The Great Forty

[Ceisiwr]

Greetings


I have been studying this Sutta lately and feel i understand it better but there are some points im having trouble with, was hoping that maybe some others could give me some advice


The sutta is about parts of the NEFP such as view, speech, intention etc. It splits them into two catagories, mundane (leads to becoming) and supermundane (doesnt lead to becoming)

So with Right View of rebirth, mundane leads to becoming because of the taints still being present, but supermundane doesnt because there are no taints (same with intention, action, speech etc)

The problem im having though is this, it states

"Of those, right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? One discerns wrong action as wrong action, and right action as right action. And what is wrong action? Killing, taking what is not given, illicit sex. This is wrong action.

"And what is right action? Right action, I tell you, is of two sorts: There is right action with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in the acquisitions [of becoming]; and there is noble right action, without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path.

"And what is the right action that has effluents, sides with merit, & results in acquisitions? Abstaining from killing, from taking what is not given, & from illicit sex. This is the right action that has effluents, sides with merit, & results in acquisitions.

"And what is the right action that is without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path? The abstaining, desisting, abstinence, avoidance of the three forms of bodily misconduct of one developing the noble path whose mind is noble, whose mind is without effluents, who is fully possessed of the noble path. This is the right action that is without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path.

"One tries to abandon wrong action & to enter into right action: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong action & to enter & remain in right action: This is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort, & right mindfulness — run & circle around right action.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It states that supermundane Right Action is when one is developing the path, with a mind that is noble and without the taints. However isnt it the case that one who is without the taints is enlightened and so wouldnt need to "develop" the path (since it would be perfected)

Any thoughts?


Metta

[mikenz66]

Hi Craig,

This is a different meaning of "path". For each attainment there is the "path" and "fruition", thus the chants about the Noble Sangha refer to the "four pairs". In the Abhidhamma fruition follows path instantaneously.

See http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Bud ... ya-puggala" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta
Mike