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WORDS OF THE BUDDHA

The words of the Buddha form the core of Buddhism,and from it are all the teachings derived,the Words of the Buddha are from the ancient teachings of the Buddha,and were translated by Paul Carus,a German-American Professor of philosophy.   These texts were derived by Paul Carus from the ancient texts available to him which date back to 500 BC.These texts are in the public Domain and i have put them here for the benefit of all. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS FIRST TRUTH -THE NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING THE SECOND TRUTH-THE NOBLE  TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING THIRD TRUTH- THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE EXT... FOURTH TRUTH-THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE PATH THE EIGHTFOLD FIRST STEP- RIGHT UNDERSTANDING SECOND STEP-RIGHT MINDEDNESS THIRD STEP-RIGHT SPEECH FOURTH STEP-RIGHT ACTIONS FIFTH STEP-RIGHT LIVING SIXTH STEP-RIGHT EFFORTS SEVENTH STEP-RIGHT ATTENTIVENESS EIGHTH STEP-RIGHT CONCENTRATION DEVELOPMENT OF THE EIGHTFOLD PATH IN THE DISCIPLE

DEVELOPMENT OF THE EIGHTFOLD PATH IN THE DISCIPLE

CONFIDENCE AND RIGHT-MINDEDNESS (2Nd Step)  SUPPOSE a householder, or his son, or someone reborn in any family, hears the law; and after hearing the law he is filled with confidence in the Perfect One. And filled with this confidence, he thinks: "Full of hindrances is household life, a refuse heap; but pilgrim life is like the open air. Not easy is it, when one lives at home, to fulfill in all points the rules of the holy life. How, if now I were to cut off hair and beard, put on the yellow robe and go forth from home to the homeless life?" And in a short time, having given up his more or less extensive possessions , having forsaken a smaller or larger circle of relations, he cuts off hair and beard,puts on the yellow robe, and goes forth from home to the homeless life. MORALITY (3rd, 4Th, 5Th Step) Having thus left the world, he fulfills the rules of the monks. He avoids the killing of living beings and abstains from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of s

THE SECOND TRUTH-THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING

THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING   WHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering? It is that craving which gives rise to fresh rebirth, and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now there, finds ever fresh delight. [In the absolute sense, it is no real being, no self-determined,unchangeable, Ego-entity that is reborn. Moreover, there is nothing that remains the same even for two consecutive moments; for the Five Khandhas, or Groups of Existence, are in a state of perpetual change, of continual dissolution and renewal. They die every moment,and every moment new ones are born. Hence it follows that there is no such thing as a real existence, or "being" (Latin esse), but only as it were an endless process, a continuous change, a "becoming,"consisting in a "producing," and in a "being produced"; in a"process of action," and in a "process of reaction," or "rebirth." This process of perpetual &q

EIGHTH STEP-RIGHT CONCENTRATION

RIGHT CONCENTRATION WHAT, now, is Right Concentration? Fixing the mind to a single object ("One-pointedness of mind"): this is concentration. The four Fundamentals of Attentiveness (seventh step): these are the objects of concentration. The four Great Efforts (sixth step): these are the requisites for concentration. The practicing, developing and cultivating of these things: this is the "Development" of concentration. [Right Concentration has two degrees of development: 1."Neighborhood-Concentration," which approaches the first trance,without however attaining it; 2. "Attainment Concentration," which is the concentration present in the four trances. The attainment of the trances, however, is not a requisite for the realization of the Four Ultra mundane Paths of Holiness; and neither Neighborhood-Concentration nor Attainment-Concentration, as such, in any way possesses the power of conferring entry into the Four Ultra mundane Paths; hence, in th

SEVENTH STEP-RIGHT ATTENTIVENESS

RIGHT ATTENTIVENESS WHAT, now, is Right Attentiveness? The only way that leads to the attainment of purity, to the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation,to the end of pain and grief, to the entering upon the right path and the realization of Nirvana, is the "Four Fundamentals of Attentiveness." And which are these four? In them, the disciple dwell in contemplation of the Body, in contemplation of Feeling, in contemplation of the Mind, in contemplation of the Mind-objects,ardent, clearly conscious and attentive, after putting away worldly greed and grief. CONTEMPLATION OF THE BODY But, how does the disciple dwell in contemplation of the body?There, the disciple retires to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to a solitary place, sits himself down, with legs crossed, body erect,and with attentiveness fixed before him. With attentive mind he breathes in, with attentive mind he breathes out. When making a long inhalation, he knows: "I make along inhalation"; when m

SIXTH STEP-RIGHT EFFORTS

RIGHT EFFORT  WHAT, now, is Right Effort? There are Four Great Efforts: the effort to avoid, the effort to overcome, the effort to develop, and the effort to maintain. What, now, is the effort to avoid? There, the disciple incites his mind to avoid the arising of evil, de meritorious things that have not yet arisen; and he strives, puts forth his energy, strains his mind and struggles. Thus, when he perceives a form with the eye, a sound with the ear,an odor with the nose, a taste with the tongue, a contact with the body, or an object with the mind, he neither adheres to the whole, nor to its parts. And he strives to ward off that through which evil and demeritorious things, greed and sorrow, would arise, if he remained with unguarded senses; and he watches over his senses, restrains his senses. Possessed of this noble "Control over the Senses," he experiences inwardly a feeling of joy, into which no evil thing can enter. This is called the effort to avoid. What, now, is the

FIFTH STEP-RIGHT LIVING

RIGHT LIVING WHAT, now, is Right Living? When the noble disciple, avoiding a wrong way of living, gets his livelihood by a right way of living,this is called Right Living. Now, right living, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1. When the noble disciple, avoiding wrong living, gets his livelihood by aright way of living-this is called the "Mundane Right Living," which yields worldly fruits and brings good results. 2. But the abhorrence of wrong living, the abstaining,withholding, refraining therefrom-the mind being holy, being turned away from the world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path being pursued-: this is called the "Ultra mundane Right Living,"which is not of the world, but is ultra mundane, and conjoined with the paths. Now, in understanding wrong living as wrong, and right living as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st step]; and in making efforts to overcome wrong living, to arouse right living, one practices Right Effort [6Th step]; an

FOURTH STEP-RIGHT ACTIONS

RIGHT ACTION WHAT, now, is Right Action? It is abstaining from killing;abstaining from stealing; abstaining from unlawful sexual intercourse. There, someone avoids the killing of living beings, and abstains from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of sympathy, he is anxious for the welfare of all living beings. He avoids stealing, and abstains from it; what another person possesses of goods and chattels in the village or in the wood, that he does not take away with thievish intent. He avoids unlawful sexual intercourse, and abstains from it. He has no intercourse with such persons as are still under the protection of father, mother, brother, sister or relatives, nor with married women, nor female convicts, nor, lastly, with betrothed girls. This is called Right Action. Now, Right Action, let me tell you, is of two kinds:1. Abstaining from killing, from stealing, and from unlawful sexual intercourse-this is called the "Mundane Right Action, which yields worldly fruits

THIRD STEP-RIGHT SPEECH

RIGHT SPEECH WHAT , now, is Right Speech? It is abstaining from lying;abstaining from tale-bearing; abstaining from harsh language;abstaining from vain talk. There, someone avoids lying, and abstains from it. He speaks the truth, is devoted to the truth, reliable, worthy of confidence, is not a deceiver of men. Being at a meeting, or amongst people, or in the midst of his relatives, or in a society, or in the king's court, and called upon and asked as witness, to tell what he knows, he answers,if he knows nothing: "I know nothing"; and if he knows, he answers: "I know"; if he has seen nothing, he answers: "I have seen nothing,"and if he has seen, he answers: "I have seen." Thus, he never knowingly speaks a lie, neither for the sake of his own advantage, nor for the sake of another person's advantage, nor for the sake of any advantage whatsoever. He avoids tale-bearing, and abstains from it. What he has heard here, he does not repeat ther

SECOND STEP-RIGHT MINDEDNESS

RIGHT MINDEDNESS WHAT, now, is Right Mindedness? It is thoughts free from lust;thoughts free from ill-will; thoughts free from cruelty. This is called right mindedness. Now, Right Mindedness, let me tell you, is of two kinds: 1. Thoughts free from lust, from ill-will, and from cruelty:-this is called the"Mundane Right Mindedness," which yields worldly fruits and brings good results. 2. But, whatsoever there is of thinking, considering, reasoning,thought, ratiocination, application-the mind being holy, being turned away from the world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path being pursued-: these "Verbal Operations" of the mind are called the"Ultra mundane Right Mindedness which is not of the world, but is ultra mundane, and conjoined with the paths. Now, in understanding wrong-mindedness as wrong, and right-mindedness as right, one practices Right Understanding [1st step]; and in making efforts to overcome evil-mindedness, and to arouse right-mindedness,

FIRST STEP- RIGHT UNDERSTANDING

RIGHT UNDERSTANDING WHAT, now, is Right Understanding? It is understanding the Four Truths. To understand suffering; to understand the origin of suffering; to understand the extinction of suffering; to understand the path that leads to the extinction of suffering: This is called Right Understanding Or, when the noble disciple understands what is karmically wholesome, and the root of wholesome karma; what is karmically unwholesome, and the root of unwholesome karma, then he has Right Understanding. ["Karmically unwholesome" is every volitional act of body, speech,or mind which is rooted in greed, hatred, or delusion, and produces evil and painful results in this or any future form of existence.] What, now, is "karmically unwholesome?" In Bodily Action it is destruction of living beings; stealing; and unlawful sexual intercourse. In Verbal Action it is lying;tale-bearing; harsh language; and frivolous talk. In Mental Action it is covetousness; ill-will; and wrong vie

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

It is the Noble Eightfold Path, the way that leads to the extinction of suffering, namely: 1. Right Understanding, 2. Right Mindedness, which together are Wisdom. 3. Right Speech, 4. Right Action, 5. Right Living, which together are Morality. 6. Right Effort, 7. Right Attentiveness, 8. Right Concentration,which together are Concentration. This is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has found out, which makes one both to see and to know, which leads to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana. Free from pain and torture is this path, free from groaning and suffering; it is the perfect path. Truly, like this path there is no other path to the purity of insight. If you follow this path, you will put an end to suffering. But each one has to struggle for himself, the Perfect Ones have only pointed out the way. Give ear then, for the Immortal is found. I reveal, I set forth the Truth. As I reveal it to you, so act! And that supreme goal of the holy life, for the sake of

FOURTH TRUTH-THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE PATH

THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE PATH THAT LEADS TO THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING THE TWO EXTREMES AND THE MIDDLE PATH TO GIVE oneself up to indulgence in sensual pleasure, the base,common, vulgar, unholy, unprofitable; and also to give oneself up to self-mortification, the painful, unholy, unprofitable: both these two extremes the Perfect One has avoided, and found out the Middle Path, which makes one both to see and to know, which leads to peace,to discernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana. NEXT THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

THIRD TRUTH- THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING

THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING WHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering? It is the complete fading away and extinction of this craving, its forsaking and giving up, the liberation and detachment from it. But where may this craving vanish, where may it be extinguished?Wherever in the world there are delightful and pleasurable things,there this craving may vanish, there it may be extinguished. Be it in the past, present, or future, whosoever of the monks or priests regards the delightful and pleasurable things in the world as "impermanent," "miserable," and "without an Ego," as a disease and cancer; it is he who overcomes the craving. And released from Sensual Craving, released from the Craving for Existence, he does not return, does not enter again into existence. DEPENDENT EXTINCTION OF ALL PHENOMENA For, through the total fading away and extinction of Craving,Clinging is extinguished; through the extinction of clin

FIRST TRUTH -THE NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING

FIRST TRUTH THE NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING WHAT, now, is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering; Decay is suffering; Death is suffering; Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair, are suffering; not to get what one desires, is suffering; in short: the Five Groups of Existence are suffering. What, now, is Birth? The birth of beings belonging to this or that order of beings, their being born, their conception and springing into existence, the manifestation of the groups of existence, the arising of sense activity-this is called Birth. And what is Decay? The decay of beings belonging to this or that order of beings; their getting aged, frail, grey, and wrinkled; the failing of their vital force, the wearing out of the senses-this is called Decay. And what is Death? The parting and vanishing of beings out of this or that order of beings, their destruction, disappearance, death,the completion of their life-period, dissolution of the groups ofexistence, the discarding of the bo