Buddhism
Division Eightfold factor Sanskrit , Pali Description
Wisdom ( Sanskrit : prajñā , Pāli : paññā ) 1 . Right view samyag dṛṣṭi , sammā ditthi The belief that there is an afterlife and not everything ends with death , that Buddha taught and followed a successful path to nirvana ; according to Peter Harvey , the right view is held in Buddhism as a belief in the Buddhist principles of karma and rebirth , and the importance of the Four Noble Truths and the True Realities
Wisdom ( Sanskrit : prajñā , Pāli : paññā ) 2 . Right intention samyag saṃkalpa , sammā saṅkappa Giving up home and adopting the life of a religious mendicant in order to follow the path ; this concept , states Harvey , aims at peaceful renunciation , into an environment of non-sensuality , non-ill-will ( to lovingkindness ) , away from cruelty ( to compassion )
Moral virtues ( Sanskrit : śīla , Pāli : sīla ) 3 . Right speech samyag vāc , sammā vāca No lying , no rude speech , no telling one person what another says about him , speaking that which leads to salvation
Moral virtues ( Sanskrit : śīla , Pāli : sīla ) 4 . Right action samyag karman , sammā kammanta No killing or injuring , no taking what is not given ; no sexual acts in monastic pursuit , for lay Buddhists no sensual misconduct such as sexual involvement with someone married , or with an unmarried woman protected by her parents or relatives
Moral virtues ( Sanskrit : śīla , Pāli : sīla ) 5 . Right livelihood samyag ājīvana , sammā ājīva For monks , beg to feed , only possessing what is essential to sustain life . For lay Buddhists , the canonical texts state right livelihood as abstaining from wrong livelihood , explained as not becoming a source or means of suffering to sentient beings by cheating them , or harming or killing them in any way
Meditation ( Sanskrit and Pāli : samādhi ) 6 . Right effort samyag vyāyāma , sammā vāyāma Guard against sensual thoughts ; this concept , states Harvey , aims at preventing unwholesome states that disrupt meditation
Meditation ( Sanskrit and Pāli : samādhi ) 7 . Right mindfulness samyag smṛti , sammā sati Never be absent minded , conscious of what one is doing ; this , states Harvey , encourages mindfulness about impermanence of the body , feelings and mind , as well as to experience the five skandhas , the five hindrances , the four True Realities and seven factors of awakening
Meditation ( Sanskrit and Pāli : samādhi ) 8 . Right concentration samyag samādhi , sammā samādhi Correct meditation or concentration ( dhyana ) , explained as the four jhānas
Paths to Liberation -- Paths to liberation in the early texts
Main article : Noble Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path consists of a set of eight interconnected factors or conditions , that when developed together , lead to the cessation of dukkha . [ 211 ] These eight factors are : Right View ( or Right Understanding ) , Right Intention ( or Right Thought ) , Right Speech , Right Action , Right Livelihood , Right Effort , Right Mindfulness , and Right Concentration . This Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths , and asserts the path to the cessation of dukkha ( suffering , pain , unsatisfactoriness ) . [ 212 ] [ 213 ] The path teaches that the way of the enlightened ones stopped their craving , clinging and karmic accumulations , and thus ended their endless cycles of rebirth and suffering . [ 214 ] [ 215 ] [ 216 ] The Noble Eightfold Path is grouped into three basic divisions , as follows : [ 217 ] [ 218 ] [ 219 ]
Buddhism (/ˈbʊdɪzəm/, US: /ˈbuːd-/) is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. [web 1]
Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies. It originated in ancient India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada (Pali: The School of the Elders) and Mahayana (Sanskrit: The Great Vehicle). Most Buddhist traditions share the goal of overcoming suffering and the cycle of death and rebirth, either by the attainment of Nirvana or through the path of Buddhahood. Buddhist schools vary in their interpretation of the path to liberation, the relative importance and canonicity assigned to the various Buddhist texts, and their specific teachings and practices. Widely observed practices include taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, observance of moral precepts, monasticism, meditation, and the cultivation of the Paramitas (perfections, or virtues). Theravada Buddhism has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Mahayana, which includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon and Tiantai (Tendai), is found throughout East Asia. Vajrayana, a body of teachings attributed to Indian adepts, may be viewed as a separate branch or as an aspect of Mahayana Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism, which preserves the Vajrayana teachings of eighth-century India, is practised in the countries of the Himalayan region, Mongolia, and Kalmykia.