eightfold path of buddhism is known as the middle path because
Middle Way In the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism, the term "Middle Way" was used in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which the Buddhist tradition regards to be the first teaching that the Buddha delivered after his awakening.[b] In this sutta, the Buddha describes the Noble Eightfold Path as the middle way of moderation, between the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification:[2]
Noble Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path teaches that by restraining oneself, cultivating discipline, and practicing mindfulness and meditation, house-leavers (monks and nuns) attain nirvana and stop their craving, clinging and karmic accumulations, thereby ending their rebirth and suffering.[7][8][9][3][10][11]
Noble Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi ('meditative absorption or union').[4] In early Buddhism, these practices started with insight (right view), culminating in dhyana or samadhi as the core soteriological practice.[5] In later Buddhism, insight (Prajñā) became the central soteriological instrument, leading to a different concept and structure of the path.[5][6]
Noble Eightfold Path The Pali term ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Sanskrit: arya astanga marga) is typically translated in English as "Noble Eightfold Path". This translation is a convention started by the early translators of Buddhist texts into English, just like ariya sacca is translated as Four Noble Truths.[13][14] However, the phrase does not mean the path is noble, rather that the path is of the noble people (Pali: arya meaning 'enlightened, noble, precious people').[15] The term maggo (Sanskrit: marga) means "path", while aṭṭhaṅgiko means "eightfold". Thus, an alternate rendering of ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo is "eightfold path of the noble ones",[3][16][17] or "eightfold Aryan Path".[18][19][20]