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buddhavacana

The Middle Way (`majjhimā paṭipadā`)

· 4 min read

The Middle Way is the primary feature of the Buddha's teaching, a moderate soteriological approach avoiding the extremes of sensual gratification and austerity practices such as self-mortification.

The Middle Way is the primary feature of the Buddha’s teaching, a moderate soteriological approach avoiding the extremes of sensual gratification and austerity practices such as self-mortification.

“These two extremes, Bhikkhave, should not be cultivated by one who has gone forth. What two?

  • Pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is
    • low,
    • vulgar,
    • worldly,
    • ignoble, and
    • not conducive to welfare; and
  • Pursuit of self-mortification, which is
    • painful,
    • ignoble, and
    • not conducive to welfare.

Without veering towards either of these two extremes, Bhikkhave, the majjhimā paṭipadā (Middle Way) has been abhisambuddha (fully awakened) by the Tathāgata, which

  • produces vision,
  • produces knowledge, and
  • leads to:
    • calm,
    • abhiññā (experiential understanding),
    • sambodhi (full awakening),
    • nibbāna (extinguishment).”

Summary

Section titled “Summary”
graph
  A["`**kāmesu kāmasukhallikānuyogo**
  (pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures)`"]
  M["`**majjhimā paṭipadā**
  (middle way)`"]
  C["`**attakilamathānuyogo**
  (pursuit of self-mortification)`"]
  subgraph bad["Bad Outcomes"]
    low["`**hīno**
    (low)`"]
    vulgar["`**gammo**
    (vulgar)`"]
    common["`**pothujjaniko**
    (worldly)`"]
    ignoble["`**anariyo**
    (ignoble)`"]
    unbeneficial["`**anatthasaṃhito**
    (not conducive to welfare)`"]
    painful["`**dukkho**
    (painful)`"]
  end
  subgraph good["Good Outcomes"]
    vision["`**cakkhukaraṇī**
    (produces vision)`"]
    knowledge["`**ñāṇakaraṇī**
    (produces knowledge)`"]
    calmness["`**upasamā**
    (calmness)`"]
    understanding["`**abhiññā**
    (experiential understanding)`"]
    awakening["`**sambodha**
    (full awakening)`"]
    extinguishment["`**nibbāna**
    (extinguishment)`"]
  end
  A --> low & vulgar & common & ignoble & unbeneficial
  M --> vision & knowledge & calmness & understanding & awakening & extinguishment
  C --> painful & ignoble & unbeneficial

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