Mujjhima Patipada

Mujjhima Patipada
The Middle Practice

           According to Buddhism, Majjhima Patipada is the middle path or the moderate practice code of conduct for both lay people and monastic life. Mujjhima Patipada is regarded as the Buddhist ethic, that the Buddha recommends all monks and lay people to abide by. It is the Eightfold Path for the cessation of suffering. This Eightfold Path is the way which consists of 8 Folds [ magga ]; Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. These 8 folds are categorized into 3 fundamental modes of training, called Trisikha, particularly for Buddhist monks and lay Buddhist in holy life, namely; Sila Sikha; training in the higher morality, Samadhi Sikha ; training in higher mentality and Panna Sikha; training in higher wisdom. This threefold training corresponds to the Buddha's fundamental teaching " Exhortatory Patimokkha ";

Not to do any evil [ Sila ]

To cutivate good [ Samadhi ] and

To purity the mind [ Panna ]

           which may be abbrevates as " Clean conduct, calm spirit and Clear vision. "

           Sila Sikha or training in higher morality is for the development of bodily and verbal actions under Right speech, Right action and Right livelihood. Samadhi Sikha or higher training in mentality under Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Panna Sikha is the training for higher wisdom under the Right View and Right Thought.



            For lay Buddhism , the Buddha recommends to practice the right middle way of life under the 3 bases of Meritorious Action; Dana - meritorious action consisting in generosity, Sila - meritorious action in observing the moral precepts and Bhavana - meritorious action in mental development.

            Right Mujjhima Patipada or the right middle way is characterized by the following.

            1. The middle way is the middle practice in which the Buddha recommends his Buddhist assembly to avoid the two extreme ways of life: self mortification and sensual indulgence, which leads to stagnation from the Buddhist goal of mental liberation and realization of the truth.

            2. The middle way is the process of cessation of suffering. According to Buddhism, suffering is the human problem. The causes of suffering are the outflow or bias, ignorance and craving for desires. The cessation of suffering is the cessation of kamma. The process of suffering is the Dependent Origination or Paticcasamupada. The process of suffering is the Gightfold path under the middle way or Mujjhima Patipada. As we know, the middle teaching or Mujhenadhamma Dhesana is simply the Paticcasamupada or the process of suffering will lead to an understanding of the basic principle involved, but it is not enough if we still lack practice. This is the point at which the natural process of Paticcasamupada must be connected to this middle practice.

             3. The middle way is the practical application of Buddhist ethic. It is not the ethic of thought, as claimed by some western theologians, but it is the method of ethical practice for a better way of life, the Buddhist life style which leads to the cessation of suffering at both the individual and social levels.

             4. The middle way is the way of life, not only normal life, not only normal life, but also monastic life. The middle way is more a process than a rigid law or rule. It is meant to help us recognize that we, as human beings, can grow and experience richer, fuller lives, that each of us has an inner true nature that we realize by listening to our intuitive wisdom.

             5. The middle way is the means to achieve the goals cessation of suffering, realization of the truth and spiritual liberation. The Buddha says:

             " Dhamma is like a raft. It is used for crossing the river of pain, suffering, and conflicts. Once the crossing has been accomplished, it is not necessary to cling onto the raft or carry it around. "

             In order to attain the goal, Right View,  Right Effort and Right Mindfulness play the key roles of " Right Practice. " Phra Dhammapitaka draws an analogy between the " Right Practice " of the " Middle Path " to a journey. Right View is like a compass or a device to determine direction, Right Effort is the driving force while Right Mindfulness is like a driver who steers the vehicle.

             It is obvious that the Middle Way taught by the Buddha is a comprehensive set of practice that allow us to make a thorough examination of our lives, to learn to tell what is helpful to ourselves and others from what is harmful, to identify source of suffering and ways to transform them.

             Now we can see the Noble Eightfold Path as it corresponds and ways to transform them.

            The Threefold Training                   Magga 8

           A. Panna or Wisdom                       1. Right View
                                                                 2.  Right Though
  
           B. Sila or Morality                          1. Right Speech
                                                                 2. Right Action
                                                                 3. Right Livelihood

           C. Samadhi or Meditation                1. Right Effprt
                                                                 2. Right Mindfulness
                                                                 3. Right Concentration

              The Noble Eightfold Path will now be discussed in detail.





By THE BUDDHA'S Core Teachings