The Practical Approach to Noble One in The Bhaya Sutta

Abstract

This article aims to study the practice guidelines for attaining ariya as shown in the Bhaya Sutta. The results of the study found that The practical approaches or practices in Buddhism can be divided into two categories: 1) practices for monks by following the noble eightfold paths (aṭṭhaṅgika-magga): right view (sammā-diṭṭhi), right thought (sammā-saṅkappa), right speech (sammāvācā), right livelihood (sammā-ājīva), right effort (sammā-vāyāma), right mindfulness (sammā-sati) and right concentration (sammā-samādhi); these are the practical ways to attain the nobleness and nirvana in Buddhism; 2) practices for laypeople by practicing the five precepts which are beneficial to the practitioners in this and next life in preventing them to take birth in the unwholesome realms and allowing them to take birth in heavens and attain nirvana. The practical approach to be the noble one in the Bhaya Sutta is that humans must observe the five precepts, which are to abstain from slaughtering animals, cutting off all life; to abstain from burglary, to refrain from sexual misconduct, to refrain from telling lies, to refrain from drinking alcohol and intoxicants. This will lead to happiness in both the present and future existences as well as it is a means leading to being the noble one. The five precepts are the way to being the noble one as shown in the Bhaya sutta by stably keeping them along with faith in the Triple Gem and then acting in accordance with the eightfold noble paths and then progresses will lead to the contemplation on the dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) to realize the mind and matter (nāmarūpa) of the nature to attain the nobleness in the level of a stream-enterer (sotāpanna).