This chapter contains discourses that explore sets of eight qualities, concepts, or principles integral to the Buddha's teachings. Each sutta delves into groups such as the Noble Eightfold Path, the eight causes of suffering, or the eight types of individuals worthy of offerings. These teachings emphasize the importance of these elements in the practice of the Dhamma and their collective role in advancing spiritual progress. The "Book of Eights" provides valuable insights into how these grouped qualities contribute to the way of practice leading to enlightenment.
The Book of the Eights
Eight benefits of cultivating loving-kindness from sleeping with ease to fire, poison, and weapons not harming one to going to the Brahma world.
The Buddha explains the eight causes and conditions that lead to the attainment, further development, growth, cultivation, and fulfillment of wisdom that pertains to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.
The Buddha describes in brief the eight worldly conditions that revolve around the world and the world revolves around them - gain and loss, disgrace and fame, blame and praise, pleasure, and pain.
The Buddha explains the distinction between the uninstructed ordinary person and the |learned::well-studied, instructed [sutavant]| disciple of the noble ones regarding the eight worldly conditions.
The Buddha advises the bhikkhus to review their own failings and the failings of others, and to overcome acquisitions, loss, fame, disrepute, honor, dishonor, evil wishes, and evil friendship.
The Buddha describes the eight ways in which a woman binds a man.
The Buddha describes the eight ways in which a man binds a woman.
Ugga, the householder of Vesālī is endowed with eight wonderful and marvelous qualities.
Ugga, the householder of Hatthigāma is endowed with eight wonderful and marvelous qualities. The 6th quality is different from <a href="/an8.21" class="text-blue-600 hover:underline">AN 8.21</a>.
The Buddha explains eight kinds of giving, including giving out of fear, giving to maintain a good reputation, and giving to purify the mind.
Wholesome giving along with faith and a sense of right and wrong is the way of practice that leads to the world of gods.
The Buddha describes eight motivations for giving, including giving out of desire, aversion, and fear.
The Buddha explains the eight gifts of a true person, including giving what is pure, excellent, and at the proper time.
The Uposatha, when observed endowed with the eight factors, of great fruit, of great benefit, superbly bright, and far-reaching. The eight factors are - 1) refraining from taking life, 2) refraining from taking what is not given, 3) refraining from sexual activity, 4) refraining from false speech, 5) refraining from intoxicants and states of negligence, 6) eating only one meal a day, 7) refraining from dancing, singing, music, and watching shows, and 8) refraining from high and luxurious beds.
The Buddha explains the fruit, benefit, brightness, and reach of observing the Uposatha endowed with the eight factors in detail.
The Buddha advises Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī on how to discern the teachings to be abandoned and the teachings to be embraced by observing for eight qualities.
The Buddha explains the four qualities that lead to the benefit and happiness in this life and in the future life.
The eight people who are worthy of offerings, hospitality, gifts, and reverential salutation, and are the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.
The Buddha explains the eight grounds for laziness and the eight grounds for arousing energy.