Taking the Path 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. |
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