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Chapter 6 - The Eightfold Path

from Part II - The Path

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2022

Roderick S. Bucknell
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
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Summary

This chapter examines the best known and documented summary of the Buddha’s path to enlightenment, the noble eightfold path. This lists eight stages beginning with right view and ending with right concentration. It is pointed out, however, that this list stops short of the three associated meditative practices by means of which, according to the Buddha’s own account, he attained enlightenment. Discussion then turns to the much less well-known Tenfold Path, which does include the final stages of the “stepwise training”. How the two versions came to exist is explained by taking account of the historical context of and polemical differences within early Buddhism. This analysis suggests that an original eightfold path was first extended to ten stages through the addition of two initial stages, then later reduced to the canonical eight by excising the final two stages, which henceforth were taught only to the most advanced meditators.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • The Eightfold Path
  • Roderick S. Bucknell, University of Queensland
  • Book: Reconstructing Early Buddhism
  • Online publication: 13 October 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009236539.009
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  • The Eightfold Path
  • Roderick S. Bucknell, University of Queensland
  • Book: Reconstructing Early Buddhism
  • Online publication: 13 October 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009236539.009
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Eightfold Path
  • Roderick S. Bucknell, University of Queensland
  • Book: Reconstructing Early Buddhism
  • Online publication: 13 October 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009236539.009
Available formats
×