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Traditionally the are 84,000 Dharma Doors - 84,000 ways to get Enlightened. Maybe so; certainly the Buddha taught a large number of practices that lead to Enlightenment. This web page attempts to catalogue those found in the Pali Suttas. There are 3 sections:
Enlightenment in the context used on this web page refers to Full Enlightenment, Nibbana, 4th Stage, Total Liberation. |
"I thought: 'I recall once, when my father the Sakyan was working, and I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, then -- quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities -- I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. Could that be the path to Awakening?' Then, following on that memory, came the realization: 'That is the path to Awakening.' I thought: 'So why am I afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities?' I thought: 'I am no longer afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities, ....'
"So when I had taken solid food and regained strength, then [the Buddha enters each of the four jhanas]. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of recollecting my past lives.... This was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of the passing away & reappearance of beings.... "This was the second knowledge I attained in the second watch of the night.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. I discerned, as it was actually present, that 'This is dukkha...This is the origination of dukkha...This is the cessation of dukkha...This is the way leading to the cessation of dukkha...These are fermentations...This is the origination of fermentations...This is the cessation of fermentations...This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.' My heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, was released from the fermentation of sensuality, released from the fermentation of becoming, released from the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there was the knowledge, 'Released.' I discerned that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'
"This was the third knowledge I attained in the third watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain."
See also MN 26 (The Noble Search):
"The thought occurred to me, 'Why do I, being subject myself to birth, seek what is likewise subject to birth? Being subject myself to aging... illness... death... sorrow... defilement, why do I seek what is likewise subject to illness... death... sorrow... defilement? What if I, being subject myself to birth, seeing the drawbacks of birth, were to seek the unborn, unexcelled rest from the yoke: Unbinding? What if I, being subject myself to aging... illness... death... sorrow... defilement, seeing the drawbacks of aging... illness... death... sorrow... defilement, were to seek the aging-less, illness-less, deathless, sorrow-less,, unexcelled rest from the yoke: Unbinding?'"
See also MN 85 which combines the stories from MN 26 and MN 36. This sutta (as well as several others) also mentions the five factors of striving:
See also SN 12.65 (the discovery of Dependent Origination):
"The thought occurred to me, 'I have attained this path to awakening, i. e. , from the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of consciousness, from the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form. From the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging. From the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Thus is the cessation of this entire mass of stress. Cessation, cessation. ' Vision arose, clear knowing arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before."
In DN 14 we have an account of a previous Buddha, Vipassi, reaching Buddhahood via the discovery of Dependent Origination. (The bit on the 5 aggregates in 2.21 seems to be a later addition.)
See also MN 19 (Two Kinds of Thought)
Prior to his Enlightenment, the Buddha divided his thoughts in to two classes. This practice ensures that the "inclination of his awareness" generated is that which is helpful for Enlightenment.
"Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with sensuality, abandoning thinking imbued with renunciation, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with sensuality. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with ill will, abandoning thinking imbued with non-ill will, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with ill will. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with harmfulness, abandoning thinking imbued with harmlessness, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with harmfulness.
"Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with renunciation, abandoning thinking imbued with sensuality, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with renunciation. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with non-ill will, abandoning thinking imbued with ill will, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with non-ill will. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with harmlessness, abandoning thinking imbued with harmfulness, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with harmlessness."
See also MN 4 for more on the Buddha's practices prior to his Enlightenment.
The Eightfold Path is of course the major statement of the practices leading to Enlightenment. See Samyutta Nikaya XLV.8 for details.
The Graduated Training also appears (sometimes in abbreviated form) in DN 3 - 13; MN 27, 38, 51, 53; AN V.76 and other suttas as well.
This is the most famous set of practices and these two (almost identical) suttas end with a guarantee of Enlightenment, or at least 3 stage:
"Now, if anyone would develop these four foundations of mindfulness in this way for seven years, one of two fruits can be expected for him: either gnosis right here & now, or -- if there be any remnant of clinging-sustenance -- non-return. Let alone seven years.... Let alone half a month. If anyone would develop these four foundations of mindfulness in this way for seven days, one of two fruits can be expected for him: either gnosis right here & now, or -- if there be any remnant of clinging-sustenance -- non-return."
The suttas contain, in some detail, 21 practices of mindfulness spread of four domains (or foundations):
Mindfulness of Breathing outlines 16 steps or lessons for paying attention to the breathing. These 16 steps "bring the four foundations of mindfulness to their culmination." The four foundations of mindfulness generate the first of the seven factors of Enlightenment, which then generates the second, etc. And one develops each Enlightenment factor "as a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion...dispassion...cessation, resulting in relinquishment."
Mindfulness of Breathing occurs in many suttas, MN 118 being the most detailed and famous. There is a whole book on Mindfulness of Breathing in the Samyutta Nikaya: SN 54.
These are not specific practices like those found above, but are factors to be cultivated while practicing:
Again, this is not a list of practices but a description of the progress towards Enlightenment:
The famous Metta Sutta ends with 4 qualities to be developed:
Entering each of the 8 Jhanas, Sariputta analyzed the factors and saw "the past qualities that had ceased & changed: 'So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.' He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with an awareness rid of barriers. He understood, 'There is a further escape,' and pursuing it, he confirmed that 'There is.'"
He then entered the state of cessation of feeling & perception. "Seeing with discernment, his fermentations were totally ended. He emerged mindfully from that attainment. On emerging mindfully from that attainment, he regarded the past qualities that had ceased & changed: 'So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.' He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with an awareness rid of barriers. He understood, 'There is no further escape,' and pursuing it, he confirmed that 'There isn't.'"
However,see below for a different story of Sariputta's Enlightenment.
"Gotami, the qualities of which you may know, 'These qualities lead to passion, not to dispassion; to being fettered, not to being unfettered; to accumulating, not to shedding; to self-aggrandizement, not to modesty; to discontent, not to contentment; to entanglement, not to seclusion; to laziness, not to aroused persistence; to being burdensome, not to being unburdensome': You may definitely hold, 'This is not the Dhamma, this is not the Vinaya, this is not the Teacher's instruction.'
"As for the qualities of which you may know, 'These qualities lead to dispassion, not to passion; to being unfettered, not to being fettered; to shedding, not to accumulating; to modesty, not to self-aggrandizement; to contentment, not to discontent; to seclusion, not to entanglement; to aroused persistence, not to laziness; to being unburdensome, not to being burdensome': You may definitely hold, 'This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher's instruction.'"
[This sutta does not indicate that Mahapajapati Gotami became Enlightened, however we know she did from other sources so these instructions are included.]
"Upali, the qualities of which you may know, 'These qualities do not lead to utter disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, nor to Unbinding': You may definitely hold, 'This is not the Dhamma, this is not the Vinaya, this is not the Teacher's instruction.'
"As for the qualities of which you may know, 'These qualities lead to utter disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding': You may definitely hold, 'This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher's instruction.'"
[This sutta does not indicate that Upali became Enlightened, however we know he did from other sources so these instructions are included.]
Vacchagotta practiced the graduated training: serenity and insight, the supernormal powers, and entered and abided in deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom.
When Bahiya of the bark-cloth approached the Buddha and asked for teachings, the Buddha recognized him by his bark clothing as a follower of one of the early Upanishads which teaches "In the seen is Atman (the universal Self); in the heard is Atman; in the sensed is Atman; in the cognized is Atman."
So the Buddha taught him: "Herein, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: 'In the seen will be merely what is seen; in the heard will be merely what is heard; in the sensed will be merely what is sensed; in the cognized will be merely what is cognized.' In this way you should train yourself, Bahiya.
"When, Bahiya, for you in the seen is merely what is seen... in the cognized is merely what is cognized, then, Bahiya, you will not be 'with that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'with that,' then, Bahiya, you will not be 'in that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'in that,' then, Bahiya, you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of dukkha."
The "2nd Discourse", given to the 5 ascetics. They are to see the 5 aggregates as "Anicca and Dukkha" and thus not fitting "to regard as 'This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am'?".
The "3rd Discourse", given to 1000 fire worshipers. Each sense is aflame. Sense objects are aflame. Consciousness at each sense is aflame. Contact at each sense is aflame. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at each sense -- experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain -- that too is aflame. Aflame with what? Aflame with the fire of passion, the fire of aversion, the fire of delusion. Aflame, I tell you, with birth, aging & death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs.
Seeing thus, one grows disenchanted with the each sense, disenchanted with sense objects, disenchanted with consciousness at each sense, disenchanted with contact at each sense. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at each sense, experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain: One grows disenchanted with that too. Disenchanted, one becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, one is fully released.
While silting behind the Buddha and fanning him, Sariputta hears a discourse given to his nephew, Long Nails:
"A pleasant vedana is inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen, subject to ending, subject to vanishing, fading, ceasing. A painful vedana is also inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen, subject to ending, subject to vanishing, fading, ceasing. A neither-pleasant-nor-painful vedana is also inconstant, fabricated, dependently co-arisen, subject to ending, subject to vanishing, fading, ceasing.
"Seeing this, an instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with pleasant vedana, disenchanted with painful vedana, disenchanted with neither-pleasant-nor-painful vedana. Disenchanted, he grows dispassionate. From dispassion, he is released. With release, there is the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns, 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'"
The thought occurred to [Sariputta], "Indeed, it seems that the Blessed One speaks to us of the abandoning of each of these mental qualities through direct knowledge. Indeed, it seems that the One Well-gone speaks to us of the relinquishing of each of these mental qualities through direct knowledge." As Ven. Sariputta was reflecting thus, his mind was released from fermentations through not-clinging.
However,see above for a different story of Sariputta's Enlightenment.
The Buddha explains the 5 aggregates in detail, pointing out the allure, its drawback and the escape from each: "Monk, whatever pleasure & joy arises dependent on [an aggregate]: that is the allure of [that aggregate]. The fact that [an aggregate] is anicca, dukkha, subject to change: that is the drawback of [that aggregate]. The subduing of desire & passion, the abandoning of desire & passion for [that aggregate]: that is the escape from [that aggregate]." The Buddha then repeats the teaching from SN 22.59 - The 2nd Discourse: Not Self.
The Buddha's basic approach in this discourse to his son is to take a line of questioning that he usually applies to the five aggregates (see SN 22.59 - The 2nd Discourse: Not Self) and to apply it to the framework of the six senses and their objects as given in SN 35.28 (The 3rd Discourse: The Fire Sermon): seeing them as "Anicca and Dukkha" and thus not fitting "to regard as 'This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am'?".
Suttas and Sutta Study Guides
Sutta Database
Access to Insight
MettaNet - Lanka public domain Tipitaka web site
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/ Revised 12 Feb 09