Noble Eightfold path - wikipedia Noble Eightfold path `` Eightfold Path '' redirects here. For other uses, see Eightfold Path ( disambiguation ). The eight spoke Dharma wheel symbolizes the Noble Eightfold Path Translations of The Noble Eightfold Path Pali अरियो अट्ठङगिpको मग्गो ( ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo ) Sanskrit आर्याष्टाङगमार्ग ( āryāooṣṭāṅgamārga ) Burmese မဂ္ဂင်ရှစ်ပါး ( IPA : ( mɛʔɡɪ̀ɴ ʃɪʔ pá ) ) Chinese 八 正道 Japanese 八 正道 ( rōmaji : Hasshōdō ) Korean 팔정도 ( RR : Paljeongdo ) Mongolian qutuγtan - u naiman gesigün - ü mör Sinhalese ආර්ය අෂ්ටා ◌ ගික මාර්ගය Thai อริยมรรค มี องค์ แปด ( RTGS : Ariya Mugg Paad ) Glossary of Buddhism Part of a series on Buddhism History Timeline Gautama Buddha Councils Later Buddhists Dharma Concepts Four Noble Truths Five Aggregates Impermanence Suffering Non-self Dependent Origination Middle Way Emptiness Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Cosmology Buddhist texts Buddhavacana Tripiṭaka Mahayana Sutras Pāli Canon Tibetan canon Chinese canon Practices Three Jewels Buddhist Paths to liberation Morality Perfections Meditation Philosophical reasoning Mindfulness Wisdom Compassion Aids to Enlightenment Monasticism Laity Nirvāṇa Four Stages Arhat Buddha Bodhisattva Traditions Theravāda Pāli Mahāyāna Hinayana Chinese Vajrayāna Tibetan Navayana Newar Buddhism by country India China Thailand Japan Myanmar Sri Lanka Laos Cambodia Korea Taiwan Tibet Bhutan Mongolia Russia Outline Buddhism portal The Noble Eightfold Path ( Pali : ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, Sanskrit : āryāṣṭāṅgamārga ) is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth. 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 ' ). In early Buddhism, these practices started with insight ( right view ), culminating in dhyana or samadhi as the core soteriological practice. In later Buddhism, insight ( Prajñā ) became the central soteriological instrument, leading to a different concept and structure of the path. The Eightfold Path teaches that by restraining oneself, cultivating discipline, and practicing mindfulness and meditation, house - leavers ( monks and nuns ) attain nirvana and stop their craving, clinging and karmic accumulations, thereby ending their rebirth and suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path is one of the principal teachings of Theravada Buddhism, taught to lead to Arhatship. 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. 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. Contents 1 Etymology and nomenclature 2 The Eightfold Path 2.1 Origin 2.2 The Eight Divisions 2.3 Liberation 2.4 Threefold division 2.5 Tenfold Path 3 Further explanation 3.1 Right view 3.1. 1 Theravada 3.2 Right resolve 3.3 Right speech 3.4 Right action 3.5 Right livelihood 3.6 Right effort 3.7 Right mindfulness 3.8 Right samadhi ( `` concentration '' ) 4 Practice 4.1 Order of practice 4.2 Gender 5 Cognitive psychology 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Sources 10 External links Etymology and nomenclature 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. However, the phrase does not mean the path is noble, rather that the path is of the noble people ( Pali : arya meaning ' enlightened, noble, precious people ' ). The term maggo ( Sanskrit : marga ) means `` path '', while aṭṭhaṅgiko means `` eightfold ''. Thus, an alternate rendering of ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo is `` eightfold path of the noble ones '', or `` eightfold Aryan Path ''. All eight elements of the Path begin with the word samyañc ( in Sanskrit ) or sammā ( in Pāli ) which means `` right, proper, as it ought to be, best ''. The Buddhist texts contrast samma with its opposite miccha. The Eightfold path Origin According to Indologist Tilmann Vetter, the description of the Buddhist path may initially have been as simple as the term the middle way. In time, this short description was elaborated, resulting in the description of the eightfold path. Tilmann Vetter and historian Rod Bucknell both note that longer descriptions of `` the path '' can be found in the early texts, which can be condensed into the eightfold path. The eight divisions The original eight Buddhist practices in the Noble Eightfold Path are : Right View : our actions have consequences ; death is not the end, and our actions and beliefs have also consequences after death ; the Buddha followed and taught a successful path out of this world and the other world ( heaven and underworld / hell ) 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. Right Resolve : 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 ). Such an environment aids contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-Self. Right Speech : no lying, no rude speech, no telling one person what another says about him, speaking that which leads to salvation ; Right Conduct : no killing or injuring, no taking what is not given, no sexual acts. Right Livelihood : beg to feed, only possessing what is essential to sustain life ; Right Effort : guard against sensual thoughts ; this concept, states Harvey, aims at preventing unwholesome states that disrupt meditation. Right Mindfulness : never be absent minded, being conscious of what one is doing ; this, states Harvey, encourages the mindfulness about 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. Right Concentration : practicing four stages of meditation ( dhyāna ) culminating into unification of the mind. Liberation Following the Noble Eightfold Path leads to liberation in the form of nirvana : (... ) Just this noble eightfold path : right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right 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 came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of 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 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. -- The Buddha, Nagara Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya ii. 124, Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu Threefold division The Noble Eightfold Path is sometimes divided into three basic divisions, as follows : Division Eightfold Path factors Moral virtue ( Sanskrit : śīla, Pāli : sīla ) 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood Meditation ( Sanskrit and Pāli : samādhi ) 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration Insight, wisdom ( Sanskrit : prajñā, Pāli : paññā ) 1. Right view 2. Right resolve 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. 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. `` Moral virtues '' ( Sanskrit : śīla, Pāli : sīla ) group consists of three paths : right speech, right action and right livelihood. 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 ''. 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. The meditation group ( `` samadhi '' ) of the path progresses from moral restraints to training the mind. 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, ultimately attaining nirvana. 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. Tenfold path In the Mahācattārīsaka Sutta 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 ). These two factors fall under the category of wisdom ( paññā ). 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. Further explanation Right view See also : View ( Buddhism ) `` Right view '' ( samyak - dṛuṣṭi / sammā - diṭṭhi ) or `` right understanding '' 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 ). 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. 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. 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. This presentation of right view still plays an essential role in Theravada Buddhism. 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. 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. Theravada Right View can be further subdivided, states translator Bhikkhu Bodhi, into mundane right view and superior or supramundane right view : 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. Supramundane ( world - transcending ) right view, the understanding of karmic and rebirth, as implicated in the Four Noble Truths, leading to awakening and liberation from rebirths and associated dukkha in the realms of samsara. 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 : Karma : Every action of body, speech, and mind has karmic results, and influences the kind of future rebirths and realms a being enters into. Three marks of existence : everything, whether physical or mental, is impermanent ( anicca ), a source of suffering ( dukkha ), and lacks a self ( anatta ). The Four Noble Truths are a means to gaining insights and ending dukkha. Right resolve Right resolve ( samyak - saṃkalpa / sammā sankappa ) 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 a spiritual pursuit. 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. 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. At the supramundane level, the factor includes a resolve to consider everything and everyone as impermanent, a source of suffering and without a Self. Right speech Right speech ( samyag - vāc / sammā - vācā ) in most Buddhist texts is presented as four abstentions, such as in the Pali Canon thus : 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, 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. 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. '' Similarly, the virtue of abstaining from divisive speech is explained as delighting in creating concord. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 ''. Right action 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. The prohibition on killing precept in Buddhist scriptures applies to all living beings, states Christopher Gowans, not just human beings. 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. Further, adds Bodhi, this precept refers to intentional killing, as well as any form of intentional harming or torturing any sentient being. 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, and has been a subject of significant debate in various Buddhist traditions. 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. This includes, states Bhikkhu Bodhi, taking by stealth, by force, by fraud or by deceit. Both the intention and the act matters, as this precept is grounded on the impact on one 's karma. The prohibition on sexual misconduct in the Noble Eightfold Path, states Tilmann Vetter, refers to `` not performing sexual acts ''. 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. 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. 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 ). Right livelihood Right livelihood ( samyag - ājīva / sammā - ājīva ) precept is mentioned in many early Buddhist texts, such as the Mahācattārīsaka Sutta in Majjhima Nikaya as follows : `` 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 ''. 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. The Anguttara Nikaya III. 208, states Harvey, asserts that the right livelihood does not trade in weapons, living beings, meat, alcoholic drink or poison. The same text, in section V. 177, asserts that this applies to lay Buddhists. 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. Right effort Right effort ( samyag - vyāyāma / sammā - vāyāma ) is presented in the Pali Canon, such as the Sacca - vibhanga Sutta as follows : 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. 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. Ill will that must be eliminated by effort includes any form of aversion including hatred, anger, resentment towards anything or anyone. Right mindfulness Main article : Mindfulness ( Buddhism ) Right mindfulness ( samyak - smṛti / sammā - sati ) in the Sacca - vibhanga Sutta is explained as follows : And what is right mindfulness ? Here the monk remains contemplating the body as body, resolute, aware and mindful, having put aside worldly desire and sadness ; he remains contemplating feelings as feelings ; he remains contemplating mental states as mental states ; he remains contemplating mental objects as mental objects, resolute, aware and mindful, having put aside worldly desire and sadness ; This is called right mindfulness. This factor in the Noble Eightfold Path helps the monk to guard the mind, and not to crave and cling to any transitory state or thing, by complete and constant awareness of phenomena as impermanent, suffering and without self. The most detailed discussion of the right mindfulness in the Pali Canon is in the Satipatthana Sutta, where the emphasis is to consider the `` four contemplations '' -- body, feelings, mind and phenomena -- as just that and nothing more, and not ascribe to them any substantiality, nor self. According to modern Theravada orthodoxy, these `` four contemplations '' through right mindfulness lead to insight of the three characteristics of existence -- anicca, dukkha and anatta, and cover the five skandhas ( aggregates, heaps ). Right samadhi ( `` concentration '' ) Samadhi ( samyak - samādhi / sammā - samādhi ) is a common practice in Indian religions. Although often translated as `` concentration, '' as in the limiting of the attention of the mind on one object, it also refers to the clearness and heightened alertness of mind which appears through prolonged practice of dhyana. The term samadhi derives from the root sam - a-dha, which means ' to collect ' or ' bring together ', and thus it is often translated as ' concentration ' or ' unification of mind '. In the early Buddhist texts, samadhi is also associated with the term samatha ( calm abiding ). In the suttas, samadhi is defined as one - pointedness of mind ( Cittass'ekaggatā ). Buddhagosa defines samadhi as `` 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 single object, undistracted and unscattered. '' Neither the Four Noble Truths nor the Noble Eightfold Path discourse, states Johannes Bronkhorst, provide details of right samadhi. The explanation is to be found in the Canonical texts of Buddhism, in several Suttas, such as the following in Saccavibhanga Sutta : And what is right concentration ? ( i ) Here, the monk, detached from sense - desires, detached from unwholesome states, enters and remains in the first jhana ( level of concentration, Sanskrit : dhyāna ), in which there is applied and sustained thinking, together with joy and pleasure born of detachment ; ( ii ) And through the subsiding of applied and sustained thinking, with the gaining of inner stillness and 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 his body the pleasure of which the Noble Ones say : `` equanimous, mindful and dwelling in pleasure '', and thus he enters and remains in the third jhana ; ( 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, and in which there is pure equanimity and mindfulness. This is called right concentration. According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, the right concentration factor is reaching a one - pointedness of mind and unifying all mental factors, but it is not the same as `` a gourmet sitting down to a meal, or a soldier on the battlefield '' who also experience one - pointed concentration. The difference is that the latter have a one - pointed object in focus with complete awareness directed to that object -- the meal or the target, respectively. In contrast, right concentration meditative factor in Buddhism is a state of awareness without any object or subject, and ultimately unto nothingness and emptiness. Some scholars, such as Bronkhorst, question the historicity and chronology of these details. Bronkhorst states that this path may be similar to what Buddha taught, but the details and form of right concentration in particular, and possibly other factors, is likely of later scholasticism. Bronkhorst states this is likely because Buddha could not have assumed the third stage of jhana, which includes `` Noble Ones say '', since he is considered to be the first to reach the samadhi and enlightened state of nirvana, then turning the wheel of dhamma. It is likely that later Buddhist scholars incorporated this, then attributed the details and the path, particularly the insights at the time of liberation, to have been discovered by the Buddha. Practice Order of practice Vetter notes that originally the path culminated in the practice of dhyana / samadhi as the core soteriological practice. According to the Pali and Chinese canon, the samadhi state ( right concentration ) is dependent on the development of preceding path factors : 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. 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. '' 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. '' 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. Gender 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. 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. 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. In some Chinese and Japanese Buddhist texts, the status of female deities are not presented positively, unlike the Indian tradition, states Faure. 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. Similar discriminatory presumptions are found in other Buddhist texts such as the Blood Bowl Sutra and the Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra. In the Five Obstacles theory 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 Sutra similarly 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 ''. Gender discrimination worsened during the medieval era in various sub-traditions of Buddhism that independently developed regionally, such as in Japan. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 ''. 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 ''. Cognitive psychology 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. 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. See also Buddhist Paths to liberation Bodhipakkhiyādhammā ( thirty - seven qualities for awakening ) Four Right Exertions Four stages of enlightenment Seven Factors of Enlightenment Three Vajras ( body, speech and mind ) Raja Yoga ( Ashtanga yoga ) Notes Jump up ^ One of those longer sequences, from the CulaHatthipadopama - sutta, the `` Lesser Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant 's Footprints '', is as follows : Dhammalsaddhalpabbajja : A layman hears a Buddha teach the Dhamma, comes to have faith in him, and decides to take ordination as a monk ; sila : He adopts the moral precepts ; indriyasamvara : He practises `` guarding the six sense - doors '' ; sati - sampajanna : He practises mindfulness and self - possession ( actually described as mindfulness of the body, kāyānussatti ) ; jhana 1 : He finds an isolated spot in which to meditate, purifies his mind of the hindrances ( nwarana ), and attains the first rupa - jhana ; jhana 2 : He attains the second jhana ; jhana 3 : He attains the third jhana ; jhana 4 : He attains the fourth jhana ; pubbenivasanussati - nana : he recollects his many former existences in samsara ; sattanam cutupapata - nana : he observes the death and rebirth of beings according to their karmas ; dsavakkhaya - nana : He brings about the destruction of the dsavas ( cankers ), and attains a profound realization of ( as opposed to mere knowledge about ) the four noble truths ; vimutti : He perceives that he is now liberated, that he has done what was to be done. Jump up ^ See also Majjhima Nikaya 44, Culavedalla Sutta Jump up ^ Quotes : * Vetter : `` Compare AN 10.17. 10 ( Nal. ed. IV p. 320, 26 ) : `` He has the right views ( sammiiditthiko hotz ), he does not see things in a wrong way : that which is given exists, that which is sacrificed exists, that which in poured ( into the fire ) exists, the fruit, i.e. retribution for good and evil actions, exists, the world, here, exists, the other world exists, the mother exists, the father exists, beings who appear ( spontaneously ) exist, in the world ascetics and brahmans exist who have gone and followed the right path and who describe this world and the other world from their own experience and realization. '' * Wei - hsün Fu and Wawrytko : `` In the Theravada Buddhist Canon, many episodes appear where the Buddha emphasizes that accepting the reality of an afterlife is a part of having the Right View, the initial wisdom that one must have in pursuit of (... ) '' Jump up ^ Vetter translates it as `` offering into the fire ''. Jump up ^ From The Way of Mindfulness, The Satipatthana Sutta and Its Commentary, Soma Thera ( 1998 ), (... ) For the dull - witted man of the theorizing type ( ditthi carita ) it is convenient to see consciousness ( citta ) in the fairly simple way it is set forth in this discourse, by way of impermanence ( aniccata ), and by way of such divisions as mind - with - lust ( saragadi vasena ), in order to reject the notion of permanence ( nicca sañña ) in regard to consciousness. Consciousness is a special condition ( visesa karana ) for the wrong view due to a basic belief in permanence ( niccanti abhinivesa vatthutaya ditthiya ). The contemplation on consciousness, the Third Arousing of Mindfulness, is the Path to Purity of this type of man. For the keen - witted man of the theorizing type it is convenient to see mental objects or things ( dhamma ), according to the manifold way set forth in this discourse, by way of perception, sense - impression and so forth ( nivaranadi vasena ), in order to reject the notion of a soul ( atta sañña ) in regard to mental things. Mental things are special conditions for the wrong view due to a basic belief in a soul ( attanti abhinivesa vatthutaya ditthiya ). For this type of man the contemplation on mental objects, the Fourth Arousing of Mindfulness, is the Path to Purity. (... ) Jump up ^ Vetter and Bronkhorst note that the path starts with right view, which includes insight into anicca, dukkha and anatta. Jump up ^ The Lotus Sutra, for example, asserts `` A woman 's body is filthy, it is not a Dharma - receptacle. How can you attain unexcelled bodhi ?... Also a woman 's body even then has five obstacles. References Jump up ^ Brekke, Torkel. `` The Religious Motivation of the Early Buddhists. '' Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 67, No. 4 ( Dec., 1999 ), p. 860 Jump up ^ Gethin 1998, pp. 81 - 83. ^ Jump up to : Anderson 2013, pp. 64 - 65. Jump up ^ Vetter 1988, p. 11 - 14. ^ Jump up to : Vetter 1988. Jump up ^ Bronkhorst 1993. Jump up ^ Raju 1985, p. 147 -- 151. Jump up ^ Eliot 2014, p. 39 -- 41. Jump up ^ Harvey 2016, p. 253 -- 255. Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 1 - 13. Jump up ^ Paul Williams, Anthony Tribe & Alexander Wynne 2012, p. 52. ^ Jump up to : Harvey, Peter ( 2000 ). An introduction to Buddhist ethics : foundations, values and issues. Cambridge : Cambridge Univ. Press. pp. 123 -- 4. ISBN 0 - 521 - 55394 - 6. Jump up ^ Williams 2002, p. 41. Jump up ^ Buswell & Lopez 2003, p. 66. Jump up ^ Williams 2002, p. 52. Jump up ^ Buswell 2004, p. 296. Jump up ^ Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche ( 2007 ). Everyday Consciousness and Primordial Awareness. Snow Lion. p. 80. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55939 - 973 - 9. ^ Jump up to : Thomas William Rhys Davids ; William Stede ( 1921 ). Pali - English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 695 -- 696. ISBN 978 - 81 - 208 - 1144 - 7. Jump up ^ Mkhas - grub Dge - legs - dpal - bzaṅ - po ; José Ignacio Cabezón ( 1992 ). A Dose of Emptiness : An Annotated Translation of the sTong thun chen mo of mKhas grub dGe legs dpal bzang. State University of New York Press. p. 214. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7914 - 0729 - 5. Jump up ^ Chögyam Trungpa ( 2010 ). The Heart of the Buddha. Shambhala Publications. p. 119. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8348 - 2125 - 5. Jump up ^ Bucknell 1984. Jump up ^ Bucknell 1984, p. 11 - 12. ^ Jump up to : Vetter 1988, p. 12 - 13. ^ Jump up to : Vetter 1988, p. 12 ; 77 - 79. ^ Jump up to : Velez de Cea 2013, p. 54. ^ Jump up to : Wei - hsün Fu & Wawrytko 1994, p. 194. ^ Jump up to : Victor Gunasekara, The Pāyāsi Sutta : A Commentary and Analysis ^ Jump up to : Vetter 1988, p. 77. ^ Jump up to : Harvey 2013, p. 83 - 84. ^ Jump up to : Harvey 2013, p. 83. Jump up ^ Lopez 2009, p. 136 - 137. Jump up ^ Stephen J. Laumakis ( 2008 ). An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 150 -- 151. ISBN 978 - 1 - 139 - 46966 - 1. Jump up ^ Thanissaro Bhikkhu. `` Nagara Sutta ''. Access to Insight. Retrieved 6 May 2008. Jump up ^ `` Samyukta Agama, sutra no. 287, Taisho vol 2, page 80 ''. Cbeta. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2008. Jump up ^ Prebish 2000, p. 40. Jump up ^ Vetter 1988, p. 13. ^ Jump up to : Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 47 - 48. Jump up ^ Spiro 1982, p. 44 - 48. Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 65. Jump up ^ Spiro 1982, p. 44 - 53. ^ Jump up to : Kevin Trainor ( 2004 ). Buddhism : The Illustrated Guide. Oxford University Press. p. 74. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 517398 - 7. Jump up ^ Anderson 2013. ^ Jump up to : Thanissaro Bhikkhu. `` Maha - cattarisaka Sutta ''. Access to Insight. Retrieved 6 May 2008. Jump up ^ `` Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 2, No. 99, Sutra 785 ''. Cbeta. Retrieved 28 October 2008. Jump up ^ Choong 2000, p. 141. Jump up ^ Fuller 2005, p. 55 - 56. Jump up ^ Lopez 1995, p. 159. Jump up ^ Hirakawa 1990, p. 41. Jump up ^ Gunaratana 2001, p. 11. ^ Jump up to : Vetter 1988, p. 12 with footnote 4. ^ Jump up to : George Chryssides ; Margaret Wilkins ( 2006 ). A Reader in New Religious Movements. A&C Black. pp. 248 -- 249. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8264 - 6167 - 4. Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi. `` The Noble Eightfold Path : The Way to the End of Suffering ''. Access to Insight. Retrieved 10 July 2010. Jump up ^ Fuller 2005, p. 56. Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi ( 2005 ). In the Buddha 's Words : An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon. Wisdom Publications. pp. 147, 446 with note 9. ISBN 978 - 0 - 86171 - 996 - 9. Jump up ^ Richard Gombrich 2009, p. 27 - 28, 103 - 109. Jump up ^ Keown 2000, p. 59, 96 - 97. Jump up ^ Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( 2005 ). `` Saccavibhanga Sutta ''. Access to Insight. ^ Jump up to : Damien Keown ; Charles S. Prebish ( 2013 ). Encyclopedia of Buddhism. Routledge. p. 333. ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 98588 - 1. ^ Jump up to : Thanissaro Bhikkhu. `` Saccavibhanga Sutta ''. Access to Insight. Retrieved 6 May 2008. ^ Jump up to : Thanissaro Bhikkhu ( 1997 ). `` Samaññaphala Sutta ''. Access to Insight. Jump up ^ Kalupahana 1992, p. 105. ^ Jump up to : Thanissaro Bhikkhu. `` Abhaya Sutta ''. Access to Insight. Retrieved 6 May 2008. ^ Jump up to : Kalupahana 1992, p. 50 - 52. ^ Jump up to : J Ganeri ( 2007 ). The Concealed Art of the Soul : Theories of Self and Practices of Truth in Indian Ethics and Epistemology. Oxford University Press. pp. 47 -- 48. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 920241 - 6. ^ Jump up to : Roderick Bucknell ; Chris Kang ( 2013 ). The Meditative Way : Readings in the Theory and Practice of Buddhist Meditation. Routledge. pp. 12 -- 13. ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 80408 - 3. Jump up ^ Christopher Gowans ( 2004 ). Philosophy of the Buddha : An Introduction. Routledge. pp. 177 -- 178. ISBN 978 - 1 - 134 - 46973 - 4. ^ Jump up to : Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 57 - 58. Jump up ^ Purusottama Bilimoria ; Joseph Prabhu ; Renuka M. Sharma ( 2007 ). Indian Ethics : Classical traditions and contemporary challenges. Ashgate Publishing. pp. 311 -- 324. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7546 - 3301 - 3. Jump up ^ John Arapura ( 2003 ). K.R. Sundararajan & Bithika Mukerji, ed. Hindu Spirituality : Postclassical and Modern. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 392 -- 417. ISBN 978 - 81 - 208 - 1937 - 5. Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 58 - 59. ^ Jump up to : Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 59 - 60. ^ Jump up to : Vetter 1988, p. 12. ^ Jump up to : Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 60 - 62. Jump up ^ Thanissaro Bhikkhu. `` Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta ''. Access to Insight. Retrieved 6 May 2008. Jump up ^ Christopher Gowans ( 2015 ). Steven M. Emmanuel, ed. A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons. p. 440. ISBN 978 - 1 - 119 - 14466 - 3. Jump up ^ Andrew Powell ( 1989 ). Living Buddhism. University of California Press. p. 24. ISBN 978 - 0 - 520 - 20410 - 2. Jump up ^ David L. Weddle ( 2010 ). Miracles : Wonder and Meaning in World Religions. New York University Press. p. 118. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8147 - 9483 - 8. Jump up ^ Rahula 2007, p. 53. Jump up ^ Martine Batchelor ( 2014 ). The Spirit of the Buddha. Yale University Press. p. 59. ISBN 978 - 0 - 300 - 17500 - 4. ; Quote : These five trades, O monks, should not be taken up by a lay follower : trading with weapons, trading in living beings, trading in meat, trading in intoxicants, trading in poison. '' Jump up ^ Harvey 2013, p. 273 - 274. Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 67 - 68. ^ Jump up to : Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 69 - 75. Jump up ^ J. Mark G. Williams ; Jon Kabat - Zinn ( 2013 ). Mindfulness : Diverse Perspectives on Its Meaning, Origins and Applications. Routledge. pp. 21 -- 27. ISBN 978 - 1 - 317 - 98514 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Bodhi, Bhikkhu ; Thera, Soma ( 1998 ). `` The Way of Mindfulness : The Satipatthana Sutta and Its Commentary ''. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 27. Jump up ^ Nanamoli Thera ; Carlo Gragnani ; et al. ( 2012 ). Collected Wheel Publications Volume XVIII : Numbers 248 to 264. Buddhist Publication Society. p. 324. ISBN 978 - 955 - 24 - 0378 - 1. Jump up ^ Bronkhorst, p. 93. Jump up ^ Henepola Gunaratana, The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation © 1995 Jump up ^ Visudimagga 84 - 85 ; PP. 85 Jump up ^ Johannes Bronkhorst ( 2009 ). Buddhist Teaching in India. Simon and Schuster. pp. 10 -- 17. ISBN 978 - 0 - 86171 - 566 - 4. Jump up ^ Johannes Bronkhorst ( 2009 ). Buddhist Teaching in India. Simon and Schuster. pp. 16 -- 17. ISBN 978 - 0 - 86171 - 566 - 4. ^ Jump up to : Bhikkhu Bodhi 2010, p. 97 - 110. ^ Jump up to : Johannes Bronkhorst ( 2009 ). Buddhist Teaching in India. Simon and Schuster. pp. 17 -- 19. ISBN 978 - 0 - 86171 - 566 - 4. Jump up ^ Oliver Freiberger ( 2006 ). Asceticism and Its Critics : Historical Accounts and Comparative Perspectives. Oxford University Press. pp. 249 -- 251. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 971901 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Madhyama Agama, Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 1, No. 26, sutra 31 ( 分別 聖 諦 經 第 十 一 ) ''. Cbeta. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 1, No. 32, Page 814 ''. Cbeta. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` Madhyama Agama, Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 1, No. 26, sutra 189 ( 中 阿 含 雙 品 聖 道 經 第 三 ) ''. Cbeta. Retrieved 27 October 2008. Jump up ^ Rahula 46 Jump up ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi. `` The Noble Eightfold Path : The Way to the End of Suffering ''. Buddhist Publication Society. p. 14. Retrieved 6 May 2008. Jump up ^ Buswell & Gimello 1994, p. 204. Jump up ^ Rinpoche Karma - raṅ - byuṅ - kun - khyab - phrin - las ( 1986 ). The Dharma : That Illuminates All Beings Impartially Like the Light of the Sun and Moon. State University of New York Press. pp. 32 -- 33. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88706 - 156 - 1. ; Quote : `` There are various ways of examining the Complete Path. For example, we can speak of Five Paths constituting its different levels : the Path of Accumulation, the Path of Application, the Path of Seeing, the Path of Meditation and the Path of No More Learning, or Buddhahood. '' ^ Jump up to : Bernard Faure ( 2009 ). The Power of Denial : Buddhism, Purity, and Gender. Princeton University Press. pp. 53 -- 54, 67 -- 70, 78 -- 81, 99 -- 106,. ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 09171 - 6. Jump up ^ Gwilym Beckerlegge ( 2001 ). The World Religions Reader. Routledge. pp. 365 -- 370. ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 24749 - 8. ^ Jump up to : R. Alan Cole ( 1994 ). Mothers and Sons in Chinese Buddhism. Stanford University Press. pp. 203 -- 204. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8047 - 6510 - 7. Jump up ^ Wm. Theodore de Bary ; Richard Lufrano ( 2010 ). Sources of Chinese Tradition : Volume 2 : From 1600 Through the Twentieth Century. Columbia University Press. pp. 118 -- 120. ISBN 978 - 0 - 231 - 51799 - 7. Jump up ^ Gene Reeves ( 2002 ). A Buddhist kaleidoscope : essays on the Lotus Sutra. Kosei. pp. 363, 447 -- 448, 475. ISBN 978 - 4 - 333 - 01918 - 2. Jump up ^ Gwilym Beckerlegge ( 2001 ). The World Religions Reader. Routledge. pp. 369 -- 370. ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 24749 - 8. Jump up ^ Bernard Faure ( 2009 ). The Power of Denial : Buddhism, Purity, and Gender. Princeton University Press. pp. 99 -- 100. ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 09171 - 6. Jump up ^ Bernard Faure ( 2009 ). The Power of Denial : Buddhism, Purity, and Gender. Princeton University Press. pp. 112 -- 116. ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 09171 - 6. Jump up ^ Kenneth Doo Young Lee ( 2012 ). Prince and the Monk, The : Shotoku Worship in Shinran 's Buddhism. State University of New York Press. pp. 93 -- 94. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7914 - 8046 - 5. Jump up ^ Peter Harvey ( 2000 ). An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics : Foundations, Values and Issues. Cambridge University Press. pp. 368 -- 370. ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 55640 - 8. Jump up ^ Peter Harvey ( 2000 ). An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics : Foundations, Values and Issues. Cambridge University Press. pp. 371 -- 372. ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 55640 - 8. ^ Jump up to : Wei - Yi Cheng ( 2007 ). Buddhist Nuns in Taiwan and Sri Lanka : A Critique of the Feminist Perspective. Routledge. pp. 58 -- 60. ISBN 978 - 1 - 134 - 16811 - 8. Jump up ^ Wei - Yi Cheng ( 2007 ). Buddhist Nuns in Taiwan and Sri Lanka : A Critique of the Feminist Perspective. Routledge. pp. 63 -- 64. ISBN 978 - 1 - 134 - 16811 - 8. Jump up ^ Gil Fronsdal. The Dhammapada : A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Retrieved 14 July 2009. Jump up ^ Peter Randall ( 2013 ). The Psychology of Feeling Sorry : The Weight of the Soul. Routledge. pp. 206 -- 208. ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 17026 - 3. Sources Primary sources Bhikkhu Bodhi. The Noble Eightfold Path : The Way to the End of Suffering. Retrieved 4 July 2006. Carter, John Ross and Palihawadana, Mahinda ; tr. Buddhism : The Dhammapada. New York : History Book Club, 1992. Ñanamoli Thera ( tr. ) & Bhikkhu Bodhi ( ed., rev. ) ( 1991 ). The Discourse on Right View : The Sammaditthi Sutta and its Commentary ( The Wheel Publication No. 377 / 379 ; includes translations of MN 9 and the associated commentary from the Papañcasudani ). Kandy : Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved 22 September 2007 from `` Access to Insight '' ( 1994 ). Nyanasobhano, Bhikkhu ( 1989 ). Two Dialogues on Dhamma ( Wheel No. 363 / 364 ). Kandy : BPS. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 04 from `` Access to Insight '' ( 2005 ) Rahula, Walpola. What the Buddha Taught. New York : Grove Press, 1974. ISBN 0 - 8021 - 3031 - 3. Rewata Dhamma. The First Discourse of the Buddha. Somerville, Massachusetts : Wisdom Publications, 1997. ISBN 0 - 86171 - 104 - 1. Snelling, John. The Buddhist Handbook : A Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice, and History. Rochester : Inner Traditions, 1991. ISBN. Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tipitaka Series ( SLTP ) ( n.d. ), Avijjāvaggo, ( SN 44 ( Sinhalese ed. ), ch. 1, in Pali ). Retrieved on 16 July 2007 from `` Mettanet -- Lanka '' Secondary sources Anderson, Carol ( 2013 ). Pain and Its Ending : The Four Noble Truths in the Theravada Buddhist Canon. Routledge. ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 81325 - 2. Alexander Berzin ( 2007 ), `` The Eightfold Noble Path '' Bronkhorst, Johannes ( 1993 ), The Two Traditions Of Meditation In Ancient India, Motilal Banarsidass Publ. Bucknell, Rod ( 1984 ), `` The Buddhist to Liberation : An Analysis of the Listing of Stages '', The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 7 ( 2 ) Bucknell, Roderick & Stuart - Fox, Martin ( 1986 ). The Twilight Language : Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism. Curzon Press : London. ISBN 0 - 312 - 82540 - 4 Fuller, Paul ( 2005 ), The Notion of Ditthi in Theravada Buddhism, RoutledgeCurzon Gunaratana, Henepola ( 2001 ), Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness : Walking the Buddha 's Path, Wisdom Publications, ISBN 0 - 86171 - 176 - 9 Kohn, Michael H. ; tr. The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen. Boston : Shambhala, 1991. Niimi, J. Buddhism and Cognitive Science. Retrieved 8 July 2006. Buswell, Robert E. ( 2004 ). Encyclopedia of Buddhism : A-L. Macmillan Reference. ISBN 978 - 0 - 02 - 865719 - 6. Bhikkhu Bodhi ( 2010 ), The Noble Eightfold Path : Way to the End of Suffering, Buddhist Publication Society Buswell, Robert E. Jr ; Gimello, Robert M. ( editors ) ( 1994 ), Paths to Liberation. The Marga and its Transformations in Buddhist Thought, Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Publishers CS1 maint : Extra text : authors list ( link ) Buswell, Robert E. Jr. ; Lopez, Donald Jr. ( 2003 ), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University Press Choong, Mun - keat ( 2000 ), The Fundamental Teachings of Early Buddhism : A Comparative Study Based on the Sutranga Portion of the Pali Samyutta - Nikaya and the Chinese Samyuktagama, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag Eliot, Charles ( 2014 ), Japanese Buddhism, Routledge, ISBN 978 - 1 - 317 - 79274 - 1 Gethin, Rupert ( 1998 ), Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford University Press Richard Gombrich ( 2009 ). What the Buddha thought. Equinox. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84553 - 614 - 5. Harvey, Graham ( 2016 ), Religions in Focus : New Approaches to Tradition and Contemporary Practices, Routledge Harvey, Peter ( 2013 ), An Introduction to Buddhism, Cambridge University Press Hirakawa, Akira ( 1990 ), A History of Indian Buddhism. From Sakyamuni to Early Mahayana, University of Hawai'i Press, hdl : 10125 / 23030 Kalupahana, David J. ( 1992 ), A history of Buddhist philosophy, Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited Keown, Damien ( 2000 ), Buddhism : A Very Short Introduction ( Kindle ed. ), Oxford University Press Lopez, Donald S ( 1995 ), Buddhism in Practice ( PDF ), Princeton University Press, ISBN 0 - 691 - 04442 - 2 Lopez, Donald, jr. ( 2009 ), Buddhism and Science : A Guide for the Perplexed, University of Chicago Press Prebish, Charles ( 2000 ), `` From Monastic Ethics to Modern Society '', in Keown, Damien, Contemporary Buddhist Ethics, Routledge Curzon Rahula, Walpola ( 2007 ), What the Buddha Taught, Grove Press Raju, P.T. ( 1985 ), Structural Depths of Indian Thought, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978 - 0 - 88706 - 139 - 4 Spiro, Melford E. ( 1982 ), Buddhism and Society : A Great Tradition and Its Burmese Vicissitudes, University of California Press Velez de Cea, J. Abraham ( 2013 ), The Buddha and Religious Diversity, Routledge, ISBN 978 - 1 - 135 - 10039 - 1 Vetter, Tilmann ( 1988 ), The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism, BRILL, ISBN 90 - 04 - 08959 - 4 Wei - hsün Fu, Charles ; Wawrytko, Sandra Ann ( 1994 ), Buddhist Behavioral Codes and the Modern World : An International Symposium, Greenwood, ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 28890 - 6 Williams, Paul ( 2002 ), Buddhist Thought ( Kindle ed. ), Taylor & Francis Paul Williams ; Anthony Tribe ; Alexander Wynne ( 2012 ), Buddhist Thought, Routledge, ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 52088 - 4 External links `` The Path to Peace and Freedom for the Mind '' by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo `` The Craft of the Heart '' by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo Buddhism topics Glossary Index Outline Foundations Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way The Buddha Tathāgata Birthday Four sights Physical characteristics Footprint Relics Iconography in Laos and Thailand Films Miracles Family Suddhodāna ( father ) Māyā ( mother ) Mahapajapati Gotamī ( aunt, adoptive mother ) Yasodhara ( wife ) Rāhula ( son ) Ānanda ( cousin ) Devadatta ( cousin ) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions Key concepts Avidyā ( Ignorance ) Bardo Bodhicitta Bodhisattva Buddha - nature Dhamma theory Dharma Enlightenment Five hindrances Indriya Karma Kleshas Mind Stream Parinirvana Pratītyasamutpāda Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Skandha Śūnyatā Taṇhā ( Craving ) Tathātā Ten Fetters Three marks of existence Impermanence Dukkha Anatta Two truths doctrine Cosmology Ten spiritual realms Six realms Deva ( Buddhism ) Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Hell Three planes of existence Practices Bhavana Bodhipakkhiyādhammā Brahmavihara Mettā Karuṇā Mudita Upekkha Buddhābhiseka Dāna Devotion Dhyāna Faith Five Strengths Iddhipada Meditation Mantras Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha Vipassanā ( Vipassana movement ) Shikantaza Zazen Kōan Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma Merit Mindfulness Satipatthana Nekkhamma Pāramitā Paritta Puja Offerings Prostration Chanting Refuge Satya Sacca Seven Factors of Enlightenment Sati Dhamma vicaya Pīti Passaddhi Śīla Five Precepts Bodhisattva vow Prātimokṣa Threefold Training Śīla Samadhi Prajñā Vīrya Four Right Exertions Nirvana Bodhi Bodhisattva Buddhahood Pratyekabuddha Four stages of enlightenment Sotāpanna Sakadagami Anāgāmi Arhat Monasticism Bhikkhu Bhikkhuni Śrāmaṇera Śrāmaṇerī Anagarika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Householder Upāsaka and Upāsikā Śrāvaka The ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery Major figures Gautama Buddha Kaundinya Assaji Sāriputta Mahamoggallāna Mulian Ānanda Mahākassapa Anuruddha Mahākaccana Nanda Subhuti Punna Upali Mahapajapati Gotamī Khema Uppalavanna Asita Channa Yasa Buddhaghoṣa Nagasena Angulimala Bodhidharma Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Atiśa Padmasambhava Nichiren Songtsen Gampo Emperor Wen of Sui Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Karmapa Shamarpa Naropa Xuanzang Zhiyi Texts Tripiṭaka Madhyamakālaṃkāra Mahayana sutras Pāli Canon Chinese Buddhist canon Tibetan Buddhist canon Branches Theravada Mahayana Chan Buddhism Zen Seon Thiền Pure Land Tiantai Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Navayana Vajrayana Tibetan Shingon Dzogchen Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna Countries Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Russia Kalmykia Buryatia Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Middle East Iran Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil France United Kingdom United States Venezuela History Timeline Ashoka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution Greco - Buddhism Buddhism and the Roman world Buddhism in the West Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Persecution of Buddhists Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal Buddhist crisis Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Buddhist modernism Vipassana movement 969 Movement Women in Buddhism Philosophy Abhidharma Atomism Buddhology Creator Economics Eight Consciousnesses Engaged Buddhism Eschatology Ethics Evolution Humanism Logic Reality Secular Buddhism Socialism The unanswered questions Culture Architecture Temple Vihara Wat Stupa Pagoda Candi Dzong architecture Japanese Buddhist architecture Korean Buddhist temples Thai temple art and architecture Tibetan Buddhist architecture Art Greco - Buddhist Bodhi Tree Budai Buddharupa Calendar Cuisine Funeral Holidays Vesak Uposatha Magha Puja Asalha Puja Vassa Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Kasaya Mahabodhi Temple Mantra Om mani padme hum Mudra Music Pilgrimage Lumbini Maya Devi Temple Bodh Gaya Sarnath Kushinagar Poetry Prayer beads Prayer wheel Symbolism Dharmachakra Flag Bhavacakra Swastika Thangka Temple of the Tooth Vegetarianism Miscellaneous Abhijñā Amitābha Avalokiteśvara Guanyin Brahmā Dhammapada Dharma talk Hinayana Kalpa Koliya Lineage Maitreya Māra Ṛddhi Sacred languages Pali Sanskrit Siddhi Sutra Vinaya Comparison Bahá'í Faith Christianity Influences Comparison East Asian religions Gnosticism Hinduism Jainism Judaism Psychology Science Theosophy Violence Western philosophy Lists Bodhisattvas Books Buddhas named Buddhists Suttas Temples Portal Gautama Buddha Buddhism Core teachings Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Middle Way sayings Disciples ten principal disciples Four sights Family Places Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Temple pilgrimage sites Miracles Birthday Prophesied Physical characteristics Death Relics Cetiya tooth footprint Buddha statues Iconography Films Gautama Buddha in world religions Hinduism Commons Wikiquote GND : 4266943 - 1 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Noble_Eightfold_Path&oldid=817677125 '' Categories : Buddhist philosophical concepts Buddhist terminology Hidden categories : Articles needing more detailed references Use dmy dates from September 2010 Articles containing Punjabi - language text Articles containing Pali - language text Articles containing Sanskrit - language text Articles containing Burmese - language text Articles containing Chinese - language text Articles containing Japanese - language text Articles containing Korean - language text Articles containing Mongolian - language text Articles containing Sinhalese - language text Articles containing Thai - language text Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from December 2017 CS1 maint : Extra text : authors list Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans বাংলা Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Қазақша Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar മലയാളം मराठी Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Norsk Occitan ភាសា ខ្មែរ Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 29 December 2017, at 22 : 22. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: the four noble truths and eight fold path are part of which religion
Answer: Buddhist