegorz Polak, the [i] Here, the monk, detached from sense-desires, detached from unwholesome states, enters and
four upassanā have been misunderstood by the developing Buddhist tradition, including Theravada, to remains in the first jhana (level of concentration, Sanskrit: dhyāna), in which there is applied and
refer to four different foundations. According to Polak, the four upassanā do not refer to four different sustained thinking, together with joy and pleasure born of detachment;
foundations of which one should be aware, but are an alternate description of the jhanas, describing [ii] And through the subsiding of applied and sustained thinking, with the gaining of inner stillness and
how the samskharas are tranquilized:[95] oneness of mind, he enters and remains in the second jhana, which is without applied and sustained
thinking, and in which there are joy and pleasure born of concentration;
[iii] And through the fading of joy, he remains equanimous, mindful and aware, and he experiences in
 the six sense-bases which one needs to be aware of (kāyānupassanā); his body the pleasure of which the Noble Ones say: "equanimous, mindful and dwelling in pleasure",
 contemplation on vedanās, which arise with the contact between the senses and their objects and thus he enters and remains in the third jhana;
(vedanānupassanā); [iv] And through the giving up of pleasure and pain, and through the previous disappearance of
happiness and sadness, he enters and remains in the fourth jhana, which is without pleasure and pain,
 the altered states of mind to which this practice leads (cittānupassanā);
and in which there is pure equanimity and mindfulness.
 the development from the five hindrances to the seven factors of This is called right concentration.[74][102]
enlightenment (dhammānupassanā).[note 9]
Bronkhorst has questioned the historicity and chronology of the description of the four jhanas.
Rupert Gethin notes that the contemporary Vipassana movement interprets the Satipatthana Sutta as
Bronkhorst states that this path may be similar to what the Buddha taught, but the details and the form
"describing a pure form of insight (vipassanā) meditation" for which samatha(calm) and jhāna are not
of the description of the jhanas in particular, and possibly other factors, is likely the work of later
necessary. Yet, in pre-sectarian Buddhism, the establishment of mindfulness was placed before the
scholasticism.[103][104] Bronkhorst notes that description of the third jhana cannot have been formulated
practice of the jhanas, and associated with the abandonment of the five hindrances and the entry into
by the Buddha, since it includes the phrase "Noble Ones say", quoting earlier Buddhists, indicating it
the first jhana.[26][note 10]
was formulated by later Buddists.[103] It is likely that later Buddhist scholars incorporated this, then
The dhyāna-scheme describes mindfulness also as appearing in the third and fourth dhyana, after attributed the details and the path, particularly the insights at the time of liberation, to have been
initial concentration of the mind.[45][96][note 11] Gombrich and Wynne note that, while the discovered by the Buddha.[103]
second jhana denotes a state of absorption, in the third and fourth jhana one comes out of this
Mindfulness[edit]
absorption, being mindfully awareness of objects while being indifferent to them.[97][note 12] According to
Gombrich, "the later tradition has falsified the jhana by classifying them as the quintessence of the Although often translated as "concentration," as in the limiting of the attention of the mind on one
concentrated, calming kind of meditation, ignoring the other – and indeed higher – element.[96] object, in the fourth dhyana "equanimity and mindfulness remain,"[105] and the practice of
concentration-meditation may well have been incorporated from non-Buddhist traditions.[106] Vetter
Right Concentration[edit]
notes that samadhi consists of the four stages of dhyana meditation, but
Main article: Dhyāna in Buddhism
...to put it more accurately, the first dhyana seems to provide, after some time, a state of strong
Samadhi[edit]
concentration, from which the other stages come forth; the second stage is called samadhija.[45]
Samadhi (samyak-samādhi / sammā-samādhi) is a common practice in Indian religions. The
term samadhi derives from the root sam-a-dha, which means 'to collect' or 'bring together',[citation Gombrich and Wynne note that, while the second jhana denotes a state of absorption, in the third and
needed] and thus it is often translated as 'concentration' or 'unification of mind'. In the early Buddhist fourth jhana one comes out of this absorption, being mindfully awareness of objects while being
indifferent to it.[97][note 13] According to Gombrich, "the later tradition has falsified the jhana by
classifying them as the quintessence of the concentrated, calming kind of meditation, ignoring the
other – and indeed higher – element.[96]
Practice[edit]
Order of practice[edit]
Vetter notes that originally the path culminated in the practice of dhyana/samadhi as the core
soteriological practice.[5] According to the Pali and Chinese canon, the samadhi state (right
concentration) is dependent on the development of preceding path factors:[52][107][108]
The Blessed One said: "Now what, monks, is noble right concentration with its supports and requisite
conditions? Any singleness of mind equipped with these seven factors — right view, right resolve, right
speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness — is called noble right
concentration with its supports and requisite conditions.
— Maha-cattarisaka Sutta
According to the discourses, right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right
effort, and right mindfulness are used as the support and requisite conditions for the practice of right
concentration. Understanding of the right view is the preliminary role, and is also the forerunner of the
entire Noble Eightfold Path.[52][109]
According to the modern Theravada bhikkhu (monk) and scholar Walpola Rahula, the divisions of the
noble eightfold path "are to be developed more or less simultaneously, as far as possible according to
the capacity of each individual. They are all linked together and each helps the cultivation of the
others."[110] Bhikkhu Bodhi explains that these factors are not sequential, but components, and "with a
certain degree of progress all eight factors can be present simultaneously, each supporting the others.
However, until that point is reached, some sequence in the unfolding of the path is inevitable."[111]
The stage in the Path where there is no more learning in Yogachara Abhidharma, state Buswell and
Gimello, is identical to Nirvana or Buddhahood, the ultimate goal in Buddhism.[112][113]
Gender[edit]
According to Bernard Faure, the ancient and medieval Buddhist texts and traditions, like other
religions, were almost always unfavorable or discriminatory against women, in terms of their ability to
pursue Noble Eightfold Path, attain Buddhahood and nirvana.[114][115] This issue of presumptions about
the "female religious experience" is found in Indian texts, in translations into non-Indian languages,
and in regional non-Indian commentaries written in East Asian kingdoms such as those in China,
Japan and southeast Asia.[114] Yet, like other Indian religions, exceptions and veneration of females is
found in Indian Buddhist texts, and female Buddhist deities are likewise described in positive terms
and with reverence. Nevertheless, females are seen as polluted with menstruation, sexual intercourse,
death and childbirth. Rebirth as a woman is seen in the Buddhist texts as a result of part of past karma,
and inferior than that of a man.[114]
In some Chinese and Japanese Buddhist texts, the status of female deities are not presented positively,
unlike the Indian tradition, states Faure.[114] In the Huangshinu dui Jingang (Woman Huang explicates
the Diamond Sutra), a woman admonishes her husband about he slaughtering animals, who attacks
her gender and her past karma, implying that "women go to hell" not because of her intentions nor
actions (kamma), but simply because of the biology of her gender and the bodily functions over which
she has no choice.[116][117]Similar discriminatory presumptions are found in other Buddhist texts such as
the Blood Bowl Sutra and the Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra.[114][116] In the Five Obstacles theory[note
14] of Buddhism, a woman is required to attain rebirth as a man before she can adequately pursue the
Eightfold Path and reach perfect Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutrasimilarly presents the story of
the Dragon King's daughter, who desires to achieve perfect enlightenment. The Sutra states that, "Her
female organs vanished, the male organs became visible, then she appeared as a bodhisattva".[120]
Gender discrimination worsened during the medieval era in various sub-traditions of Buddhism that
independently developed regionally, such as in Japan.[121]
Some scholars, such as Kenneth Doo Young Lee, interpret the Lotus Sutra to imply that "women were
capable of gaining salvation", either after they first turned into a man, or being reborn in Pure Land
realm after following the Path.[122] Peter Harvey lists many Sutras that suggest "having faded out the
mind-set of a woman and developed the mind-set of a man, he was born in his present male form", and
who then proceeds to follow the Path and became an Arahant.[123] Among Mahayana texts, there is a
sutra dedicated to the concept of how a person might be born as a woman. The traditional assertion is
that women are more prone to harboring feelings of greed, hatred and delusion than a man. The
Buddha responds to this assumption by teaching the method of moral development through which a
woman can achieve rebirth as a man.[124]
According to Wei-Yi Cheng, the Pali Canon is silent about women's inferior karma, but have statements
and stories that mention the Eightfold Path while advocating female subordination. [125] For example, a
goddess reborn in the heavenly realm asserts:
When I was born a human being among men I was a daughter-in-law in a wealthy family. I was without
anger, obedient to my husband, diligent on the Observance (days). When I was born a human being,
young and innocent, with a mind of faith, I delighted my lord. By day and by night I acted to please. Of
old (...). On the fourteenth, fifteenth and eighth (days) of the bright fortnight and on a special day of the
fortnight well connected with the eightfold (precepts) I observed the Observance day with a mind of
faith, was one who was faring according to Dhamma with zeal in my heart...
— Vimanavatthu III.3.31, Wei-Yi Cheng[125]
Such examples, states Wei-Yi Cheng, include conflating statements about spiritual practice (Eightfold
Path, Dhamma) and "obedience to my husband" and "by day and by night I acted to please", thus
implying unquestioned obedience of male authority and female subjugation.[125] Such statements are
not isolated, but common, such as in section II.13 of the Petavatthu which teaches that a woman had to
"put away the thoughts of a woman" as she pursued the Path and this merit obtained her a better
rebirth; the Jataka stories of the Pali Canon have numerous such stories, as do the Chinese Sutta that
assert "undesirability of womanhood".[125] Modern Buddhist nuns have applied Buddhist doctrines such
as Pratītyasamutpāda to explain their disagreement with women's inferior karma in past lives as
implied in Samyutta Nikaya 13, states Wei-Yi Cheng, while asserting that the Path can be practiced by
either gender and "both men and women can become arhant".[126]
Cognitive psychology[edit]
The noble eightfold path has been compared to cognitive psychology, wherein states Gil Fronsdal, the
right view factor can be interpreted to mean how one's mind views the world, and how that leads to
patterns of thought, intention and actions.[127] In contrast, Peter Randall states that it is the seventh
factor or right mindfulness that may be thought in terms of cognitive psychology, wherein the change in
thought and behavior are linked