An Eastern View Of The Middle Way

     I was educated in the Western intellectual tradition. My initial exposure to Buddhism was in two college courses on East Asian Civilization. Naturally enough, to the extent theology was discussed, the focus was on the Mahayana Buddhism of China and Japan. I did not become familiar with Theravada Buddhism, which originated in India, until after an episode of severe depression about 15 years ago.
     Siddhattha Gotama lived in northeastern India more than 2,000 years ago. Tradition has it that he was a Prince and that his father (a local or regional King) attempted to shelter his son from the harsher realities of life. It was not until he became a young man that Prince Siddhattha managed to slip outside the palace grounds. There for the first time he came upon -- among other things -- a sick person and a corpse. Siddhattha was shaken to the core, and left his family to become a wandering contemplative. He practiced severe austerities for several years with a small group of mendicants, but apparently was not satisfied with his progress. Determined to achieve enlightenment, Siddhattha meditated under a tree all night until he became the Buddha (the awakened one).
     The Buddha's first teaching was given to the contemplatives that he formerly practiced with; it begins as follows:
          "There are two extremes that are not to be embraced by a person who has set out on the path. Which two? The practice of clinging to sensory pleasure in sensory objects. This practice is lowly, common, ordinary, dishonorable, and unprofitable. And the practice of exhausting oneself with austerities.This practice is distressful, dishonorable, and unprofitable.
          "Not tending toward either of these extremes, a tathagata -- a person who has come to know reality -- has completely awakened to the middle way. The middle way engenders insight and understanding, and leads to calmness, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to unbinding. So what is that middle way completely awakened to by a tathagata? It is precisely this preeminent eight-component course; namely, sound view, sound inclination, sound speech, sound action, sound livelihood, sound effort, sound awareness, and sound concentration. This is the middle way, realized by a tathagata, which gives rise to vision and knowledge, and leads to calmness, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to unbinding. ..."
     The text quoted above is taken from Glenn Wallis' excellent contemporary translation of, and commentary upon, the Buddha's first discourse (citation below). Those interested in a more traditional, less secular, but still excellent translation and commentary should consult Bhikkhu Bodhi's version of this passage (also cited below). There are interesting differences between the two renderings, but both translators agree on the use of the phrase "middle way."
     In my next post, I will consider a Buddhist text (sutta in Pali, sutra in Sanskrit) which -- like Aristotle's Ethics -- is still applicable today.
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References:
     Bhikkhu Bodhi, In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Boston,Wisdom Publications, 2005), Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, SN 56:11, pages 75-78.
     Glenn Wallis, Basic Teachings of the Buddha (New York, Modern Library, 2007), Sutta 9, Samyuttanikaya 5.56.11, pages 36-39.