18 Waves to Spiritual Ascension

The 18 waves to ascension in are a series of steps that one can take to achieve enlightenment. They are based on the teachings of the Buddha, and they can be followed by anyone, regardless of their age, background, or religious beliefs.

The 18 waves are as follows:

1. Renunciation. The first step is to renounce the material world and its attachments. This means letting go of things like greed, hatred, and delusion.

2. Morality. The second step is to live a moral life. This means following the Five Precepts, which are to abstain from killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and intoxication.

3. Concentration. The third step is to develop concentration. This can be done through meditation, which helps to calm the mind and focus attention.

4. Wisdom. The fourth step is to develop wisdom. This means gaining insight into the true nature of reality.

5. Right Understanding. The fifth step is to develop right understanding. This means understanding the Four Noble Truths, which are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path to the end of suffering.

6. Right Thought. The sixth step is to develop right thought. This means thinking thoughts that are wholesome, pure, and beneficial.

7. Right Speech. The seventh step is to develop right speech. This means speaking words that are truthful, kind, and beneficial.

8. Right Action. The eighth step is to develop right action. This means acting in a way that is moral, ethical, and beneficial.

9. Right Livelihood. The ninth step is to develop right livelihood. This means earning a living in a way that is moral, ethical, and beneficial.

10. Right Effort. The tenth step is to develop right effort. This means making an effort to overcome unwholesome thoughts, actions, and speech, and to cultivate wholesome thoughts, actions, and speech.

11. Right Mindfulness. The eleventh step is to develop right mindfulness. This means being mindful of the body, the feelings, the mind, and the phenomena of the world.

12. Right Concentration. The twelfth step is to develop right concentration. This means focusing the mind on a single object, without distraction.

13. Generating Bodhicitta. The thirteenth step is to generate bodhicitta, which is the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

14. Practicing the Perfections. The fourteenth step is to practice the perfections, which are generosity, morality, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom.

15. Purifying the Aggregates. The fifteenth step is to purify the aggregates, which are the physical body, the feelings, the mind, and the phenomena of the world.

16. Attaining the Four Formless Jhanas. The sixteenth step is to attain the four formless jhanas, which are states of deep concentration in which the mind is no longer focused on any external object.

17. Attaining the Unbinding. The seventeenth step is to attain the unbinding, which is the state of liberation from suffering.

18. Nirvana. The eighteenth and final step is to attain nirvana, which is the state of perfect peace and happiness.

The 18 waves to ascension are a journey that can take many lifetimes to complete. However, anyone can start on the path, and anyone can make progress. The important thing is to never give up, and to always keep trying to improve oneself.

- Julie O'Hara 2023

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