Noble Eightfold Path (ariya aṭṭaṅgika magga)
Skillful qualities / Noble Eightfold Path
Part of key topic The Noble Eightfold Path
Subsumes: Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering (dukkha-nirodha-gāminī paṭipadā ariya-sacca)
Also a subtag of Aids to Awakening
Subtags: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration
53 excerpts, 4:13:35 total duration

All excerpts (55) Most relevant (36) Questions about (22) Answers involving (23) Stories (1) Quotes (9) Readings (1) Texts (3)

Tudong Stories at Spirit Rock, Session 2 – Jun. 2, 2011

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9. “I have an internal voice that’s concerned whether I’m doing it right; if I’m not doing it right, then I won’t get where I want to go. Is this delusion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Perfectionism] [Delusion] // [Suffering] [Fear] [Mindfulness of body] [Volitional formations]


Right Livelihood, Session 1 – Apr. 21, 2013

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17. Comment by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: It’s not easy giving up the things we’re used to in order to follow the path. [Renunciation] [Eightfold Path] [Clinging] [Happiness] [Right Livelihood]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Commerce/economics]


The Whole of the Path, Session 2 – Jun. 22, 2013

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2. [When talking about the qualities for developing the Eightfold Path, seclusion, cessation, and dispassion.] “Could you distinguish between cessation and dispassion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Progress of insight] [Cessation] [Dispassion] // [Pāli] [Etymology]


The Whole of the Path, Session 3 – Jun. 22, 2013

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10. “When we say right Eightfold Path, is there any general rule to tell what is right, what is wrong?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities] // [Unwholesome Roots]


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11. “How is the path like a traffic circle?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] // [Conditionality]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 7 – Nov. 29, 2013

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18. “When meditating, I’ve begun to ask myself: ‘What is the cause of suffering?’ A couple of sense desires arise, namely, the lack of intimacy and lack of a healthy relationship with a partner. Do I need to let these (seemingly normal) desires go to get down the path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Cause of Suffering] [Relationships] [Sensual desire] [Eightfold Path]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 9 – Jan. 18, 2014

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3. “What does paṭipadā mean?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] // [Continuity of mindfulness] [Ajahn Chah] [Investigation of states]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 12 – Jan. 21, 2014

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2. “Luang Ta Mahā Boowa often says, “You kill the kilesas” whereas Ajahn Chah in this talk [”Unshakeable Peace”] speaks of the path doing battle with the kilesas. Is this just the translation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Chah] [Unwholesome Roots ] [Eightfold Path] [Teaching Dhamma]

Recollection: When Ajahn Chah would use personal pronouns, he often used we as opposed to you. [Language] [Naturalness]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 13 – Jan. 22, 2014

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6. “Is this similar to the Buddha’s teaching to let go of the path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Relinquishment] // [Ajahn Chah] [Not-made-of-that] [Right Effort] [Ajahn Mun] [Thai]

Sutta: SN 1.1 Oghataraṇa: Crossing the Flood.


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 42 – Mar. 4, 2014

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2. Comment about the purpose and function of the path. Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Eightfold Path] [Cessation of Suffering] [Concentration] [Discernment]

Responses by Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Right View] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view]


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 15 – Jan. 24, 2015

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2. “Is the Buddha quoted as saying “I teach a path of the application of effort?”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha] [Energy] [Right Effort] [Eightfold Path] // [Aids to Awakening]

Sutta: AN 3.137: Doctrine of energy (vīriyavādā)

Sutta: DN 16: Mahāparinibbāna Sutta


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 6 – Nov. 26, 2015

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9. “In this afternoon’s talk, Ajahn Karunadhammo mentioned the benefits of the bhava that results from practice or the Eightfold Path, but he described a consciousness that doesn’t land in or on a self and results in freedom. Is that a consciousness that results in neither arising nor non-arising. Could you elaborate? The moment between in and out breaths seems to hold potential for this kind of consciousness.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Becoming] [Unestablished consciousness] [Self-identity view] [Liberation] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Proliferation] [Consciousness] [Relinquishment] [Fear]

Quote: “You want to pay attention to the experience rather than the idea about it.” [Direct experience]

Suttas: DN 11.85, MN 49.25: Consciousness luminous all around.

Sutta: SN 12.64: Simile of the western wall. [Similes]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 2 – Nov. 20, 2016

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15. “Ajahn, what is your instruction regarding the Noble Eightfold Path and the most useful attitude toward the word “right”?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path ] // [Pāli] [Cessation of Suffering]


Two Kinds of Thought and the Removal of Distracting Thoughts, Session 2 – Jun. 4, 2017

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5. Comment: I’ve discovered on this path that we can change, but sometimes we can not change, and it’s just accepting ourselves better and being more at ease in our bodies. [Eightfold Path] [Judgementalism] [Tranquility]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.


Two Kinds of Thought and the Removal of Distracting Thoughts, Session 3 – Jun. 4, 2017

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10. “Is there a reason why mindfulness is number seven in the Path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Eightfold Path] // [Right View] [Right Effort]


The New Ajahn Chah Biography, Session 2 – Apr. 21, 2018

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15. “What qualifies as helping a parent make progress on the path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Parents ] [Gratitude] [Eightfold Path] // [Learning] [Happiness] [Contentment] [Teaching Dhamma]


Stanford Community Dhamma Discussion – Apr. 25, 2020

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2. “What advice do you have for students or graduates hoping to progess on the Noble Path towards Nibbāna while a student or in the workplace?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Nibbāna] [Learning] [Work] [Lay life ] // [Human] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Generosity] [Perfectionism] [Desire] [Suffering] [Politics and society] [Simplicity] [Environment] [Depression] [Restlessness and worry] [Skillful qualities] [Community]


Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat, Session 9 – Jun. 11, 2021

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6. “A question about Dogenji’s teaching: ‘To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no trace continues endlessly.’ Can you reflect on this teaching from the Theravāda Thai Forest Teachings?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dōgen] [Zen ] [Eightfold Path] [Not-self] [Liberation] [Theravāda] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Knowledge and vision] [Four Noble Truths] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Aggregates] [Proliferation] [Discernment] [Compassion]

Quote: “Everything is teaching us. Everything is a manifestation of Dhamma and truth.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma] [Truth] [Suchness]


Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat, Session 22 – Jun. 15, 2021

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3. “What are the sufferings that you still struggle with? How do you deal with them and why do you think you still suffer with these sufferings despite following the precepts and the Eightfold Path?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Suffering] [Eightfold Path] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Monastic life] [Views] [Saṃsāra] [Liberation] [Long-term practice] [Rebirth] [Faith]


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6. “Is it possible that someone is following the Eightfold Path without being aware that it is the path laid out by the Buddha? It seems conceivable that someone could figure out [effort to increase wholesome states and decrease unwholesome states] but never realize what they are doing is Right Effort from the Eightfold Path. Could someone like this attain Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Eightfold Path] [Buddhist identity] [Right Effort] [Nibbāna] // [Paccekabuddha] [Buddha]


Following the Path of a Forest Monk – Jun. 23, 2023

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15. “You’ve lived a life dedicated to the spiritual quest of a Buddhist monk. What advice would you give to someone who’s starting out on the Eightfold Path and may have an interest in ordaining as a monk or nun?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Spiritual search ] [Monastic life] [Eightfold Path] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Appropriate attention] [Culture/West] [Perfectionism] [Happiness] [Right Effort] [Patience]


Interreligious Retreat-Seminar on Dhamma and Non-duality, Session 1 – Nov. 24, 2023

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7. “At the San Francisco Zen Center, they chant the Heart Sutra daily: ‘No path, no knowledge, no attainment.’ Could you help me understand the paths we’re talking about here and Zen no-path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Zen] [Eightfold Path] [Liberation] // [Unconditioned] [Relinquishment] [Buddha] [Truth] [Worldly Conditions]

Reference: The Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra

Reference: Vijjācaraṇa-sampanno in the Morning Chanting. [Recollection/Buddha]

Quote: “Right view is knowing that this is a broken glass.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Right View] [Impermanence]