Muni's Play(१९) आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्गः (परमार्थतः) — The Noble Eightfold Path (Ultimate Sense)
Sanskrit
तत्र भिक्षवः कतम आर्याष्टाङ्ग(मार्गः) ?
Translation
There, O monks, what is the Noble Eightfold Path?
Sanskrit
तद्यथा-सम्यग्दृष्टिः सम्यक्संकल्पः सम्यग्वाक् सम्यक्कर्मान्तः सम्यगाजीवः सम्यग्व्यायामः सम्यक्स्मृतिः सम्यक्समाधिः।
Translation
Namely: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
Sanskrit
अयमुच्यते भिक्षव आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्गः॥
Translation
This, O monks, is called the Noble Eightfold Path.
I. Right View (Samyag-dṛṣṭi)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमा सम्यग्दृष्टिः?
Translation
There, what is Right View?
Sanskrit
या लोकोत्तरा नात्मदृष्टिसमुत्थिता न… न जीव न पोषण पुरुष न पुद्गल न मनुज न मानव दृष्टिसमुत्थिता…
Translation
It is that which is supramundane; it does not arise from the view of a self, nor from the view of a being, nor a living soul, nor a nourisher, nor a person, nor a personality, nor a human, nor a man.
Sanskrit
नोच्छेदशाश्वतदृष्टिसमुत्थिता न भवविभवदृष्टिसमुत्थिता…
Translation
It does not arise from the view of annihilation (uccheda) or eternalism (śāśvata); it does not arise from the view of existence (bhava) or non-existence (vibhava).
Sanskrit
न कुशलाव्याकृतदृष्टिसमुत्थिता, या च न संसारनिर्वाणदृष्टिसमुत्थिता। इयमुच्यते सम्यग्दृष्टिः॥
Translation
It does not arise from views of the wholesome or the undetermined; and it is that which does not even arise from the (dualistic) view of Samsara and Nirvana. This is called Right View.
II. Right Intention (Samyak-saṃkalpa)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमः सम्यक्संकल्यः?
Translation
There, what is Right Intention?
Sanskrit
यैः संकल्पै रागद्वेष मोहक्लेशाः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति, तान् संकल्पान् न संकल्पयति।
Translation
Those intentions/thoughts by which passion, hatred, delusion, and defilements arise—those intentions one does not intend.
Sanskrit
यैः (सं)कल्पैः शीलसमाधिप्रज्ञा विमुक्तिदर्शनस्कन्धाः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति, तान् संकल्पान् संकल्पयति।
Translation
Those intentions by which the aggregates of virtue, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the vision of the knowledge of liberation arise—those intentions one does intend.
Sanskrit
अयमुच्यते सम्यक्संकल्पः॥
Translation
This is called Right Intention.
III. Right Speech (Samyag-vāk)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमा सम्यग्वाक्?
Translation
There, what is Right Speech?
Sanskrit
यया वाचा नात्मानं न परांश्च तापयति, नात्मानं न परांश्च क्लेशयति, नात्मानं परान्नानुपहन्ति…
Translation
It is that speech by which one does not burn (distress) oneself or others; does not afflict oneself or others; does not harm oneself or others.
Sanskrit
तया समाहितयुक्तया वाचा समन्वागतो भवति, यया सम्यग्वा समववदति, इयमुच्यते सम्यग्वाक्॥
Translation
One is endowed with speech that is composed and appropriate, through which one speaks rightly and instructively. This is called Right Speech.
IV. Right Action (Samyak-karmānta)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमः सम्यक्कर्मान्तः ?
Translation
There, what is Right Action?
Sanskrit
यत्कर्म कृष्णं कृष्णविपाकम्, तत्कर्मणा नाभिसंस्करोति…
Translation
That action which is black (evil) with a black result—that action one does not perform.
Sanskrit
यत्कर्म कृष्णशुक्लं कृष्णशुक्लविपाकम्, तत्कर्म नाभिसंस्करोति…
Translation
That action which is black-and-white (mixed) with a mixed result—that action one does not perform.
Sanskrit
यत्कर्म कृष्णशुक्लविपाकं कृष्ण(कृत्स्न?) (कर्म) क्षयाय संवर्तते, तत्कर्माभिसंस्करोति।
Translation
That action which leads to the destruction of karma (the path to liberation)—that action one does perform.
Sanskrit
सत्कर्माभिसंस्करोति, सत्कर्मप्रतिशरणकर्मान्तः, अयमुच्यते सम्यक्कर्मान्तः॥
Translation
One performs good actions; one is a practitioner whose refuge is good action. This is called Right Action.
V. Right Livelihood (Samyag-ājīva)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमः सम्यगाजीवः?
Translation
There, what is Right Livelihood?
Sanskrit
यदार्थवशेन गुणसंलेखादुत्सर्जनता न कुहनता न लपनता न नैष्पेषिकता…
Translation
It is the rejection (of wrong livelihood) for the sake of the goal and for the scraping away of defilements; it is not being hypocritical, not flattering, not intimidating…
Sanskrit
आत्मलोकसंतुष्टिः अनवयता आर्यान्तज्ञाताजीविता, अयमुच्यते सम्यगाजीवः॥
Translation
It is being satisfied within oneself and one’s world, being blameless, and living a life known to the Noble Ones. This is called Right Livelihood.
VI. Right Effort (Samyag-vyāyāma)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमः सम्यग्व्यायामः?
Translation
There, what is Right Effort?
Sanskrit
यो व्यायामो मिथ्या, यो अज्ञानरागद्वेषमोहक्लेशानुशायितः, तं व्यायामं नेच्छति।
Translation
That effort which is false, which is underlyingly based on ignorance, passion, hatred, delusion, and defilements—that effort one does not desire.
Sanskrit
यो व्यायामः सम्यगार्यमार्गसत्यावतारो निर्वाणगामी प्रतिपदर्पयति, तं व्यायामं समनुगच्छति।
Translation
That effort which is right, which is an entry into the Noble Path and the Truths, and which leads to Nirvana—that effort one pursues.
Sanskrit
अयमुच्यते सम्यग्व्यायाम॥
Translation
This is called Right Effort.
VII. Right Mindfulness (Samyak-smṛti)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमा सम्यक्स्मृतिः?
Translation
There, what is Right Mindfulness?
Sanskrit
या सूपस्थिता अप्रकम्प्या ऋजुका अकुटिला संसारद्वेषादीनवदर्शिका निर्वाणपथप्रणेत्री…
Translation
It is that mindfulness which is well-established, unshakeable, straight, not crooked, seeing the faults and dangers of samsara, and is the leader on the path to Nirvana.
Sanskrit
स्मृतिः स्फरणं आर्यमार्गासंमोषः। इयमुच्यते सम्यक्स्मृतिः॥
Translation
It is the mindfulness, the permeation, and the non-forgetfulness of the Noble Path. This is called Right Mindfulness.
VIII. Right Concentration (Samyak-samādhi)
Sanskrit
तत्र कतमः सम्यक्समाधिः? यः सम्यक्त्वेन समाधिः।
Translation
There, what is Right Concentration? It is concentration (characterized) by rightness.
Sanskrit
यस्मिन् समाधौ स्थितः सर्वसत्त्वप्रमोक्षाय सम्यक् स्थितत्वं नियाममवक्रामति…
Translation
Abiding in which concentration, for the sake of the liberation of all beings, one enters the certainty of rightness (niyāma).
Sanskrit
अयमुच्यते सम्यक्समाधिः। अयमुच्यते आर्याष्टाङ्गो मार्गः॥
Translation
This is called Right Concentration. This is called the Noble Eightfold Path.