ashta marga of Budhism

Courtesy:Sri.PK.Ramakrishnan

Division	Eightfold factor	Sanskrit, Pali	Description
Wisdom (Sanskrit:prajñā, Pāli: paññā)	1. Right view	samyag dṛṣṭi, sammā ditthi	Viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be
	2. Right intention	samyag saṃkalpa, sammā sankappa	Intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness
Ethical conduct (Sanskrit:śīla, Pāli: sīla)	3. Right speech	samyag vāc, sammā vāca	Speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way
	4. Right action	samyag karman, sammā kammanta	Acting in a non-harmful way
	5. Right livelihood	samyag ājīvana, sammā ājīva	A non-harmful livelihood
Concentration (Sanskrit and Pāli:samādhi)	6. Right effort	samyag vyāyāma, sammā vāyāma	Making an effort to improve
	7. Right mindfulness	samyag smṛti, sammā sati	Awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness; being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion
	8. Right concentration	samyag samādhi, sammā samādhi	Correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas

In those days changing the religion was called margam-kutal in Tamil. The religion in Tamil Nadu was saivism.  People were known as Saiva-pillais because they were worshipers of

Siva. When some Saiva-pillais embrased Budhism they were called Marga-pillais.  Later

this word got shortened as Maappilai. Some people mistook this word as Makal Pillai or

Son-in-law.

Afterwords this word was used to denote any converted person lile Jonaka Mappilai,

(Muslim), Nazrani Mappilai,(Christian),Juta Mappilai, (Jews) and so on.

I was born in a  Barhmin Agraharam at Kaladi. Any upper caste Hindu, a Christian, or a

Muslim can pass through this agraharam.  But not the Schedule Caste Hindus like Parayan or Pulayan.  Some times, a Schedule Caste woman say named Chiruta would

come in our street.  When challenged how she dared to enter the agraharam, she would

say that she has joined the margam (jnan margam kuti kazhinju)  and her current name was Mary and not Chiruta.

One of the reasons why Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer annonced the Temple Entry Proclamation

in Travancore was to stop Hindu Sheduled Caste people getting converted as Christians.