The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (274 page)

(Skt.; P
li,
a
angika-magga
). The eightfold path which leads, in Buddhism, to release from
dukkha
(transience and the suffering involved in it). It is the last of the
Four Noble Truths
, and one of the thirtyseven ‘limbs’ of enlightenment (
bodhip
k
ika-dharma
). Each of the eight is described as
samyak
(Skt.),
samma
(P
li), often translated ‘right’; but the meaning intended is not ‘correct’ as opposed to ‘incorrect’, but rather ‘complete’ or ‘perfected’. They are:

(i) perfected view (
samyak-dristhi/samm
-ditthi
), which understands the Four Noble Truths and their dependence on no persistent substantiality (
an
tman
);
(ii) perfected resolution (
s.-kalpa/s.-sankappa
) in the direction of non-attachment,
ahi
s
, etc.;
(iii) perfected speech (
s.-v
c/s.-v
ch
), free from malice, gossip, lies, etc.;
(iv) perfected conduct or action (
s.-karm
nta/s.-kammanta
) in accordance with
la
;
(v) perfected livelihood (
s.-
j
va
), avoiding work which might harm others;
(vi) perfected effort (
s.-vy
y
ma/s.-v
y
ma