Right action.

santhisouk

The first eightfold path is Right Action. Does anyone know the real meaning of right action? Wouldn't renunciation be a part of right action? If the eightfold path allows lay followers then renunciaton can not be part of right action could it? I guess the real question is does the eightfold path align itself evenly for lay followers or should we really follow the Buddha's path and seek enlightment the way its meant to be sought after that is "renunciation"?

zenff

In the satipatthana sutta the basics are all there.
From a Therevada point of view, you don’t need much more than this sutta.

(and doing it of course)

There's nothing in it exclusively for monks.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/mahasati18.htm

"And what, bhikkhus, is Right Action? Abstaining from killing living beings, from stealing and from wrongful indulgence in sense pleasures. This, bhikkhus, is called Right Action."

santhisouk

I made a mistake in the title. I meant the entire eightfold path. It seems right effort, right mindfulness etc., I think it would take more than just a half day effort each day IMO.

taiyaki

keep don't know mind. when red appears your mind reflects red. when dog appears your mind reflects dog.
that is our empty nature.

how does empty nature function? when someone is hungry, do you become hungry? right action is always action for another.
so when someone is hungry, you feed them. when someone is thirsty, you give them something to drink. when someone is suffering, you comfort them.

when you have clear mind or don't know mind, right action is clear and automatic. when you are thinking, you wonder should i do this or should i do that. i wonder what would be the result of doing this. i don't care about this person.

thinking mind judges. throw down thinking mind and keep not knowing. when a frog appears the mind will only reflect the frog. when frog needs help, you help frog.

right view is don't know mind or clear mind. from right view arises the rest of the path.

it cannot be a philosophy or an ethical framework, because life is much more dynamic. set aside your thinking and just do it.

DhammaDhatu

I guess the real question is does the eightfold path align itself evenly for lay followers...

hi

originally, the 8FP was not taught for laypeople, as follows:

Bhikkhus, these two extremes ought not to be cultivated by one gone forth from the house-life. What are the two? There is devotion to indulgence of pleasure in the objects of sensual desire, which is inferior, low, vulgar, ignoble and leads to no good; and there is devotion to self-torment, which is painful, ignoble and leads to no good.

The middle way discovered by a Perfect One avoids both these extremes; it gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana. And what is that middle way? It is simply the noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right intention; right speech, right action, right livelihood; right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the middle way discovered by a Perfect One, which gives vision, which gives knowledge, and which leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.nymo.html

the Buddha gave many teachings for layfollowers but i cannot recall any teachings using the N8P

example, Sigalovada Sutta: The Layperson's Code of Discipline

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.nara.html

regards

DhammaDhatu

also, we can read in the Sigalovada Sutta that a monk's duty is to teach layfollowers the path to heaven rather than to Nibbana

santhisouk

Its not hard to understand that we just have to follow the 5 precepts and uphold our other duites. Thank you for your posts. I have learned a few things.

Longevity, beauty, happiness, and strength to you on your path.

with metta