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… of people, attained to growth and expansion. In the same way, I saw an ancient path , an ancient route traveled by fully awakened Buddhas in the past.

And what is that ancient path , the ancient route traveled by fully awakened Buddhas in the past? It is simply this noble eightfold path , that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is that ancient path , the ancient route traveled by fully awakened Buddhas in the past.

… by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path , that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path : right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the ancient path , the ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path . Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging-&-death, direct …

… is or what way he lies’?”659

“No, worthy Gotama.”

“So it seems that none of those brahmins have seen the Divinity with their own eyes, and not even the ancient seers claimed to know where he is. Yet the brahmins proficient in the three Vedas say: ‘We teach the path to the company of that which we neither know nor see. This is the only straight path , the direct route that delivers one who applies it to the company of Divinity.’

… (divine) life” (brahmacariya), he practiced the “divine meditations” (brahmavihāra) and was reborn in the “divine realm of Brahmā” (brahmaloka). The Buddha is presenting an idealized vision of the ancient Brahmanical path as a coherent spiritual practice guided by the notion of brahma as spiritual or divine excellence (see too MN 99:22.14, DN 13:38.2). | As the exemplar of an ideal Brahmanized king, Maghadeva is perhaps to be …

… refers especially to a conscious development of contemplative practices based on mindfulness, i.e. “mindfulness meditation” or simply “meditation”. ↩

The phrase ekāyano maggo (“ path to convergence”) is given multiple meanings in commentaries and ancient Chinese translations. Outside of satipaṭṭhāna, it is used in only one context in Pali, where it means to “come together with” (MN 12:37.5). At SN 47.18:3.4 the phrase is spoken by …

… here, but it seems unlikely, given that below the stream-enterer is enjoined to not identify with nibbāna, whereas they have already dispelled such misconceptions of the path . (3) An unenlightened person’s misconception of the Buddhist goal. At least some ancient Buddhists read it this way, as this passage is quoted in an Abhidhamma discussion as to whether the deathless as an object of thought can be a fetter (Kathāvatthu 9.2). The …

… (satipaṭṭhāna) refers especially to a conscious development of contemplative practices based on mindfulness, i.e. “mindfulness meditation”. ↩

The phrase ekāyano maggo (“ path to convergence”) is given multiple meanings in commentaries and ancient Chinese translations. Outside of satipaṭṭhāna, it is used in only one context in Pali, where it means to “come together with” (MN 12:37.5). At SN 47.18:3.4 the phrase is spoken by …

… in the dimension of nothingness (MN 36:14.14). ↩

Echoing the ancient hermit Araka at AN 7.74:2.2, who said life is evanescent like a dewdrop. ↩

It is regarded as normal that women should renounce. ↩

Compare with the mass renunciation under Vipassī (DN 14:2.16.6). ↩

His meditation expands from compassion to include all four of the brahmavihāras. ↩

The Aṅguttara (eg. AN 6.54:13.9) uses “ path ” (magga) instead of “Dhamma” here. Compare the Bodhisatta’s rejection …

… first pair of verses is not one in the imaginary world of fiction; it is the dilemma in which the reader is already placed by the fact of being born.

To make the wise path attractive, the techniques of poetry are used to give “savor” (rasa) to the message. Ancient Indian aesthetic treatises devoted a great deal of discussion to the notion of savor and how it could be conveyed. The basic theory was this: Artistic composition …

… imagine that, since you’ve learned their hymns by heart in your own denomination, that makes you a seer or someone on the path to becoming a seer. But that is not possible.

What do you think, Ambaṭṭha? According to what you have heard from elderly and senior brahmins, the tutors of tutors, did those ancient brahmin seers—nicely bathed and anointed, with hair and beard dressed, bedecked with jewels, earrings, and bracelets, dressed …

… principles, which themselves are a statement of common ground between religions, rather than a presentation of the Buddha’s path . It seems, then, that the second meaning applies in this case. “Sayings of the Dhamma” is an apt title for a work that gathers pithy verses from various places.

Commentators ancient and modern have drawn attention to a variety of more meaningful implications than the rather staid “Sayings of the Dhamma”. …

… the sake of abandoning,

he, the Blessed One, taught

a holy life not handed down,1

coming ashore

in Unbinding.

This path is pursued

by those great in purpose,

great seers.

Those who follow it,

as taught by the One Awakened,

heeding the Teacher’s message,

will put an end

to suffering & stress.

Note

1. “Not handed down”: not derived from an ancient tradition, and not dependent on ancient tradition for its authority.

Truth itself is undying speech: this is an ancient teaching. Good people say the teaching and meaning are grounded in truth.

The words spoken by the Buddha for finding the sanctuary, extinguishment, for making an end of suffering: this really is the best kind of speech.”

“Deep in wisdom, intelligent, expert in the path and what is not the path ; Sāriputta, so greatly wise, teaches Dhamma to the mendicants.

He teaches in brief, or he …