E03 Actions You May Have Already Done That Support Progress on the Mundane Noble Eightfold Path скачать в хорошем качестве

E03 Actions You May Have Already Done That Support Progress on the Mundane Noble Eightfold Path

The correct understanding of the mundane Noble Eightfold Path (Maha Chaththareesaka Sutta), also known as the Middle Path (Dhammachakkappawaththana Sutta), begins with Right View (Sammā Diṭṭhi). At the mundane level, Right View includes acceptance of ten foundational beliefs. One such belief is the existence of wise and knowledgeable people who can guide us. Anyone who listens to Dhamma sermons or participates in Dhamma discussions already accepts this, even implicitly. Listening to Dhamma requires sacrificing one’s valuable time in the present for a benefit in the future. This act itself rests on two conditions: 1. belief that one’s actions produce results, and 2. willingness to give up immediate comfort or time to gain long-term benefit. Without belief in the existence of the present moment and the future, no purposeful action would take place. However, within Buddhist practice, belief in the future also includes belief in the next life, which is a factor that must be gradually developed if it is not yet present. Most people believe they have parents, but in Buddhism this belief has a deeper meaning, connected to gratitude, responsibility, and moral continuity. Similarly, there may be gaps in one’s understanding regarding beliefs such as: a) giving one’s possessions to others who lack them (Dāna), and b) honoring and respecting those with higher moral or spiritual qualities (Pūjā). Some may also find it difficult to accept that life can exist without a material body, as in certain realms of existence described in the Dhamma. These gaps in understanding can be filled with the help of external guidance—teachers and noble friends—mentioned earlier. At the same time, one should build upon one’s existing capacity for renunciation (Nekkhamma) and gradually extend concern from personal well-being to the well-being of others through loving-kindness (Mettā). These qualities are included in the second factor of the path, Right Intention (Sammā Saṅkappa). When Right View and Right Intention develop together, one’s moral conduct (Sīla) becomes more meaningful, natural, and easier to observe in daily life.