Ajahn Chah: The Path to Nirvana

Ajahn Chah via Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

What if the path were easier than external walking? (christianfaithatwork.com)

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Know suffering. Know the cause of suffering. Know freedom from suffering [nirvana here and now]. And know the path that is the escape from all suffering.

This is The Path (magga). It goes like this:

1. right view
2. right intention
3. right speech
4. right action
5. right livelihood
6. right effort
7. right mindfulness
8. right concentration.

When we have the right understanding regarding these things, then we have the path. These things bring about the end of all suffering.

They lead one to virtue, [purifying] concentration, and [liberating] wisdom (sīla, samādhi, and paññā).

We must clearly understand these four things. And to do that we must want to understand. We must want to see these things in terms of REALITY [their true nature, how things really are, the beautiful truth capable of setting us free].

When we see these four things, we call this sacca-dhamma. Whether we look inside or in front or to the right or left, all we see is sacca-dhamma.

We simply see that everything is the way it is. For someone who has arrived at Dharma, someone who really understands Dharma, wherever s/he goes, everything will be Dharma.