This talk and practice was part of mindfulaware.com's series on the Noble Eightfold Path. See also: Notes on Right Speech for the preceding step on the path. The eight are:
- Right View or Understanding
- Right Thinking or Resolve
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration
Right Action or Conduct
Right action aims at promoting moral, honorable, and peaceful conduct. It admonishes us that we should abstain from destroying life, from stealing, from dishonest dealings, from illegitimate sexual intercourse, and that we should also help others to lead a peaceful and honorable life in the right way.
…These three factors (right speech, right action, and right livelihood) of the eightfold path constitute ethical conduct. It should be realized that the Buddhist ethical and moral conduct aims at promoting a happy and harmonious life both for the individual and for society. This moral conduct is considered as the indispensable foundation for all higher spiritual attainments. No spiritual development is possible without this moral basis. - Walpola Sri Rahula
“no killing or injuring, no taking what is not given, no sexual misconduct, no material desires.”
In the Pali Canon, this path factor is stated as:
And what is right action? Abstaining from killing, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual misconduct. This is called right action
… Bhikkhu Bodhi agrees, clarifying that the more accurate rendering of the Pali canon is a prohibition on "taking life of any sentient being", which includes human beings, animals, birds, insects but excludes plants because they are not considered sentient beings. Further, adds Bodhi, this precept refers to intentional killing, as well as any form of intentional harming or torturing any sentient being. This moral virtue in early Buddhist texts, both in context of harm or killing of animals and human beings, is similar to ahimsa precepts found in the texts particularly of Jainism as well as of Hinduism
The prohibition on stealing in the Pali Canon is an abstention from intentionally taking what is not voluntarily offered by the person to whom that property belongs. This includes taking by stealth, by force, by fraud or by deceit. Both the intention and the act matters, as this precept is grounded on the impact on one's karma.
The prohibition on sexual misconduct in the Noble Eightfold Path refers to "not performing sexual acts".[76] This virtue is more generically explained in the Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta, which teaches that one must abstain from all sensual misconduct, including getting sexually involved with someone unmarried (anyone protected by parents or by guardians or by siblings), and someone married (protected by husband), and someone betrothed to another person, and female convicts or by dhamma.[77]
For monastics, the abstention from sensual misconduct means strict celibacy while for lay Buddhists this prohibits adultery as well as other forms of sensual misconduct.[78][79][80] Later Buddhist texts state that the prohibition on sexual conduct for lay Buddhists includes any sexual involvement with someone married, a girl or woman protected by her parents or relatives, and someone prohibited by dhamma conventions (such as relatives, nuns and others).
“Right Action also encompasses the five precepts which were given by the Buddha, not to kill, steal, lie, to avoid sexual misconduct, and not to take drugs or other intoxicants.” — Buddha 101
The essential purpose, as was said, is to prevent sexual relations which are hurtful to others. When mature independent people, though unmarried, enter into a sexual relationship through free consent, so long as no other person is intentionally harmed, no breach of the training factor is involved.
Ordained monks and nuns, including men and women who have undertaken the eight or ten precepts, are obliged to observe celibacy. They must abstain not only from sexual misconduct, but from all sexual involvements, at least during the period of their vows. The holy life at its highest aims at complete purity in thought, word, and deed, and this requires turning back the tide of sexual desire. - Access to Insight by Bhikkhu Bodhi
The Noble Eightfold Path | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video)
“Physical Action - anything we can do with our body… that can support, that can protect, that can save, is Right Action… even saving an ant… even refraining from using a product that is polluting… So thinking (producing a thought) is already Action. Speaking is already Action… We are our Actions.
The Eightfold Path by Jack Kornfield
“Speaks to the reality of the path not the idealism… to act in such a way that there is no regret… Wise action speaks of non-harming. The committment is to minimize the harm that we do to others. To support that which is beautiful. It’s very hard to have a nice peaceful day of relaxing and meditating after a day of killing and stealing… Cultivating a reverence of life. There’s something deep and beautiful of every living thing. Not to create the fear and paranoia that comes from stealing things. In the end we don’t possess things anyway. We are lent them for a period of time. Do you know anyone who is generous and who is not happy?
“The power of sexuality can cause enormous harm… it’s so powerful because it’s close to death and birth.”
“Refrain from the misuse of intoxicants… we’ve been called an addictive society. Just a stupendous source of pain. Want to become curious about wanting to put yourself to sleep. What is it you are afraid of that you so want to put yourself to sleep?”
“So that’s wise action, the action of a heart that’s free, that doesn’t get involved in causing harm…”
Talk and Guided Meditation
Ended up being much more about the “yes” side of Right Action (and thought and speech) than the “no” side. I took a video. I hope it comes out.