Page 293

[Alexandr Korol]

And now, O brothers, the Noble Truth of the path leading to the cessation of all sorrow. Truly! — it is the Noble Eightfold Path — right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Such, O monks, is the Noble Truth of the path leading to the cessation of all sorrow.
All sources agree that in the beginning of his spiritual search, Shakyamuni, following the instructions of a Brahmin, subjected himself to severe and dangerous trials that brought him to the point of extreme exhaustion but did not lead to liberation. Then Shakyamuni stopped depriving himself of food and set out on the path of liberating meditation. This turned away the five companions who had followed him, as they decided he had abandoned his spiritual goals. After attaining “awakening,” the Buddha found the five ascetics who had left him, regained their trust, and proclaimed the doctrines of the Four Noble Truths and the “Middle Path” leading to liberation, which avoids two extremes: harsh asceticism and indulgence in one’s desires.
And then the All-Compassionate One turned to the five monks around him and said:
There are two extremes, O brothers, which one who has renounced the world should not follow. On the one hand — the attraction to things whose charm depends on passions and, moreover, on sensuality: this is the low path of lust, unworthy, improper for one who has withdrawn from worldly temptations. On the other hand — the path of self-torment, unworthy, painful, fruitless.
There is a Middle Path, O brothers, far from those two extremes, proclaimed by the Perfect One — a path that opens the eyes, enlightens the mind, and this path leads to inner peace, to exalted Wisdom, to the perfection of awakening, to Nirvana!
And what is that Middle Path, O monks — the path far from both extremes, proclaimed by the Perfect One, which leads to Perfection, to exalted Wisdom, to inner peace, to complete awakening, to Nirvana?
Truly! It is the Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. The Noble Eightfold Path is divided into three stages:
Wisdom (prajña): right view, right intention — “cultivation of wisdom,” associated with the practice of vipashyana.