THE WAY TO NON-SUFFERING (MAGGA SACCA)

The pursuit of a spiritual path is the pursuit of inner purity and spiritual wisdom, which illuminates the path to enlightenment. Magga means path that leads to Nibbāna, which is the dhamma that extinguishes suffering. To overcome suffering, Magga Sacca elucidates the Noble Eightfold Path, which provides a comprehensive guide for leading a life that is conducive to the cessation of suffering. By following the path, individuals can cultivate wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. Following this path, the causes of suffering, desire and ignorance, gradually weaken leading to the end of suffering.

Sila, the morality is the first aspect of three-fold training of the Eightfold Path, which consists of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. A lay person must first develop his morality by adhering to the precepts of abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lies and intoxicant. As the morality develops, the mind will become more easily controlled, enabling to develop the powers of mental discipline. Finally, with the development of mental discipline, wisdom will arise.

What is right speech? Abstaining from false speech, abstaining from slanderous speech, abstaining from harsh speech, and abstaining from frivolous talk. This is called right speech.

What is right action? Refraining from killing living creatures, refraining from taking what has not been given and refraining from sexual misconduct. This is called right action.

What is right livelihood? Refrain from engaging in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison. This is called right livelihood.

To achieve Mental discipline, one must be established in the four foundations of mindfulness. Which four? Contemplation of the body, Contemplation of the feelings, Contemplation of the mind and Contemplation of the Dhamma, the nature of various things. Having ardent alertness, clearly comprehending the four foundations of mindfulness all that arises within and around the body, its feelings, the mind, and other phenomena overcoming the unwholesome states of mind that pose as hindrances. Samādhi (mental discipline) consists of right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

What is right effort? The effort to overcome unwholesome thought that have not yet arisen, the effort to end the unwholesome thought that have already arisen, the effort to develop wholesome thought arise that have not yet arisen and the effort to strengthen the wholesome thought that have already arisen. This is called right effort.

What is right mindfulness? Right mindfulness is the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna, the four foundations of Mindfulness, which is contemplating the nature of the body, feelings, mind and Dhamma being ardent, fully aware and mindful.

What is right concentration? The four jhanas make up the right concentration. Right concentration is secluding from the sense pleasures and unwholesome having thinking, reflection, and the happiness and joy born of seclusion attained and dwells in the first jhana, which is accompanied by initial and sustained application of mind and filled with rapture and happiness born of seclusion.

Then, with the subsiding of initial and sustained application of mind, by internal clarity, and one-pointedness of mind enters and dwells in the second jhana, which is free from initial and sustained application but is filled with rapture and happiness born of concentration.

With the fading away of rapture, enters and dwells in equanimity, fully aware, experiencing happiness through the body, thus attained the third jhana.

With the abandoning of pleasure and pain and previous passing away of mental happiness and sorrow, enters and dwells in the fourth jhana, which has neither-pleasure-nor-pain and complete purity of mindfulness owing to equanimity.

This is called right concentration.

In essence, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path offer a profound philosophy and a practical roadmap for individuals seeking to understand the nature of suffering, eradicate its causes, and attain enlightenment. The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path form the foundational principles of Buddhism, offering a profound framework for understanding the nature of suffering and a practical guide for transcending it. These Buddha’s teachings encapsulate the essence of the Buddha's wisdom and the path to cessation from the cycle of suffering and rebirth.