Noble Eightfold Path Puns

I had a discussion here yesterday where someone asserted that these elements are largely (or completely) absent from Chan.

As I only have a cursory knowledge of Chan, I was quite surprised because everything I read of Master Sheng Yen and Guo Gu seem that the Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path and karma are absolutely foundational to the East Asian transmissions.

So, for practitioners in these traditions, what has been your experience? Are these aspects of the teaching assumed? Are they discussed in the Agamas/Sutras? Or are these less emphasized while different skillful teachings are focused on?

To be clear: I am in no way questioning the validity of these Paths, in fact, I'm quite inspired by them. I'm simply looking to understand a little bit better if and how these elements may or may not be represented as it's possible that I was wrong (gasp!) in my assertion yesterday on these boards.

Hi there.

I have doubts about the eightfold path and the jhanas.

- Is there any book that systematically and gradually teaches the eightfold path? That is, with indications that progress is being made on the path, perhaps with degrees of development.

- The same question, but specifically in relation to the jhanas. Regarding indications that a certain jhana has been mastered, etc.

Thanks.

Straightforward question: I'm curious what the community thinks about using libgen.is to download books, free of cost.

stealing is an obvious no.

The advisement in the noble eightfold path may be read as "do not take things which are not freely given."

someone owned the text, and freely gave it to a website for the purpose of distributing it. Additionally, the motives and utility of having the texts are wholesome, namely, educating myself.

A library is similar, although they would pay for several copies of the books, to the author...

What do you all think?

Asalha Puja

July 5, 2020

Tonight’s Asalha Puja. Puja means paying homage. Asalha is the name of the month—June, July. Of course, we’re not paying homage to the month. We’re paying homage to events that happened in this month on the full moon. After the Buddha had gained awakening, he continued to experience the bliss of release for seven weeks. Then, at the beginning of the eighth week, which would have been about a week ago if this were that year, he decided to teach. First he thought of his two teachers who had taught him before he had gone off on his path of austerities. He realized that they had passed away and gone into the formless realms, where they couldn’t be contacted. So that was their loss. Then he thought of the five brethren who had attended to him during his austerities, and had left him when he stopped the austerities. He realized that they were in Benares, and so he decided to go there. He walked for a week.

When they saw him coming, they said, “Oh, here comes that lazy Gotama.” They made a pact that they wouldn’t attend to him as they had in the past. But they couldn’t help themselves. As he approached, they took his bowl, prepared a seat. But they addressed him as avuso, or friend. He said, “This is not appropriate. I’ve gained awakening.” They said, “How can you have gained awakening? You’ve left the path of austerities.” So he gave the talk that we chanted just now. It started out with how the path of austerities was an extreme that was to be avoided, just as sensuality was an extreme to be avoided. Instead, he taught the middle way. This was his first teaching.

There are two striking images in the teaching. One is the name of the teaching, which is Setting the Dharma Wheel in Motion. The other is the image of the middle way. This is a middle way between the extremes of devotion to self-torture or devotion to sensual pleasures—but it’s not a middling way. In other words, we don’t go half way between pleasure and pain. Think of Ajaan Chah’s image. Self- torture or pain is like the head of a snake. Sensual pleasures are like the tail of the snake. We see that the head has teeth, so we know we shouldn’t catch it there. But then we think it’s okay to touch the other end because it doesn’t have any teeth.

But of course, the two ends are connected. If we were to take a middling way, it would be like picking up the snake by the middle, which wouldn’t help with anything at all.

When the Buddha's talking about a middle way, he’s talking a

Whoever destroys living beings,

speaks false words, who in the world

takes that which is not given to him,

or goes too with another's wife,

or takes distilled, fermented drinks --

whatever man indulges thus

extirpates the roots of himself

even here in this very world.

(Dhp. 246-7)

https://preview.redd.it/yrfkjlp4olb71.png?width=768&format=png&auto=webp&s=80540026767258b26080e974e665502ef4629c4d

Threefold Division of the Noble Eightfold Path Graphic by Bhikkhu Jayasara

Additional - Vipassana – Five Precepts by Anu Morris

Is there any sort of guide as to how I should start a practice besides meditate? I can’t go to a temple or seek groups or anything, because coronavirus you know. So what do I do with the information I have now?

Hello, a thought came to me today. I was wondering how do the core teachings of Buddhism fit in with the Pure Land teachings? How do they correlate? Or are the other teachings of Buddhism irrelevant? Thank you for listening.