What is Right Action »

What is this essential Right Action?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to the Deathlessness of Nibbāna, is simply this:
Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort,
Right Awareness & Right Concentration. But what is Right Action?

                  The 3-fold Definition of Right Action:
                    1: Avoiding all killing, and any form of harming of all living beings...
                    2: Abstaining from taking, and thus stealing whatever is not given...
                    3: Stopping all adultery, and any sexual abuse of illegitimate partners ...
                    That is Right Action!

The Characterization of Right Action. The blessed Buddha said:
Friends, it is caused by behaviour in conflict with the Dhamma, caused by immoral behaviour,
that some beings here, right at the breakup of the body, right after death, reappear lost in
states of pain, in an unhappy destination, in the downfall dimensions, even in the hells...
It is caused by behaviour in harmony with the Dhamma, caused by good moral behaviour,
that some beings here, on the breakup of the body, after the death, reappear in a happy
destination, even in the divine worlds!
And which are the 3 kinds of bodily moral behaviour that are in good harmony with the Dhamma?
1: Here one, stops all killing of living beings, abstains from injuring living beings; with weapon and
stick laid aside, gentle and kind, such good one dwells in harmless sympathy towards all beings.
2: Avoiding the taking of what is not given, one refrains from stealing what is not openly given.
One does not take by way of theft the wealth or property of others, neither in the village,
nor in the forest.
3: Abandoning abuse of sensual pleasures, such one gives up misuse in sensual pleasures.
One does not have sexual intercourse with partners, who are protected by their mother, or father,
or mother and father, or brother, or sister, or relatives, who is married, who is betrothed to another,
who are protected the by law, who are underage, in prison, or who are engaged to other side.
That is how there are three kinds of advantageous bodily moral behaviour that is in good harmony
with the true Dhamma... Such fine behaviour is Right Action!

Explanation:
Primary of these is the ending of intentional killing or destroying of other beings
either by physical action, or by verbal incitement, ranging from killing eggs of lice
and bugs, or causing abortion, to any slaughter of living creatures, including humans.
Restraint from taking, what is not given, means abstaining from taking, with intention
to steal, living beings or non-living articles, which have another owner. Removing or
misappropriating them, without the owner's consent, either by physical effort or by
inciting another to do so.
Restraint from wrong behaviour in sensual pleasures means abstention from any kind
of sex, which will cause pain or suffering to others. Examples will be adultery, since
this causes the disruption of marriage, rape, intercourse with minors = paedophilia, and
any perversion of others. Included here also are abstention from the use of alcohol,
drugs and any kinds of intoxicants, which causes carelessness, and gambling with cards,
numbers, dice, on horses, and various teams etc.

Knowing right and wrong action, exactly as right and wrong action, is right view.
Awareness of presence of right and wrong action, is right awareness.
Exchanging wrong action with right action, is right effort...
The factors of the Noble 8-fold way thus mutually enhance each other!
Any intentional action - good as bad - determines - whether the future will be
pleasant or painful for the acting individuality... So be it... Take care: Be aware!