Middle Way

Categories: Marga | Four Noble Truths

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• Pali :  majjhimā paṭipadā

The Middle Way or Middle Path is the Buddhist philosophy expounded by Gautama Buddha. Sometimes summarised as the practice of non-extremism; a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and opposing self-mortification. It however would be more accurate to see it as another name for the Noble Eightfold Path.

"The middle way discovered by the Perfect One avoids both these extremes; it gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana. And what is that middle way? It is simply the noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right intention; right speech, right action, right livelihood; right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the middle way discovered by the Perfect One, which gives vision, which gives knowledge, and which leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana." - Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.