➥ ñāya:

• for ñāya:
  • the noble practice
  • the correct approach
• for ñāya dhamma:
  • the noble practice
• for ariya ñāya:
  • the noble practice
  • the noble doctrine
• ñāyassa: noble practice
• ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ: the noble practice
• ñāyo: correct approach; doctrine

Ñāya: noble practice

Ñāya occurs either alone or with ariyo or dhamma. These words mean:

• ñāya: ‘noble practice’
• ariyo: ‘noble’
• dhamma: ‘practice’

Therefore any combination of these words usually means ‘the noble practice.’ But if ñāya means ‘noble practice,’ and dhamma means ‘practice,’ then dhamma is redundant.

• He explained the noble practice which is of benefit to devas and men

Hitaṁ devamanussānaṁ ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ pakāsayī. (AN ii 37)

• He fulfils the noble practice that is spiritually wholesome.

ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan ti. (SN v 19)

Bodhi incorporates the redundancy by using a comma:

• He revealed the Dhamma, the method, for the benefit of devas and humans

Hitaṁ devamanussānaṁ ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ pakāsayī. (Bodhi, AN ii 37)

• He attains the method, the Dhamma that is wholesome.

ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan ti. (Bodhi, SN v 19)

The noble practice: definition

The noble practice means ‘practices that are virtuous and spiritually wholesome’:

• He applies himself to the welfare and happiness of the manyfolk.

bahujanahitāya paṭipanno hoti bahujanasukhāya

… By him are many folk established in the noble practice, namely in practices that are virtuous and spiritually wholesome.

bahu'ssa janatā ariye ñāye patiṭṭhāpitā yadidaṁ kalyāṇadhammatā kusaladhammatā. (AN ii 36)

Comments:

• 1) The -tā suffix denotes multitude, collection (PGPL: para 581).
• 2) Whatever there is in my family that is suitable for offering, all that I share unreservedly with those who are virtuous and of a virtuous moral nature.

Ñāya: ‘correct approach’

A different meaning for ñāya is indicated in the story about Medakathālikā, the acrobat’s apprentice (SN v 168) where it means ‘correct approach.’ See Illustrations.

Ariyo ñāyo: the noble doctrine

Ariyo ñāyo in reference to dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda SN ii 70) means ‘noble doctrine’:

• ‘the noble doctrine that one has clearly seen and correctly penetrated by penetrative discernment’

ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho

Ñāyo is properly called ‘doctrine’ because it is equivalent to dhamma that the Buddha used, again in reference to dependent origination:

• It is through not fathoming, not penetrating this doctrine that this generation is tangled up like string

etassa ānanda dhammassa ananubodhā appaṭivedhā evamayaṁ pajā tantākulakajātā.

In both cases dependent origination is a doctrine to be penetrated.

Illustration: ñāya, noble practice

The community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples is applied to the excellent practice,

supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho

The community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples is applied to the correct practice,

ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho

The community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples is applied to the noble practice.

ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho

The community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples is applied to the proper practice.

sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho. (SN v 343)

If anyone told a follower of that teaching: ’Certainly the Venerable is applying himself to the noble practice, and will fulfil the noble practice,’

Yo kho cunda evarūpaṁ sāvakaṁ evaṁ vadeyya addhāyasmā ñāyapaṭipanno ñāyamārādhessatī ti

… the one who praises, the person who was praised, and the one who, on hearing such praise, should make still greater efforts, would all beget much merit. Why?

yo ca pasaṁsati yañca pasaṁsati yo ca pasaṁsito bhiyyo somattāya viriyaṁ ārabhati sabbe te bahuṁ puññaṁ pasavanti. Taṁ kissa hetu?

… Because the teaching and discipline are well explained, well expounded, and lead to deliverance [from suffering], and to inward peace.

Evaṁ hetaṁ cunda hoti svākkhāte dhammavinaye suppavedite niyyānike upasamasaṁvattanike. (DN iii 121)

➥ ñāyassa: (main article see: ñāya)

Illustration: ñāyassa, noble practice

This is the one-destination path… for acquiring the noble practice, for realising the Untroubled, namely, the [contemplation of the] four bases of mindfulness.

ekāyano ayaṁ bhikkhave maggo… ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. Yadidaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā. (SN v 142)

➥ ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ: (main article see: ñāya)

Illustration: ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ, the noble practice

He explained the noble practice which is of benefit to devas and men, hearing and understanding which the manyfolk gain faith [in the perfection of the Perfect One’s enlightenment].

Hitaṁ devamanussānaṁ ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ pakāsayī
Yaṁ ve disvā ca sutvā ca pasīdati bahujjano. (AN ii 37)

These four kinds of religious life without consolation have been declared, wherein a wise man certainly would not live the religious life, or if he should live it, would not fulfil the noble practice that is spiritually wholesome.

cattāri ca anassāsikāni brahmacariyāni akkhātāni yattha viññū puriso sasakkaṁ brahmacariyaṁ na vaseyya vasanto vā na ārādheyya ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan ti. (MN i 514)

If, brahman, anyone from a clan of khattiyas goes forth from the household life into the ascetic life, and, after encountering the teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Perfect One, he abstains from killing, stealing, incelibacy… he fulfils the noble practice that is spiritually wholesome.

ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ. (MN ii 181)

Whether it is a layperson or one gone forth [into the ascetic life] who applies himself to wrong practice, because of doing so he does not fulfil the noble practice that is spiritually wholesome.

Gihī vā bhikkhave pabbajito vā micchāpaṭipanno micchāpaṭipattādhikaraṇahetu nārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ. (SN v 19)

➥ ñāyo: (main article see: ñāya)

Illustration: ñāyo, correct approach

An acrobat told his apprentice Medakathālikā to join him on the bamboo pole and stand on his shoulders, and told him:

• ‘You protect me, dear Medakathālikā, and I’ll protect you.

tvaṁ samma medakathālike mamaṁ rakkha. Ahaṁ tvaṁ rakkhikissāmi.

… Thus safeguarding one another (aññamaññaguttā), protecting one another (aññamaññarakkhitā), we’ll exhibit our skills, collect our fee, and get safely off the bamboo pole.’

Medakathālikā replied:

• ‘That’s not the way to do it, teacher. You protect yourself, teacher, and I’ll protect myself.

na kho nāmenaṁ ācariya evaṁ bhavissati tvaṁ ācariya attānaṁ rakkha ahaṁ attānaṁ rakkhissāmi

… Thus, each safeguarding ourselves (attaguttā), and protecting ourselves (attarakkhitā), we’ll exhibit our skills, collect our fee, and get safely off the bamboo pole.’

The Buddha praised Medakathālikā, saying:

• ’That’s the correct approach: it’s just as the apprentice Medakathālikā told his teacher.

So tattha ñāyo ti bhagavā avoca yathā medakathālikā antevāsī ācariyaṁ avoca. (SN v 168-9)

Illustration: ñāyo, doctrine

“And what is the noble doctrine that he has clearly seen and correctly penetrated by penetrative discernment?

Katamo cassa ariyo ñāyo paññāya sudiṭṭho hoti suppaṭividdho?

The noble disciple carefully and properly contemplates dependent origination thus:

Idha gahapati ariyasāvako paṭiccasamuppādaññeva sādhukaṁ yonisomanasikaroti

‘When there is this, that comes to be. With the arising of this, that arises. Without this, that does not come to be. With the ending of this, that ceases.

iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati. (SN ii 70)

Comment:

Dependent origination is elsewhere called dhamma:

• It is through not fathoming, not penetrating this doctrine that this generation is tangled up like string

Etassa ānanda dhammassa ananubodhā appaṭivedhā evamayaṁ pajā tantākulakajātā. (DN ii 55)