Hello vishuroshan,vishuroshan wrote:please read this . you can download this PDF. http://www.pathtonibbana.com
Thanks for your recommendation. I had a quick glance at the talk, and would like to share some of my immature thoughts since I'd like to be helpful. As to the title of the talk, "The Path to Nibbana as Declared by the Gautama Buddha", I would rather phrase it as "Interpretation of the Path ...". I believe that an arahant, and other noble disciples who have gained samma ditthi (entered the "stream") will always refer their students to the Buddha's words, instead of their own interpretation of the Buddha's words. Real Buddhists always follow the Buddha's words.
By the way, to my immature understanding of the Buddha's teaching, "dana" is not really part of the noble path, but part of the mundane path leading to the gaining of the "Dhamma eye" (vision of the Dhamma):
Ud 5.3 Kutthi Sutta The Leper:
Then the Blessed One, having encompassed the mind of the entire assembly with his mind, asked himself, "Now who here is capable of understanding the Dhamma?" He saw Suppabuddha the leper sitting in the assembly, and on seeing him the thought occurred to him, "This person here is capable of understanding the Dhamma." So, aiming at Suppabuddha the leper, he gave a step-by-step talk, i.e., he proclaimed a talk on generosity, on virtue, on heaven; he declared the drawbacks, degradation, & corruption of sensuality, and the rewards of renunciation. Then when the Blessed One knew that Suppabuddha the leper's mind was ready, malleable, free from hindrances, elevated, & clear, he then gave the Dhamma-talk peculiar to Awakened Ones, i.e., suffering, origination, cessation, & path.
I believe that we should practice the mundane path to remove the "gross impurities" (ten unwholesome deeds) first, before jumping to remove the "moderate impurities" (sensuality, ...) in the Noble Path. While I agree that the Noble Right Seeing is the comprehension of the 4NT and the Noble Right Resolve/Thinking are non-sensuality/non-malevonance/non-harming, I believe that we have to practice mundane right seeing and mundane right resolve/thinking first in order to truly comprehend the 4NT. The sequence of the practice had been outlined in the following sutta:
AN 3.102 (The goldsmith): mainly from http://www.buddha-vacana.org/sutta/angu ... 3-102.html (with some changes)
In the same way [as purifying gold], there are these gross impurities in a monk intent on heightened mind: misconduct in body, misconduct in speech, & misconduct in mind [unrighteous greed/covetousness, ill will, wrong views (of the law of karma)]. These [Ten unwholesome deeds] the monk — aware & able by nature — abandons, destroys, dispels, wipes out of existence [so that they will not rise again].
-- Step 1. Cultivate right thinking of non-unrighteous greed/non-covetousness, non-ill will, non-wrong views (of the law of karma), and right action/speech. It seems to me that the sequence for purification here should probably be abandoning misconduct in mind first, and then misconduct in speech and action. [For the definition of the "misconducts", please see AN 10.176]
When he is rid of them, there remain in him the moderate impurities [of mind]: thoughts of sensuality (due to liking), thoughts of hostility/hatred (due to disliking), & harming. These he abandons, destroys, dispels, wipes out of existence.
-- Step 2. Cultivate right thinking of non-sensuality, non-hostility (the moderate impurity here should not be the same as the gross impurity of ill will), and non-harming.
When he is rid of them, there remain in him the fine impurities: thoughts of his caste [greed for status], thoughts of his home district, thoughts related to not wanting to be despised [aversion]. These [the eight worldly winds] he abandons, destroys, dispels, wipes out of existence.
-- Step 3. Cultivate right thinking of non-greed for fame/honor, gain, praise, mental pleasure, and non-aversion to defame/dishonor, loss, censure, and mental pain.
When he is rid of them, there remain only thoughts of the Dhamma. His concentration is neither calm nor refined, it has not yet attained serenity or unity, and is kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint. But there comes a time when his mind grows steady inwardly, settles down, grows unified & concentrated. His concentration is calm & refined, has attained serenity & unity, and is no longer kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint.
And then whichever of the higher knowledge he turns his mind to know & realize, he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening [penetration?]."
Metta to all!
Starter