☸️

Eight Sets of Eight

FIRST – 8-FOLD PATH / mārga

1 – Right View / drishti                                             

2 – Right Intention / samkalpa

3 – Right Speech / vac

4 – Right Action / karma

5 – Right Livelihood / ajiva

6 – Right Effort / vyayama

7 – Right Mindfulness / smṛti or sati 

8 – Right Concentration / samadhi

SECOND – 8 MEDITATIONS / dhyānas (jhānas)

1 – First Dhyana: ‘Rapture’ & ‘Bliss’ /sukha          

2 – Second Dhyana: ‘Contentment’ / praśrabdhi

3 – Third Dhyana: ‘Tranquility’ / upekṣā

4 – Fourth Dhyana: ‘Equanimity’ / upekṣā

5 – Base of ‘Space-only’ / ākāśā

6 – Base of Consciousness-only / vijñānā

7 – Base of Nothingness-only / ākiṃcanyā

8 – Base of nonperception / naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñā

THIRD – 8 PRECEPTS / sīla

1 – avoid taking life                                                   

2 – avoid taking what is not given

3 – avoid unchastity

4 – avoid false speech

5 – avoid intoxicants which cause carelessness

6 – avoid food at the wrong time

7 – avoid false adornments

8 – avoid a tall, high sleeping place

FOURTH –  8 HEAVENLY BEINGS / aṣṭasenā

1 –Deva: divine beings                                             

2 – Nāga: shape-shifting water dragons

3 – Yakṣa: benevolent nature spirits

4 – Ghandarava: incense eating musicians

5 – Asura: powerful demigods

6 – Garuḍa: giant eagle guardians

7 – Kinnara: half human-half bird musicians

8 – Mahoraga: earth-shaking boa-beings

FIFTH – 8 ADVERSITIES / akṣana

1 – Rebirth in Hell

2 – Rebirth as a hungry ghost

3 – Rebirth as an animal

4 – Rebirth among long-lived gods

5 – Rebirth in an uncivilized region

6 – Rebirth with deficient faculties  

7 – Rebirth adhering to false views

8 – Rebirth in a region with no Thus Come One

SIXTH – 8 CONSCIOUSNESSES / vijñāna

1 – Seeing / cakṣur-vijñana                                      

2 – Hearing / śrotra-vijñana

3 – Smelling / ghrāṇa-vijñāna

4 – Tasting / jihvā-vijñāna

5 – ‘Feeling’ / kāya-vijñāna 

6 – ‘Mind’ / mono-vijñana

7 – ‘Self’ / mano-vijñāna

8 – ‘Storehouse’ Consciousness’ / ālāya-vijñāna

SEVENTH – 8 PATRIARCHS / thero

1 – Vipassī             /     Shakyamuni  /       Bodhidharma    

2 – Sikhī                 /     Nagarjuna     /       Huike

3 – Vessabhū        /     Dharmakara  /       Sengcan

4 – Kakusandha   /      Kumarajiva   /       Daoxin

5 – Koṇāgamana /      Fazang           /       Hongren

6 – Kasyapa          /      Xuanzang      /       Huineng

7 – Gautama         /     Bodhidharma  /    Shenhui

8 – Maitreya         /      Kukai               /      ?

EIGHTH – 8 LIBERATIONS / vimokṣa

1 – Form viewing Form / rupadhyāna (jhāna)     

2 – Formlessness viewing Form / arupadhyāna (jhāna)

3 – ‘Rapture’ & ‘Bliss’ /sukha

4 – Base of ‘Space-only’ / ākāśānantyāyatana

5 – Base of Consciousness-only / vijñānā

6 – Base of Nothingness-only / ākiṃcanyā  

7 – Base of nonperception / naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana

8 – Cessation of Suffering / nirvāṇa