Path To Nibbāna

The path to Nibbāna can be divided into four main parts. First, one must get rid of the ten types of wrong views. This allows the mind to grasp the essence of Buddha’s worldview and become a Sotapanna. Then, one must overcome the “built-in distorted saññā” to dissociate from kāma loka first and then from rupa and arupa loka.

February 16, 2025

1. The path to Nibbāna can be separated into four steps or sequential achievements.

Removing the ten types of wrong views (micchā diṭṭhi): Buddha’s worldview vastly differs from any other religious or scientific/philosophical worldview. The cornerstones of Buddha’s worldview are that one’s actions (with greed, anger, or ignorance of the “Buddha’s worldview“) will have consequences in future rebirths. Thus, the first part of the process is to understand the validity of the laws of kamma and the rebirth process. Those are the foundations of Buddha’s teachings. See “Moral Living and Fundamentals.”
Removal of sakkāya diṭṭhi: Once those foundational aspects are understood, one has the background to understand the meaning of the first Noble Truth of Suffering: that there is unimaginable suffering in the rebirth process, but it can be overcome. Here, one will comprehend that the cause of future suffering is the attachment to “sensory pleasures.” When that sinks into the mind, one attains the first stage of Nibbāna, i.e., one becomes a Sotapanna. At this point, the possibility of rebirth in the lowest four realms will be nullified by breaking three mental bonds (saṁyojana) to the rebirth process. This is where “Sammā Sati” (or the “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi” in the following chart) is accessed for the first time. Then, one can start on the last two steps by accessing the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi and engaging in Vipassanā meditation or Satipaṭṭhāna.
Overcome “distorted saññā” for kāma rāga: This requires comprehending that “sensory pleasures” are an illusion arising via Paṭicca Samuppāda. That allows a mind to become free of the kāma loka (including the human and six Deva realms.) By this time, one would have attained the Sakadāgāmi and Anāgāmi stages of Nibbāna.
Overcome “distorted saññā” for rupa and arupa rāga: The fourth step is to comprehend that “jhānic pleasures” in rupa loka and the “samāpatti pleasures” in arupa loka are also illusions; once that is done, one completely separates from the “world of 31 realms” (kāma, rupa, and arupa loka) at the Arahant stage of Nibbāna. All future suffering will end at the death of the Arahant.

The following chart (which we derived in previous posts in “Worldview of the Buddha“), will be a useful guide.

Download/Print: “Distorted Saññā, Loka, and Nibbāna“

Let us go through an overview to connect to the summary in #1 above.

Removing Ten Types of Wrong Views (Micchā Diṭṭhi)

2. As we can see from the chart, Nibbāna is about stopping the rebirth process. Thus, if someone believes that life ends with the death of the current physical body we have, then there is nothing else to do to “pursue Nibbāna.” Those with that belief (“uccheda diṭṭhi“), in essence, are saying that one will attain Nibbāna upon the death of the physical body, i.e., all suffering will end.

With that “wrong worldview,” one could be tempted to engage in immoral actions to fulfill one’s cravings/desires. If one’s immoral actions do not lead to consequences in future lives (and one can avoid the law enforcement), why not do “whatever it takes” to fulfill one’s cravings?
Under normal conditions, such temptations are restrained by an innate sense of morality common to all humans. A human birth is rare and comes with a “built-in” set of restraints. In particular, “hiri” (shame of immoral deeds) and otappa (fear of the consequences of immoral deeds) are built into human consciousness.
The problem is that a human mind can overcome those “moral qualities” if the temptations become too strong. Thus, a “tipping over” event can happen, and any puthujjana (no matter how moral life he/she lives) is capable of doing an apāyagāmi deed.
This is why having the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi is dangerous, according to Buddha’s teachings.

3. The other extreme view (compared to the uccheda diṭṭhi) is sassata diṭṭhi. This is the view of a “permanent existence” in a Deva or a Brahma realm.

Sassata diṭṭhi is a better than uccheda diṭṭhi because it requires understanding that one’s actions will have consequences, i.e., one believes in the laws of kamma.
However, as we can see from the above chart, that view also keeps one trapped in the rebirth process.

Sekha Bala – Five Powers of a Trainee

4. In the “Sekhabalavagga” of Aṅguttara Nikāya, a series of ten suttās discuss the “five powers” of a trainee or sekha (striving to attain Nibbāna.) These five, when cultivated simultaneously, can make permanent change in morality.

In the first sutta, “Saṅkhitta Sutta (AN 5.1)” they are listed: Saddhā bala, hirī bala, ottappa bala, vīriya bala, paññā bala.
The second sutta in the series,”Vitthata Sutta (AN 5.2),” discusses them in some detail: Saddhā means to have faith in Buddha’s teachings (‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.”) Hiri means to have a sense of moral shame, i.e., to be ashamed of bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct (“Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako hirīmā hoti, hirīyati kāyaduccaritena vacīduccaritena manoduccaritena, hirīyati pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā.”) Ottappa means to have fear/dread of such immoral deeds (“Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako ottappī hoti, ottappati kāyaduccaritena vacīduccaritena manoduccaritena, ottappati pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā.”) Viriya means to be energetic to sustain hiri and otappa and avoid such immoral deeds (“Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu.”). Paññā is to cultivate wisdom by learning Buddha’s teachings (“Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.”).
The concepts are better explained in the following translation: “5.2. In Detail.”

5. In the “Yathābhata Sutta (AN 5.4)” it is stated that one without those powers is likely to be reborn in an apaya/niraya: “Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.” One could lose the naturally built-in hiri and otappa by associating with immoral people (asappurisa).

On the other hand, someone with those five powers is likely to be reborn in a “good realm“: “Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge..”
In the “Ananussuta Sutta (AN 5.11),” the Buddha says he discovered those “previously unknown” five powers that helped him attain the Buddhahood and those are powers of a Buddha: “Pubbāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ananussutesu dhammesu abhiññāvosānapāramippatto paṭijānāmi. Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalāni, yehi balehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.”
A good translation: “5.11. Not Heard Before.”

Hiri and Otappa Turn to Sati and Samādhi at Sotapanna Stage

6. A puthujjana cultivates those “five powers of a trainee” (sekha bala) while eliminating the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi. That will help removing both uccheda and sassata ditthis.

Getting rid of all those ditthis (wrong views) makes a mind conducive to grasp the teachings of a Buddha. Of course, one must be exposed to the true teachings of the Buddha by a sappurisa (Noble Person or Ariya.)
Then, one attains a “trace of sati and (corresponding) samādhi” at the Sotapanna phala moment.
At that point, the transition from saddhā bala, hirī bala, ottappa bala, vīriya bala, paññā bala to saddhā bala, vīriya bala, sati bala, samādhi bala, paññā bala (listed in “Saṅkhitta Sutta (AN 5.13)” and explained in “Vitthata Sutta (AN 5.14)“) is initiated.
The transition is finalized at the Arahant stage when a sekha becomes an Arahant with complete five powers of saddhā bala, vīriya bala, sati bala, samādhi bala, paññā bala.
That requires the cultivation of Satipatthana to overcome the “distorted saññā of worldly pleasures.”

One Definite Way to Nibbāna – Satipaṭṭhāna

7. The Buddha described the same concepts in many different ways. The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path are automatically fulfilled with the cultivation of Satipaṭṭhāna. In the current series of posts on the “Worldview of the Buddha” we will focus on Satipaṭṭhāna.

As the “Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (DN 28)” the Buddha stated, “Ekāyano ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā, sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā” OR “cultivation of satipaṭṭhāna is a one definite way to attian Nibbāna. “
As summarized above, the cultivation of Satipaṭṭhāna requires a basic background in #1 (i) above. The next step of removing sakkāya diṭṭhi requires learning the “worldview of the Buddha.” The last two steps require understanding that “distorted saññā” is the root cause of attachments (taṇhā/upādāna) for wordlly pleasures. All three steps can be covered by fully understanding the “big picture” in the chart above.
I compiled that chart based on my efforts over the past two to three years based on what I learned from Waharaka Thero and others; I am grateful to all of them. Even though I may have to make some minor revisions (our understanding grows with time), I am fairly confident it captures the essential elements. As we proceed, I will use this chart repeatedly.

Setting the Background

8. The above worldview of the Buddha can be explained in simple terms as follows.

The common name for any living being who is not a Noble Person (i.e., one with a magga phala at or above the Sotapanna stage) is “sattā.” Thus, an animal, a human, a Deva, or a Brahma (who has not attained a magga phala) is a sattā. The word “puthujjana” (“general population in the world, a country, or a given region”) is used for sattās in the human realm.
A sattā is born in a given realm because it had craved “sensory pleasures” valued in that realm as a human in a previous existence.
That last statement requires some explanation. Two specific points need to be discussed: (i) In most cases, kammic energies to “power” any existence (i.e., rebirth in any realm) are acquired while in the human realm. However, sattās in Deva and Brahma realms can attain magga phala. (ii) Sattās in different realms have different cravings based on the types of “distorted saññā” associated with them; see “Sotapanna Stage via Understanding Perception (Saññā).” A human would not crave eating grass (like a cow) or eating feces (like a pig), but that “craving” is manifested via specific types of “immoral actions” (kamma) done by humans.
Let us discuss those two issues.

Most Kammic Energies Acquired While in the Human Realm

9. As discussed in the Aggañña Sutta, most of the sattās in our world system based on the Earth will be in the human realm at the beginning of a “world cycle.” See “Aggañña Sutta Discussion – Introduction” and “Buddhism and Evolution – Aggañña Sutta (DN 27).”

Those “early humans” did not have dense physical bodies like ours; they were called “Brahma-kāyika humans” because they had “invisible bodies” (manomaya kāya or gandhabba kāya). They also had relatively undefiled minds (like those of Brahmās).
With time, after many millions of years, their “human gati” started emerging, and many started generating defiled thoughts and engaging in immoral activities. Then, their bodies get denser, and they require physical food to eat. Vegetation appears, and some of those humans start getting animal births. As immorality grows, even lower realms (apāyās) are populated. Those reborn in lower realms have very little chance of “coming out” and being reborn in a “good realm” until the end of that Mahā Kappa (“world cycle”)
Of course, some with “better gati” cultivate puñña kamma and are reborn in Deva realms. Some cultivate jhāna and are reborn in Brahma realms. Thus, the initial population of “Brahma-kāyika humans” spread out among the other realms. These days, we have only a minute fraction of humans compared to sattās in other realms.
Thus, a given sattā (living being) accumulates significant kammic energies mostly when born in the human realm.

Sattās in different realms have different Types of “Distorted Saññā“

10. The same living being (sattā) has different types of cravings (i.e., “upādāna“) because, while in the human realm, they had generated corresponding (abhi) saṅkhāra. Another way to say that is to say they had done corresponding types of kamma. It is easier to explain this with some examples.

One’s future births are primarily due to one’s gati, which one cultivates while in the human realm.
The “Gati Sutta (AN 9.68)” lists five main categories: hell (niraya), the animal realm (tiracchāna), the hungry ghost realm (peta), humans (manussa), and Deva. Many suttās (including the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) sometimes lump the Devās in the six Deva realms and Brahmās in the 20 Brahma realms into one category as Devās. For details, see “Gati to Bhava to Jāti – Ours to Control” and “Gati (Habits/Character) Determine Births – Saṃsappanīya Sutta.”
Once born in other realms, a given sattā lives that life without generating significant kammic energies. Beings in higher realms are prevented from engaging in kāya kamma (because they don’t have dense bodies and thus cannot engage in stealing, killing, etc. Furthermore, there is no need to steal or kill to acquire “sensory pleasures” because they don’t need to. In the four lower realms, it can be explained differently. For example, while some animals need to kill to survive (lions, tigers, etc.), they don’t generate strong javana citta; this is explained in Abhidhamma.
Further details in “Cuti and Marana – Related to Bhava and Jāti.”

Separating from the World of 31 Realms – Importance of “Distorted Saññā“

11. The Buddha divided the world into three lokās: kāma, rupa, and arupa loka. A Sotapanna separates from the kāma loka via the Sakadāgāmi and Anāgāmi stages. Then, an Anāgāmi dissociates from the rupa and arupa lokās at the Arahant stage.

We have discussed the material needed to understand the above in the previous posts in the “Worldview of the Buddha” section.
The main conclusion is as follows. Any living being (sattā) is trapped in the rebirth process among the 31 realms (distributed among the kāma, rupa, and arupa lokās) because of their attachment to sensory inputs (ārammaṇa) with rāga, dosa, and moha.
Such automatic attachments are triggered by “mind-made pleasure sensation/perception” (“distorted saññā“) present in each realm, but they can be put in three broad categories: kāma saññā, rupa saññā, and arupa saññā associated with the kāma, rupa, and arupa lokās.
It is beneficial to learn about the “distorted saññā” even to attain the Sotapanna stage. We will discuss that in the next post (i.e., removal of sakkāya diṭṭhi in #1(ii) above).