How is Nibbana to be attained?
It is by following the Noble Eight-fold Path which consists of Right Understanding (samma-ditthi),
Right Thoughts (samma-sankappa), Right Speech (samma-vaca),
Right Actions (samma-kammanta), Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva),
Right Effort (samma-vayama), Right Mindfulness (samma-sati),
and Right Concentration (samma-samadhi).
1. Right Understanding, which is the key-note of Buddhism, is
explained as the knowledge of the four Noble Truths. To understand rightly means to
understand things as they really are and not as they appear to be. This refers primarily
to a correct understanding of oneself, because, as the Rohitassa Sutta states,
"Dependent on this one-fathom long body with its consciousness" are all the four
Truths. In the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Understanding stands at the
beginning as well as at its end. A minimum degree of Right Understanding is necessary at
the very beginning because it gives the right motivations to the other seven factors of
the Path and gives to them correct direction. At the culmination of the practice, Right
Understanding has matured into perfect Insight Wisdom (vipassana-panna),
leading directly to the Stages of Sainthood.
2. Clear vision of right understanding leads to clear thinking. The second factor of
the Noble Eight-fold Path is therefore, Right Thoughts
(samma-sankappa), which serves the double purpose of eliminating evil thoughts and
developing pure thoughts. Right Thoughts, in this particular connection, are three fold.
They consist of:
i. Nekkhamma -- Renunciation of worldly pleasures or the
virtue of selflessness, which is opposed to attachment, selfishness, and possessiveness;
ii. Avyapada -- Loving-kindness, goodwill, or benevolence,
which is opposed to hatred, ill-will, or aversion; and
iii. Avihimsa -- Harmlessness or compassion, which is opposed
to cruelty and callousness.
3. Right Thoughts lead to Right Speech, the third factor.
This includes abstinence from falsehood, slandering, harsh words, and frivolous talk.
4. Right Speech must be followed by Right Action which
comprises abstinence from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct.
5. Purifying his thoughts, words and deeds at the outset, the spiritual pilgrim tries
to purify his livelihood by refraining from the five kinds of
trade which are forbidden to a lay-disciple. They are trading in arms, human beings,
animals for slaughter, intoxicating drinks and drugs, and poisons.
For monks, wrong livelihood consists of hypocritical conduct and wrong means of
obtaining the requisites of monk-life.
6. Right Effort is fourfold, namely:
i. the endeavor to discard evil that has already arisen; ii. the endeavor to prevent
the arising of unarisen evil; iii. the endeavor to develop unarisen good; iv. the endeavor
to promote the good which has already arisen.
7. Right Mindfulness is constant mindfulness with regard to
body, feelings, thoughts, and mind-objects.
8. Right Effort and Right Mindfulness lead
to Right Concentration. It is the one-pointedness of mind,
culminating in the Jhanas or meditative absorptions.
Of these eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path the first two are grouped under the
heading of Wisdom (panna), the following three under Morality (sila),
and the last three under Concentration (samadhi). But according
to the order of development the sequence is as follows:
I. Morality (sila) Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood
II. Concentration (samadhi) Right Effort Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
III. Wisdom (panna) Right Understanding Right Thoughts
Morality (sila) is the first stage on this path to Nibbana.
Without killing or causing injury to any living creature, man should be kind and
compassionate towards all, even to the tiniest creature that crawls at his feet.
Refraining from stealing, he should be upright and honest in all his dealings. Abstaining
from sexual misconduct which debases the exalted nature of man, he should be pure.
Shunning false speech, he should be truthful. Avoiding pernicious drinks that promote
heedlessness, he should be sober and diligent.
These elementary principles of regulated behavior are essential to one who treads the
path to Nibbana. Violation of them means the introduction of obstacles on the path which
will obstruct his moral progress. Observance of them means steady and smooth progress
along the path.
The spiritual pilgrim, disciplining thus his words and deeds, may advance a step
further and try to control his senses.
While he progresses slowly and steadily with regulated word and deed and restrained
senses, the Kammic force of this striving aspirant may compel him to renounce worldly
pleasures and adopt the ascetic life. To him then comes the idea that,
"A den of strife is household life, And filled with toil and need; But free and
high as the open sky Is the life the homeless lead."
It should not be understood that everyone is expected to lead the life of a Bhikkhu or
a celibate life to achieve one's goal. One's spiritual progress is expedited by being a
Bhikkhu although as a lay follower one can become an Arahat. After attaining the third
state of Sainthood, one leads a life of celibacy.
Securing a firm footing on the ground of morality, the progressing pilgrim then embarks
upon the higher practice of Samadhi, the control and culture of the mind -- the second
stage on this Path.
Samadhi -- is the "one-pointedness of the mind." It is the concentration of
the mind on one object to the entire exclusion of all irrelevant matter.
There are different subjects for meditation according to the temperaments of the
individuals. Concentration on respiration is the easiest to gain the one-pointedness of
the mind. Meditation on loving-kindness is very beneficial as it is conducive to mental
peace and happiness.
Cultivation of the four sublime states -- loving-kindness (Metta),
compassion (Karuna), sympathetic joy (Mudita),
and equanimity (Upekkha) -- is highly commendable.
After giving careful consideration to the subject for contemplation, he should choose
the one most suited to his temperament. This being satisfactorily settled, he makes a
persistent effort to focus his mind until he becomes so wholly absorbed and interested in
it, that all other thoughts get ipso facto excluded from the mind. The five hindrances to
progress -- namely, sense-desire, hatred, sloth and torpor, restlessness and brooding and
doubts are then temporarily inhibited. Eventually he gains ecstatic concentration and, to
his indescribable joy, becomes enwrapt in Jhana, enjoying the calmness and serenity of a
one-pointed mind.
When one gains this perfect one-pointedness of the mind it is possible for one to
develop the five Supernormal Powers (Abhinna): Divine Eye (Dibbacakkhu),
Divine Ear (Dibhasota), Reminiscence of past births (Pubbenivasanussati-nana).
Thought Reading (Paracitta vijanana) and different Psychic
Powers (Iddhividha). It must not be understood that those
supernormal powers are essential for Sainthood.
Though the mind is now purified there still lies dormant in him the tendency to give
vent to his passions, for by concentration, passions are lulled to sleep temporarily. They
may rise to the surface at unexpected moments.
Both Discipline and Concentration are helpful to clear the Path of its obstacles but it
is Insight (Vipassana Panna) alone which enables one to see
things as they truly are, and consequently reach the ultimate goal by completely
annihilating the passions inhibited by Samadhi. This is the third and the final stage on
the Path of Nibbana.
With his one-pointed mind which now resembles a polished mirror he looks at the world
to get a correct view of life. Wherever he turns his eyes he sees nought but the Three
Characteristics -- Anicca (transiency), Dukkha
(sorrow) and Anatta (soul-lessness) standing out in bold relief.
He comprehends that life is constantly changing and all conditioned things are transient.
Neither in heaven nor on earth does he find any genuine happiness, for every form of
pleasure is a prelude to pain. What is transient is therefore painful, and where change
and sorrow prevail there cannot be a permanent immortal soul.
Whereupon, of these three characteristics, he chooses one that appeals to him most and
intently keeps on developing Insight in that particular direction until that glorious day
comes to him when he would realize Nibbana for the first time in his life, having
destroyed the three Fetters -- self-illusion (Sakkaya-ditthi),
doubts (Vicikiccha), indulgence in (wrongful) rites and
ceremonies (Silabbataparamasa).
At this stage he is called a Sotapanna (Stream-Winner) -- one
who has entered the stream that leads to Nibbana. As he has not eradicated all Fetters he
is reborn seven times at the most.
Summoning up fresh courage, as a result of this glimpse of Nibbana, the Pilgrim makes
rapid progress and cultivating deeper Insight becomes a Sakadagami
(Once Returner) by weakening two more Fetters -- namely Sense-desire (Kamaraga)
and ill-will (Patigha). He is called a Sakadagami because he is
reborn on earth only once in case he does not attain Arhatship.
It is in the third state of Sainthood -- Anagama
(Never-Returner) that he completely discards the aforesaid two Fetters. Thereafter, he
neither returns to this world nor does he seek birth in the celestial realms, since he has
no more desire for sensual pleasures. After death he is reborn in the "Pure
Abodes" (Suddhavasa) a congenial Brahma plane, till he
attains Arhatship.
Now the saintly pilgrim, encouraged by the unprecedented success of his endeavors,
makes his final advance and, destroying the remaining Fetters -- namely, lust after life
in Realms of Forms (Ruparaga) and Formless Realms (Aruparaga),
conceit (Mana), restlessness (Uddhacca),
and ignorance (Avijja) -- becomes a perfect Saint: an Arahant, a
Worthy One.
Instantly he realizes that what was to be accomplished has been done, that a heavy
burden of sorrow has been relinquished, that all forms of attachment have been totally
annihilated, and that the Path to Nibbana has been trodden. The Worthy One now stands on
heights more than celestial, far removed from the rebellious passions and defilements of
the world, realizing the unutterable bliss of Nibbana and like many an Arahat of old,
uttering that paean of joy:
"Goodwill and wisdom, mind by method trained, The highest conduct on good morals
based, This maketh mortals pure, not rank or wealth."
As T.H. Huxley states -- "Buddhism is a system which knows no God in the Western
sense, which denies a soul to man, which counts the belief in immortality a blunder, which
refuses any efficacy to prayer and sacrifice, which bids men to look to nothing but their
own efforts for salvation, which in its original purity knew nothing of vows of obedience
and never sought the aid of the secular arm: yet spread over a considerable moiety of the
world with marvelous rapidity -- and is still the dominant creed of a large fraction of
mankind."