mārga

(Sanskrit, path; Pāli, magga). Path or way, particularly in the sense of a system of religious practice leading to nirvāṇa. Various formulations are found, the most common of which is the Noble Eightfold Path. In early Buddhism, the scheme of the four ārya-mārga (noble paths) is common, and in Mahāyāna Buddhism a formula of five paths takes precedence. These are: (1) the path of accumulation (saṃbhāra-mārga); (2) the path of preparation (prayoga-mārga); (3) the path of seeing (darśana-mārga); (4) the path of cultivation (bhāvanā-mārga); and (5) the path of no further learning (aśaikṣa-mārga).