In the Buddhas Words

An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon

Translated and Edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi

MABAs Buddhist Study Group

Notes for Chapter 7: The Path to Liberation

(Tentative dates: October 23rd November 20th)

Lesson 1 Why does one enter the Path Part I (October 23

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Text 1 The Arrow of Birth, Aging, and Death [MN 63: Culamalunkya Sutta.] Key Concepts: 10 questions the Buddha refused to answer; the simile of the poison arrow. Notes: When a monk demands the Buddha to answer 10 speculative questions, the Buddha refuses to even address them, pointing to the importance of why he declared some things and left others undeclared during his teaching. He left undeclared these 10 speculative questions. Because they do not belong to the fundamentals of the spiritual life, [do] not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace.to Nibbana. He declared only this: This is suffering, this is the origin of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering. Because [these are] beneficial, belong to the fundamentals of the spiritual life, lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment. Questions for Lesson 1: 1. Why did the Buddha never answer questions that, for most people, seem vital when we think of what religion offers? 2. Why do such speculative questions not belong to the fundamentals of the spiritual life? 3. What questions do lead us further down the path, and what questions hold us back? 4. What is the role of reason in the teaching of this Discourse? 5. What are things we tell ourselves, or ask of others, that also do not belong to the fundamentals of the spiritual life?

Lesson 2 Why does one enter the Path Part II (October 30

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Text 1 The Heartwood of the Spiritual Life [MN 29: Mahasaropama Sutta] Key Concept: To achieve the heartwood of the spiritual life, do not be satisfied with gain, honor, moral discipline, concentration, or knowledge and vision: [I]t is this unshakable liberation of mind that is the goal of this spiritual life, its heartwood, and its end.

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Notes: The Buddha explains in a series of similes how not to get stuck along the path through satisfaction with attainments that fall short of the fruition of his Dispensation. The similes liken stopping short of the fruition of the spiritual life to a person who, seeking the core or heartwood of a tree, believes s/he has found it in the twigs and leaves, outer bark, inner bark, or sapwood. It is only when we know heartwood to be heartwood that we know what to seek for. So this spiritual life, monks, does not have gain, honor, and renown for its benefit, or the attainment of moral discipline for its benefit, or the attainment of concentration for its benefit, or knowledge and vision for its benefit. But it is this unshakable liberation of mind that is the goal of this spiritual life, its heartwood, and its end. Text 2 The Fading Away of Lust [SN 45:4148] Key Concepts: The Buddha teaches his disciples how to answer the question, For what purposeis the spiritual life lived under the Buddha, and shows the Eightfold Path to be the one (and only) way to fulfill this purpose. Notes: When asked by others, For what purpose is the spiritual life lived, the Buddha describes eight different ways to give an answer: It is, friends, for the fading away of lust that the spiritual life is lived under the Blessed One. for the abandoning of the fetters for the uprooting of the underlying tendencies for the full understanding of the course [of samsara] for the destruction of the taints for the realization of the fruit of true knowledge and liberation for the sake of knowledge and vision for the sake of final Nibbana without clinging that the spiritual life is lived under the Blessed One. The Buddha then gives the Eightfold Path as the one (and only) way to achieve these profound results: It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the path, the way leading to [the fading way of lust, the abandoning of the fetters, etc.] Questions and Discussion points for Lesson 2: 1. Make sure we have a basic knowledge of the terms that appear eight different ways the Buddha answers the question in Text 2. 2. How do we move in our practice from what we want or expect out of practice towards the goals of the spiritual life taught by the Buddha? a. What is the motivation needed to strive for the heartwood?

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3. How can we know heartwood as heartwood? 4. What if we want to stop by the wayside, so to speak, along the way? 5. How do the goals that we have in mind for our own practice relate to the ones stated by the Buddha?

Lesson 3 The Eightfold Path (November 6

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Texts 1 Analysis of the Eightfold Path [SN 45:8] Key Concept: The Buddha gives a comprehensive and concise description of the Eightfold Path. Notes: The Eightfold Path consists of: Right View knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. Right Intention intention of renunciation, non-ill will, and harmlessness. Right Speech abstinence from false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and from idle chatter. Right Action abstinence from the destruction of life, taking what is not given, and from sexual misconduct. Right Livelihood abandoning wrong livelihood Right Effort generating desire for the non-arising of unarisen unwholesome states, for the abandoning of arisen unwholesome states, for the arising of unarisen wholesome states, and for the continuation and fulfillment for arisen wholesome states. Right Mindfulness the Four Establishments of Mindfulness Right Concentration attainment of the Four Jhanas Text 2 Good Friendship [SN 45:2] Key Concepts: Good friendship is the entirety of the spiritual life. Notes: The Buddha corrects Anandas statement that good friendship is half of the spiritual life by saying that it is the entire spiritual life. This is because with a good spiritual friend, one can be expected to develop the Noble Eightfold Path to completion. And, because of this Eightfold Path, beings are able to become free from suffering. Questions and Discussion points for Lesson 3: 1. If there are aspects of the Eightfold Path that are not clear to you, bring them up as part of the class. The Eightfold Path will be revisited in subsequent chapters as well. 2. Who is makes a good friend in the spiritual life? 3. What are some of the attributes of such a friend? 4. How can we be a good spiritual friend to others? a. How can we not be a good spiritual friend to others?

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Lesson 4 The Graduated Training (November 13

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Text 1 The Graduated Training [MN 27: Culahatthipadopama Sutta] Key Concepts: Simile of the Elephants footprint (two different similes); the Buddha outlines the graduated path of training from initially hearing the Dhamma to complete awakening. Notes: Elements of the Graduated Path, beginning with abandoning the five hindrances, that may be unfamiliar (starting on page 246; the full description of the Path begins on page 244): Abandoning the Five Hindrances Greed, hatred and ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, doubt Four Jhanas First, second, third, fourth, differentiated by the level of subtle mental intention, as well as by the type of happiness and rapture experienced. Three True Knowledges Knowledge of ones past times, of the past lives and rebirths of others, and of the destruction of the taints (the taint of sensual desire, the taint of existence, and the taint of ignorance) Penetrating insight into the Four Noble Truths When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated... When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: It is liberated. He understands: Birth is destroyed, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being. The complete Graduated Path (the description begins in the book on page 244):

Questions for Lesson 4: 1. Make sure we understand the basics of these different stages in the Gradual Training. 2. Can you relate the teaching of Dependent Origination to the outline of the Gradual Training? What are their similar features?

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Lesson 5 The Higher Stages of Training (November 20

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Text 1 The Higher Stages of Training with Similes [from MN 39: Maha Assapura Sutta] Key Concepts: The stages of training from abandoning the hindrances, through the jhanas, and to the three true knowledges and full liberation, all with similes. The Similes: Freedom from the Five Hindrances are like freedom from debt (greed), freedom from illness (hatred and ill will), freedom from prison (dullness and drowsiness), freedom from slavery (restlessness and remorse), and freedom from a desert road (doubt). The rapture and happiness born of seclusion in the first jhana pervades his/her body, just as a ball of bath powder is pervaded with water. The rapture and happiness born of concentration in the second jhana fills his/her body, just as a lake whose cool waters in a lake well up from below. The rapture divested of happiness in the third jhana fill his/her body, just as different colored lotuses are pervaded by cool water in a lotus pond. In the fourth jhana, s/he pervades his/her body with a pure bright mind, just as a person is covered completely with a pure, white cloth. S/he recollects his/her past lives, just as a person recollects his/her actions in the village he just visited. S/he experiences the knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings, just as a person in a house can see people coming and going through the two doors in front of him/her. The mind is liberated, as s/he penetrates, through the destruction of the taints, with direct vision into the Four Noble Truths, just as a person with good sight is able to see in a clear pond pebbles and fish with clarity and non-obstruction. Questions and Discussion points for Lesson 5: 1. This Lesson is, in one sense, a continuation of the previous Lesson on the Gradual Path, in that it expresses the same sequence, but with illustrative similes. 2. Can you describe the spiritual reasons for this sequence of training? a. Wait cant we go straight to the Jhanas and True Knowledges? 3. For us, what are the elements of the Path that we need to focus on here and now? 4. Do you find the similes helpful in understanding the purpose and effects of the different stages? 5. How does this Graduated Path fit with the Bodhisattva Path?

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