Aryashtangamarga, Arya-ashtanga-marga, Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga: 6 definitions

Introduction:

Aryashtangamarga means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga can be transliterated into English as Aryastangamarga or Aryashtangamarga, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Aryashtangamarga in Mahayana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga (आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्ग) refers to “eight members of the noble path” according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI.

Accordingly, the eight members are as follows:

  1. right view (samyagdṛṣṭi),
  2. right thought (samyaksaṃkalpa),
  3. right speech (samyagvāc),
  4. right action (samyakkarmānta),
  5. right livelihood (samyagājīva).
  6. right effort (samyagvyāyāma),
  7. right attentiveness (samyaksmṛti),
  8. right concentration (samyaksamādhi).

These eight right paths (samyagmārga) are arranged into three groups (skandha):

  1. the class of morality (śīlaskandha) [samyagvāc, samyakkarmānta, samyagājīva],
  2. the class of concentration (samādhiskandha) [samyagvyāyāma, samyaksmṛti, samyaksamādhi],
  3. the class of wisdom (prajñāskandha) [samyagdṛṣṭi, samyaksaṃkalpa].
Mahayana book cover
context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Aryashtangamarga in Tibetan Buddhism glossary
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga (आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्ग) (Cf. Mārga) refers to the “path which leads to the end of suffering” (i.e., one of the “four noble truths”), according to Buddhist teachings followed by the Newah in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (whose roots can be traced to the Licchavi period, 300-879 CE).—The primary teaching of Śākyamuni Buddha was the Catvāri Āryasatyāni (“The Four Noble Truths”, which are as follows: 1. duḥkha "life is suffering" 2. samudaya "suffering arises from craving" 3. nirodha "the cessation of craving is the end of suffering" 4. mārga "there is a path which leads to the end of suffering". Mārga (the fourth truth), also known as the Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga ("The Eightfold Path"), consists of eight limbs [e.g., samyaksamādhi (“right meditation”)] divided into three parts.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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General definition (in Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Aryashtangamarga in Buddhism glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga (आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्ग) or Āryāṣṭāṅgikamārga refers to the “noble eightfold path” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 50), itself forming part of the “thirty-seven things on the side of awakening” (bodhipākṣika-dharma).

The noble eightfold path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga) consists of:

  1. samyagdṛṣṭi (right view),
  2. samyaksaṅkalpa (right thought),
  3. samyagvāk (right speech),
  4. samyakkarmānta (right action),
  5. samyagājīva (right livelihood),
  6. samyagvyāyāma (right endeavour),
  7. samyaksmṛti (right mindfulness),
  8. samyaksamādhi (right concentration).

The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., ārya-aṣṭāṅga-mārga). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Aryashtangamarga in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āryāṣṭāṅgamārga (आर्याष्टाङ्गमार्ग):—[=āryāṣṭāṅga-mārga] [from ārya] m. (Pāli ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo) ‘the holy eightfold path’ pointed out by Buddha for escape from the misery of existence: 1. right views, 2. right thoughts, 3. right words, 4. right actions, 5. right living, 6. right exertion, 7. right recollection, 8. right meditation.

[Sanskrit to German]

Aryashtangamarga in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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See also (Relevant definitions)

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