Path  "Middle Way" From  the Theravada  Sang  Mahayana.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

Middle Way  (Madhyama-pratipad) is the  path  to be  experienced  from the  Buddha , after enjoy life  pleasures  in the palace  royal  and  spent  six years  practicing  austerities , he  gained  enlightenment  under Bodhi tree.

Buddhism  Originally (Theravada), the  mean central  religion is  to abandon  the two  extremes : enjoy the  pleasures  and  practice of  asceticism . This is called  the  most fundamental of  the middle way . Another  view  of the  Middle  Way is the deviation of two  views : the  permanent (āśvata) and  the cessation  (uccheda).

While  Buddhism  Mahayana  (Mahayana) refers  middle  tied in terms of  perception , this is  expressed  through  the spirit  do not accept  before, often deny the  conservatives  on the  point . From the  means to  not accept  any  prejudices  yet  simultaneously  he kept  of  Origination  and  Emptiness  (Śūnyatā) to form a  philosophical  Middle Way  is seen as contributing  striking  his  Nagarjuna (Nāgārjuna).

The Middle Way  is the avoidance of two  extremes :  sensual pleasure  and  asceticism

In  the  Uncertainty Sutta (Araṇavibhanga Sutta [Mn. 139])  The Buddha  said to the monks:

"... Let no  practice  sensual ,  inferior , despicable,  ordinary  unworthy saints, not  contact  purposes . And should not  practice  autism  asceticism ,  suffering , unworthy of saints, not  related  goals . Abandoning those  two  extremes  ,  the middle way  has been  enlightened by the Tathagata  ,  working in the  eyes,  working in the  mind, leading to  calm , victory,  enlightenment , nirvana . "1.

The Buddha  advised  people  not to fall into two  indulgent ways , greed and austerity. These two  lifestyles  are not conducive to  oneself  and others.

Lifestyle  indulgent  pleasures  is what? It is  the  materialism  of Ajita Kesakambali living in the 6th century BC in  India , advocating that:

"... there is no  generosity , no ceremony of  sacrifice , no sacrifices, no results  allergic mastered  the now  evil , neither this world, there is another life, no mother, no father, no  kind  of birth , in life there are no recluses, the Bala-half position, the chief guide,  chief Justice , had himself  certified voters  enlightenment  this life and teaches other life. Humans  by  the four  constituent, when  common destiny ,  local college  to return  back to the  boundaries ,  aquatic higher  return  back to aquatic world , wildflowers  return  back to the  fire world ,  the wind-  back  returned to the  style world , the senses into nowhere ... only people stupid  praised  the  generosity ,  saying  of them empty,  false , when they accept the theory of life. The fool is just like a good person, after his life is destroyed ,his  life will be  eradicated , lost and no longer  exist  after death ”2.

Such a  view of  living and enjoying not only does not bring  happiness  but also creates dangers for  oneself  and  society . Of course   this way of life is depraved,  unethical ,  not reincarnated  , so just enjoy everything and can do  everything  in  this life without fear of  karma  in the next  life  because when death is  finished .

 What is austere lifestyle ? In the  State of Suffering aggregates  (Culadukkhakkhanda Sutta)  the Buddha  has approved  judges  score  wrong  of Nigantha Nataputra a  hermit  ascetic pagan , as he taught the  disciples  of himself as follows:

"Hey Nigantha, if  ancient  ye have done  evil , make  karma  worn by  ascetics  fiercely. The non-  violating  in the future is mainly due to the  maintenance  of the body, the  maintenance  of  words , and the  maintenance  of ideas right  now and here. Thus, it is through burning, the cessation  of past karma , the  discontinuation of  new karma, without the  continuation  in the future. Due to the  discontinuation  in the future, karma is  eradicated, because karma is  eradicated , suffering is  eradicated ; as suffering is  eradicated ,  sensation  is  eradicated ; Because the  sensation  is  eradicated , all suffering will be eradicated ”3  .

Accordingly, a person who wants  to eradicate  bad karma  in  the past  by  practicing  asceticism  makes his body more and more  suffering,  then the  negative karma  will  eliminate ; and the  elimination of  negative karma  will calm the body   and lead to  liberation . This attitude of  ending  karma is  completely  different from  the perspective of  transforming  karma of  Buddhism . Of the  three karma , the mind is the most important, the body does evil and the mouth of the evil words  comes from the heart  . Therefore, the  conversion of  malice  to  goodness  or  ignorance  to  wisdom is  very important.

In  Buddhism , the  practice  is not the  practice of  asceticism , which takes the  conditions  of material  sufficient to  nourish  the body  healthy in order to  ensure  life  practice . That also means being  contentious , always  contented  and fully aware of what you  own . It is an effective way   for  us to  overcome the  temptation  of our  passions  and  desires  or to immerse ourselves in  the path of  compaction suffering . Therefore , enjoyment of  sensual pleasure  is an  extreme  and  asceticism  is also an  extreme . Neither of these  lifestyles  brings about  a  peaceful state of body and  mind . Therefore,  give up  two  extremes  is  the meaning  of the  Middle Way  was  Buddha  taught through  road  Eightfold Path  consists of  right understanding ,  right thought ,  right speech ,  right action , Right Livelihood ,  Right Effort ,  Mindfulness  and  Right Concentration .

The middle way  is to  give up  two  extremes :  yes  and  no

Before  appearing  concept  approved there  and  accept not  , then the  problem  metaphysics was  pagan  Vacchagotta questioned  Buddha  in doing Vacchagotta teach about fire.

-  This world  is ordinary or  impermanent , or both, or not.

-  The world  is  finite  or  infinite , or both, or not.

 - Life and  body  are one or the other.

-  Tathagata  may  exist  after death , or  does not exist  after death , or both, or khong4.

These are  issues  is the  philosophy  of India  contemporary  interest , who want  Buddha  clarify the  point  of him. On  fact ,  the Buddha  kept  silent  because these questions are  entirely  based on  the  reasons  abstract  and mysterious. Sticking to these questions with  pure arguments   will fall into the trap of common  knowledge ,  formulas,  and duality, which will lead to   endless  debate.revolves around  the  issue  surreal, leading  people  come to the  illusion .

In  Saṁyutta ,  heaven's  grace,  the Buddha  told Kaccanagotta that:

“Hey Kaccāyana,  this world  largely  points  to these two  extremes  : yes and no. This Kaccayana, who with  right knowledge  lily feet seen as  the world  collective departure , he  did not accept  to receive  the world  is not there. This Kaccayana, who with  right knowledge  wisdom that as the feet of  world  annihilation, he  does not accept  to receive  the world  is "5.

Some  philosophers  have metaphysical thoughts, who want to  find out what is  the nature  of  this world  ? How does it exist? Does it  exist  forever  or perish? To think that  the world  is  eternal  is a  prejudice ; That  the world  is  cessation  is also another  prejudice  . These two  views  are often  contradictory  and  antagonistic  . For these two  views  ,  the Buddha  did  not accept  : “All is yes, Kaccāyana, is an  extremist . All is none, is  the  second extreme . Away from those  two  extremes  , Kaccāyana, the  Tathagata  sermon  according to the middle way ”6.

This world  or each  existence  which inherently  exists  with  a state of  impermanence ,  constantly changing , because they are due to  harmony , dependence on each other to form. If every part (any dharma) in  the world  is  impermanent , then  the  big  world cannot fail  to change. If the  world is changing, nothing is  definitely  called yes or no.

All dhammas inherent  in nature do not exist  , they  exist depending  on  dependent conditions . If  we  think that an object actually there, then that's a  point of view  extreme . On the contrary,  we  see something that is  not real  , which is also another  extreme  . Leaving the two  extremes  with and without being called the  Middle Way .

The middle path  of  Long Tho  (Nāgārjuna)

Before  explaining  the meaning  of the  Middle Way  of  Nagarjuna , it should  be noted  the period of  Buddhist  Mahayana .According to  the history  of  Buddhist  India ,  ideology  Prajñā ( intellectual ) of  Buddhism  Mahayana  appeared  later  period  of  sectarian Buddhism  . The Mahayana  develops the  thought of emptiness  (śūnyatā) and criticizes the  ideas  of the  Buddhist  and non-  Buddhist schools. Buddhist . At that time, the  sectarian  divide because each  sect  have  conservative  views  of them,  do not accept  to receive  the doctrine  of  the sect  other. Theravada  (H chúnayāna) focuses on arising and passing away, Brahmanism (Brāhmaṇa) tends to  endure ,  Necessarily possessive  (Sarvastivāda) advocates that the  thought of  self is not and the dharma is true, Bhikkhu-sa-sa set (Vaibhāsika) and  Business set  (Sautrāntika)  advocates  realism, Du-sen cardboard (Yogācāra) said that  all things are born ... Nagarjuna  calls those guidelines  nonsense arguments   (prapañca) that are only  deleted  by the  Eightfold Path .

Therefore , the  doctrine  of the  Middle  Way in  the  Mahayana period  presented by  Long Tho  in the  Central Commentary (Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā) has separated from the concept of the Middle Way  of  early Buddhism  .

Middle Way  is the reason  Origination  (prattyasamutpasa) and  emptiness  (Śūnyatā)

Long Tho  has  relied on the  cause  of birth  to  establish  the Middle Way . Accordingly, nothing is  absolute , everything is  relative , all dharma are  interdependent  to form and  exist , there is no  independent thing  in the process of formation, abode, necrosis, no . In other words, because the measures are  charm of birth , so  emptiness  is the  nature  of the measures.

"We  predestined being legal Nga ie marketing theory is not deaf from  the attendant  list

Herons  faithfully director  ".  (The Dharma of  dependent origins  I say no is Just a  fake name  It is also the  middle meaning  ). (Shelves 18, 24: Quan about the  Four Truths ,  Chinese Commentary , Thich  Thien Hanh  translated)

Charm of birth  and  emptiness  is not the concept that is  the essence  of all  existence ,  he kept  the charm of birth  and  emptiness  to see the measures are  not real , they are only  pretending . This is  the meaning  of the  middle way .

The Eight Immortals  Long Tho  captures the  profound meaning  of the doctrine of  dependent origination  to  display the  eight negatives  including  the four contradictory pairs:

"Any birth heron  immortal
Extraordinary heron  estate segment
Real least heron  duality
Any hybrid  herons any export ". (There is neither birth nor kill Nor often nor paragraph Not one nor another Does not come nor go). (Shelf 1, Item 1: Quan About  Nhan Duyen ,  Chinese Commentary , 

In eight of the negative, all the  characteristics  of each  being  are denied, no  characteristic  is inherent.
+ Neither being nor destroying the  view of being  and passing away.
+ Unusual nor paragraph breaks  common  sense and paragraph.
+ No one else does not break  the  uniform and different views.
+ Neither come nor go broke  the view of  coming and going.

In fact, eight negatives   have  no special purpose   , but only to break the  conservatism  of the schools. Through eight negatives of  ideas ,  opinions ,  prejudices  cannot bring  people  to  the truth . Therefore,  the middle way  is not  obstinate , not  clinging , not  conservative  in any  doctrine , philosophy, guidelines, and  overcome  all concepts to get close to  truth .

The Middle Way  is a  very important ideology in  Buddhism . When it comes to alienating two  extremes : enjoyment of  sensuality  and  asceticism , some  quickly conclude that the basis of  the Buddha  's  teachings  is a  relative form   just to balance the  present life . But actually, the  Middle Way  is not just a  way of life  but also a  method of  practice to  attain liberation .  

He  Nagarjuna  has  inherited  and developed  Chinese religion  based on  reason  Origination ,  highlights  the  Bat no middle way  for  the purpose of  criticizing  the master  policy of the  denomination  to  build  a  perception  right about  reality . Philosophy of  the Middle Way  of  Nagarjuna  not only broke all the conceptual model,  speech  meaningless ,  cognitive  mistakes ,  concept  conservative  but also help People  understand  the nature  of the dharma and  attain  the spirit of  ignorance. END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.15/3/2020.