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The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments [W:218]

Amadeus

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Religious leanings aside, which of set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.

Ten Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.'

2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

5) 'Honor your father and your mother.'

6) 'You shall not murder.'

7) 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8) 'You shall not steal.'

9) 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

10) 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'
 
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Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.


I prefer these on every level.


Although the words "evil" and "truth" have me concerned....
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

All of the above. ;)
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Religious leanings aside, which set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.

Ten Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.'

2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

5) 'Honor your father and your mother.'

6) 'You shall not murder.'

7) 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8) 'You shall not steal.'

9) 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

10) 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'




I prefer the Onefold Path: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

That has worked out pretty good for a lot of people and it's easy to remember.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

In the context of Buddhism, evil means:

1) Ignorance
2) Greed
3) Aggression

These are represented on the bhavacakra (wheel of life) as the three poisons of the mind.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

I prefer the Onefold Path: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

That has worked out pretty good for a lot of people and it's easy to remember.

Most religions branch out from the Golden Rule. But, there's a lot of ink left in that pen, and parchment is cheap.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Most religions branch out from the Golden Rule. But, there's a lot of ink left in that pen, and parchment is cheap.




To each their own, but I have never seen any sense in using many long words to say something that can be said just as well with a few short ones.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

I prefer these on every level.


Although the words "evil" and "truth" have me concerned....

"Knowing the truth" is not a goal, but rather a journey.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Religious leanings aside, which of set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.

Ten Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.'

2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

5) 'Honor your father and your mother.'

6) 'You shall not murder.'

7) 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8) 'You shall not steal.'

9) 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

10) 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

I like them both.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

"Knowing the truth" is not a goal, but rather a journey.

Agreed. Although in Buddhism, the truth refers to acknowledging reality without bias or preconceptions. It is a difficult one to follow.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Agreed. Although in Buddhism, the truth refers to acknowledging reality without bias or preconceptions. It is a difficult one to follow.

Don't I know? LOL! As a Zen Buddhist I realize, all too often, that thinking and non-thinking do little to help me on my path. It is without thinking that enable my progress.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Religious leanings aside, which of set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.

Ten Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.'

2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

5) 'Honor your father and your mother.'

6) 'You shall not murder.'

7) 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8) 'You shall not steal.'

9) 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

10) 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

ill skip 7 3 and 6 out of the 1st bunch

6 8 9 and 10 out of the 2nd bunch are ok by me

though I do enjoy my neighbors fine ass
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Religious leanings aside, which of set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.

Ten Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.'

2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

5) 'Honor your father and your mother.'

6) 'You shall not murder.'

7) 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8) 'You shall not steal.'

9) 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

10) 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

in Theravada Buddhism the eightfold path is as follows:

1. Right Understanding (Samma ditthi)
2. Right Thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right Speech (Samma vaca)
4. Right Action (Samma kammanta)
5. Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right Effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right Concentration (Samma samadhi)

I have never heard them put as you did. Is this from Mahayana, zen or some other sect of Buddhism?
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

in Theravada Buddhism the eightfold path is as follows:

1. Right Understanding (Samma ditthi)
2. Right Thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right Speech (Samma vaca)
4. Right Action (Samma kammanta)
5. Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right Effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right Concentration (Samma samadhi)

I have never heard them put as you did. Is this from Mahayana, zen or some other sect of Buddhism?

It is a translation and extrapolation based on Siddartha's teachings.

http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/102104050.png
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

The eightfold path is the far superior of the two, with an actual call to do good for others. The ten commandments is a far simpler text, without great philosophical implications. It lays out a few basic laws that every society knows, and demands allegiance to that society's rulers. The first four commandments, almost half the list, are just about obeying a ruler. Compared to the actual positive commands in the eightfold path to respect others, not speak to hurt them, and to resist evil, we Jews were way behind. The eightfold path, while superior, is still far short of complete for the modern world, however.

It is a translation and extrapolation based on Siddartha's teachings.

http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/102104050.png

See? Every religion likes to pick and choose and filters their supposedly unalterable beliefs through a modern lens. How about we build our philosophical ideas for human goodness out of actual human society, instead of relying on divine or magical inspirations? That seems the vastly superior choice.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

In the context of Buddhism, evil means:

1) Ignorance
2) Greed
3) Aggression

These are represented on the bhavacakra (wheel of life) as the three poisons of the mind.

there's a lot of truth to that. i know that i fall pretty far short myself sometimes.

also, welcome back, Amadeus.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

It is a translation and extrapolation based on Siddartha's teachings.

http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/102104050.png

I understand, translations can be tricky as in may foreign languages there is no corresponding word or phrase in English for it. Who knows what the original Pali, Sanskrit, to Thai or Lao to English might have lost.

Forgive me as I tried to match up what you posted with what I learned as the eight fold path

1) Control your thoughts. Right Thought
2) Resist evil. Right Effort
3) Practice meditation. Right Mindfulness
4) Say nothing to hurt others. Right Speech
5) Know the truth. Right understanding
6) Free your mind of evil. Right Concentration
7) Work for the good of others. Right Action
8) Respect life. Right Livelihood

Would this be close?
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

See? Every religion likes to pick and choose and filters their supposedly unalterable beliefs through a modern lens. How about we build our philosophical ideas for human goodness out of actual human society, instead of relying on divine or magical inspirations? That seems the vastly superior choice.

True. The difference being that Buddhism is about improving self, and is fairly indifferent about gods. The lessons of Siddhartha are designed to achieve inner peace, so even when they fall short of perfection, there is no collateral damage.

Had Christianity been about Jesus and his message, rather than about Jesus being God, I believe it would have been a superior religion. Jesus and Buddha had the same goal, which was to reform their parent religions (Judaism and Hinduism, respectively), and make faith and spirituality more about the individual.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

I understand, translations can be tricky as in may foreign languages there is no corresponding word or phrase in English for it. Who knows what the original Pali, Sanskrit, to Thai or Lao to English might have lost.

Forgive me as I tried to match up what you posted with what I learned as the eight fold path

1) Control your thoughts. Right Thought
2) Resist evil. Right Effort
3) Practice meditation. Right Mindfulness
4) Say nothing to hurt others. Right Speech
5) Know the truth. Right understanding
6) Free your mind of evil. Right Concentration
7) Work for the good of others. Right Action
8) Respect life. Right Livelihood

Would this be close?

That is more or less how others have interpreted it.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgBcp5jnb_M/UuL-LrxAqfI/AAAAAAAAAwU/bulflfxeBzk/s1600/eightfoldpath.png
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Religious leanings aside, which of set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

Ten Commandments:

I actually prefer this:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

Religious leanings aside, which of set spiritual ethics / morals do you prefer?

Eightfold Path:

1) Control your thoughts.
2) Resist evil.
3) Practice meditation.
4) Say nothing to hurt others.
5) Know the truth.
6) Free your mind of evil.
7) Work for the good of others.
8) Respect life.

Ten Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before Me.'

2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

5) 'Honor your father and your mother.'

6) 'You shall not murder.'

7) 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8) 'You shall not steal.'

9) 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

10) 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

The Ten commandments are not a set of spiritual ethics, they are part of a national Law, and the basis of a national Law, which is based on spiritual ethics.

The eightfold paths isn't a set of spiritual ethics either, for example, it doesn't say what is and is not evil and good, it just says resist evil and work for good.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

I don't agree with the buddhist thing of keeping your mind clear of evil thoughts and the christian thing of do not covet your neighbor/neighbor's wife.

Jealousy is natural, prejudice is natural, rather, what we should strive to stop is acting upon those things. Telling someone to stop thinking things is impossible. I truly believe that is impossible.
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

I actually prefer this:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I understand giving God props, but does he have to make it a sin not to love him?
 
Re: The Noble Eightfold Path vs. The Ten Commandments

The Ten commandments are not a set of spiritual ethics, they are part of a national Law, and the basis of a national Law, which is based on spiritual ethics.

Which national law is based on the 10 Commandments?

The eightfold paths isn't a set of spiritual ethics either, for example, it doesn't say what is and is not evil and good, it just says resist evil and work for good.

Buddhists believe that evil comes from within. Siddhartha encountered demons on the path to becoming a Buddha, but realized that he was fighting against himself.
 
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