What is the concept of the “Middle Way” in Buddhism? How does it work?

Answer 1

The Buddha discovered the Middle Way after leaving his life of worldly possessions and desires and then spending a good bit of time living an extremely aesetic life. Since neither provided the answers that he sought or relieved the suffering he experienced and he saw others experiencing in the world, he developed the Middle Way as a way of living between these two extremes: self-indulgence and self-mortification. He saw it as a path to enlightenment.

"One should not pursue sensual pleasure, which is low, vulgar, coarse, ignoble, and unbeneficial; and one should not pursue self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial. The Middle Way...avoids both extremes; giving vision, giving knowledge, it leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana."
Gautama Buddha from the Aranavibhanga Sutta

"The middle way discovered by a Perfect One avoids both these extremes; it gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana. And what is that middle way? It is simply the noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right intention; right speech, right action, right livelihood; right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the middle way discovered by a Perfect One, which gives vision, which gives knowledge, and which leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana."
Gautama Buddha from the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.

Answer 2

I'm unaware of the "Middle Way" in Buddhism. But I know the saying "Whoever adopt the middle path (the path of moderation) will never be unsuccessful" (This is an important belief in Islam. Many people have mentioned to me that many beliefs in Buddhism are similar to Islam. Some Islamic Scholars even say that Buddha might have been a Prophet of God but there is no way to prove that, i.e. it can neither be accepted nor denied.

To me the middle way is that one should not study so much that she/he miss out everything else. And not have so much free time or fun or games that makes one miss out studies. One should not work so much to forget her/his family and the vice versa. Similarly for sleeping and waking and all other stuff

Answer 3

Let me tell you about the middle path. Dressing in rough and dirty garments, letting your hair grow matted, abstaining from eating any meat or fish, does not cleanse the one who is deluded. Mortifying the flesh through excessive hardship does not lead to a triumph over the senses. All self-inflicted suffering is useless as long as the feeling of self is dominant.

You should lose your involvement with yourself and then eat and drink naturally, according to the needs of your body. Attachment to your appetites--whether you deprive or indulge them--can lead to slavery, but satisfying the needs of daily life is not wrong. Indeed, to keep a body in good health is a duty, for otherwise the mind will not stay strong and clear.

This is the middle path.

-Discourse II
From "The Pocket Buddha Reader," edited by Anne Bancroft, 2000.

I was going to let it come from my head, but not tonight.

Answer 4

Most simply, the middle way is the belief that a balanced life is best -- not allowing extremes into your life; moderation in everything.

Answer 5

The Middle Way is what it sounds like. You don't look down on others (the top), and you don't make yourself lower (the bottom). You walk in the Middle.

Answer 6

The Gospel of Buddha by Paul Carus is an excellent book to learn more about Buddism. It is also very readable and not hard to understand.