user-1: Simple question: Is the Noble Eightfold Path a path of celibacy?
[Note that this isn't given for Sex, stacks, trade, exchange but for escape from this wheel]

user-1: To avoid misunderstanding, "a path of celibacy" means "to walk on a path that requires celibacy". Question is not asking for "a path to celibacy"? 
Very straight and simple answer:: 
Yes. 
What is Celibacy?  
An activity that is done & maintained to prevent loss of semen(in physical way) and loss of viriya in spiritual way. 
**Insight::** 
Celibacy from what?  
Celibacy from defilements. 
What are defilements?  
This is a term given for a particular behaviour pattern which consists of sankharas within. 
What are sankharas?  
These are at atomic scale which act as force for Wrong View, Wrong Livelihood,... 
What is Wrong?  
Opposite to Right. 
What is Right?  
This is Noble 8 Fold Path, which I assume is already known by you. 
[This is given for those engaged in Sex, Stacks, Trade, Exchange etc. to knock them out of their sleep in darkness] 

user-1: 
pācittiya 68 (From the Theravadin monastic code);
Not to affirm that things such as sexual pleasures are not an obstacle to the development of ariyā stage or to jhāna realisations, nor to rebirth in the deva world, when the Buddha explains that these things are precisely an obstacle to those, and not to maintain erroneous views. Those bhikkhu who hear or see another bhikkhu make statements such as these, or saying incorrect things that Buddha never taught, must tell him not to attribute such statements to Buddha, because he never taught these things. In giving him the reasons that cause obstacles to attainments or to favourable rebirths, they must tell him that this is what Buddha taught. They must tell him that such is the dhamma that must be explained to those around us. Next, they must forbid him three times in succession to renounce those words. If he retracts, he does not commit the offence. If he refuses to abandon his view, he commits a dukkaṭa.

People in general hold varying opinions on what exactly is the 8FNP but i can't recall anybody holding that; '8FNP is neither the development nor the attainment of ariyā stage or that of jhāna realisations'
Therefore most would have to accept that in a categorical sense; '8FNP is not a path of sexuality but is rather a path of celibacy'.
If a Theravadin monk refused to accept this and kept affirming that '8FNP is a path of sexuality' or that 'Sexuality is not an obstacle to the development or attainment of the 8FNP' in a categorical sense, then imho, such Bhikkhu would likely be placed outside of community.

user16635: Gautama Buddha explicitly called his teachings 'The Middle Path,' in the Dhamacakkappavattana Sutta:

Monks, these two extremes ought not to be practiced by one who has
  gone forth from the household life. There is addiction to indulgence
  of sense-pleasures, which is low, coarse, the way of ordinary people,
  unworthy, and unprofitable; and there is addiction to
  self-mortification, which is painful, unworthy, and unprofitable.
Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata (the Perfect One) has
  realized the Middle Path; it gives vision, gives knowledge, and leads
  to calm, to insight, to enlightenment and to Nibbana. And what is that
  Middle Path realized by the Tathagata...? It is the Noble Eightfold
  path, and nothing else, namely: right understanding, right thought,
  right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
  mindfulness and right concentration.

The question this raises is whether or not celibacy is done as an act of self-mortification; if so, it is not 'right' in senses the Buddha outlines.
I understand why celibacy is often a feature of monastic settings. Sexual urges are strong, and those who are not yet developed or established on the path are easily caught on that hook. A rigid 'no sex' policy places a barrier against sensual indulgence, keeping those caught on the hook from debasing themselves by imposing a form of self-mortification. Such a rule creates a tension between extremes which is a substitute (although a poor substitute) for a calm middle-ground. After a monk has found his footing, the hedonistic urges attenuate, and the celibacy restriction becomes less necessary; I suspect monks maintain it out of habit, convention, or even the compassionate act of 'setting a right example,' but I do not think it's essential at that stage. 
The difficulty of the middle path is that it is a path of constant awareness. Rules are by their nature unconscious — actions we take without reflection — and rigid rules ultimately become a hindrance on the path, like any empty ritual. I'm not suggesting that monks shouldn't be celibate, or that they should; I'm saying that we must develop the right understanding to navigate right action in each situation the world presents to us.

user8157: 
And what is right action?
  Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto?
Avoiding killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual activity.
  Yā kho, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātā veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, abrahmacariyā veramaṇī—
Magga-Vibhanga Sutta


user43: No, the canonical definition of the Eightfold Path does NOT include any explicit mention of celibacy. The actual language is both broader and goes further than mere sexual abstinence.
The right action (samma-kammanta) is defined as abstaining from (three) major types of wrong conduct, one of which is:

Kamesu micchacara

Kamesu is a form of word Kama, which is the same word as in Kama-Sutra and means something like "pleasure of the senses".
Miccha means false or wrong, and Cara or Acara means practice, conduct, behavior.
The literal translation is either "wrong conduct motivated by desire to enjoy sensual pleasures" or "the wrong behavior of enjoying sensual pleasures".
You may interpret this in any way you want, but you have to accept that celibacy is only one of several possible meanings.
Given the usual Buddhist emphasis on the danger of "indulging in the binding types of pleasure", and how it leads to craving and then to suffering, I think we can safely interpret this more broadly as abstaining from all sensory indulging and not just one of sexual nature.
This would therefore include abstaining from indulging in food and deserts, indulging in bodily comfort, indulging in spectator's arts, music, theater, and binge-watching TV, dressing up and using cosmetics or decoration, and all other forms of behavior connected with indulging in pleasures, however harmless and even healthy it may seem to non-Buddhists.

-1: <p>Simple question: Is the Noble Eightfold Path a path of celibacy?</p>

<p><em>[Note that this isn't given for Sex, stacks, trade, exchange but for escape from this wheel]</em></p>
 -1: <p>To avoid misunderstanding, <code>"a path</code> <strong>of</strong> <code>celibacy"</code> means <code>"to walk on a path that requires celibacy"</code>. Question is not asking for <code>"a path</code> <strong>to</strong>  <code>celibacy"</code>? </p>

<p>Very straight and simple answer:: 
Yes. </p>

<p>What is Celibacy?  </p>

<p>An activity that is done &amp; maintained <code>to prevent</code> loss of semen(in physical way) and loss of <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%ABrya" rel="nofollow noreferrer">viriya</a> in spiritual way. </p>

<p><code>**Insight::**</code> </p>

<p>Celibacy from what?  </p>

<p>Celibacy from defilements. </p>

<p>What are defilements?  </p>

<p>This is a term given for a particular behaviour pattern which consists of sankharas within. </p>

<p>What are sankharas?  </p>

<p>These are at atomic scale which act as force for <code>Wrong View</code>, <code>Wrong Livelihood</code>,... </p>

<p>What is <code>Wrong</code>?  </p>

<p>Opposite to <code>Right</code>. </p>

<p>What is <code>Right</code>?  </p>

<p>This is <code>Noble 8 Fold Path</code>, which I assume is already known by you. </p>

<p><strong>[This is given for those engaged in Sex, Stacks, Trade, Exchange etc. to knock them out of their sleep in darkness]</strong> </p>
 -1: <blockquote>
<p>pācittiya 68 (From the Theravadin monastic code);</p>
<p>Not to affirm that things such as sexual pleasures are not an obstacle to the development of ariyā stage or to jhāna realisations, nor to rebirth in the deva world, when the Buddha explains that these things are precisely an obstacle to those, and not to maintain erroneous views. Those bhikkhu who hear or see another bhikkhu make statements such as these, or saying incorrect things that Buddha never taught, must tell him not to attribute such statements to Buddha, because he never taught these things. In giving him the reasons that cause obstacles to attainments or to favourable rebirths, they must tell him that this is what Buddha taught. They must tell him that such is the dhamma that must be explained to those around us. Next, they must forbid him three times in succession to renounce those words. If he retracts, he does not commit the offence. If he refuses to abandon his view, he commits a dukkaṭa.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>People in general hold varying opinions on what exactly is the 8FNP but i can't recall anybody holding that; '8FNP is neither the development nor the attainment of ariyā stage or that of jhāna realisations'</p>
<p>Therefore most would have to accept that in a categorical sense; '8FNP is not a path of sexuality but is rather a path of celibacy'.</p>
<p>If a Theravadin monk refused to accept this and kept affirming that '8FNP is a path of sexuality' or that 'Sexuality is not an obstacle to the development or attainment of the 8FNP' in a categorical sense, then imho, such Bhikkhu would likely be placed outside of community.</p>
 16635: <p>Gautama Buddha explicitly called his teachings 'The Middle Path,' in the <em>Dhamacakkappavattana Sutta</em>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Monks, these two extremes ought not to be practiced by one who has
  gone forth from the household life. There is addiction to indulgence
  of sense-pleasures, which is low, coarse, the way of ordinary people,
  unworthy, and unprofitable; and there is addiction to
  self-mortification, which is painful, unworthy, and unprofitable.</p>
  
  <p>Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata (the Perfect One) has
  realized the Middle Path; it gives vision, gives knowledge, and leads
  to calm, to insight, to enlightenment and to Nibbana. And what is that
  Middle Path realized by the Tathagata...? It is the Noble Eightfold
  path, and nothing else, namely: right understanding, right thought,
  right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
  mindfulness and right concentration.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The question this raises is whether or not celibacy is done as an act of self-mortification; if so, it is not 'right' in senses the Buddha outlines.</p>

<p>I understand why celibacy is often a feature of monastic settings. Sexual urges are strong, and those who are not yet developed or established on the path are easily caught on that hook. A rigid 'no sex' policy places a barrier against sensual indulgence, keeping those caught on the hook from debasing themselves by imposing a form of self-mortification. Such a rule creates a tension between extremes which is a substitute (although a poor substitute) for a calm middle-ground. After a monk has found his footing, the hedonistic urges attenuate, and the celibacy restriction becomes less necessary; I suspect monks maintain it out of habit, convention, or even the compassionate act of 'setting a right example,' but I do not think it's essential at that stage. </p>

<p>The difficulty of the middle path is that it is a path of constant awareness. Rules are by their nature unconscious — actions we take without reflection — and rigid rules ultimately become a hindrance on the path, like any empty ritual. I'm not suggesting that monks shouldn't be celibate, or that they should; I'm saying that we must develop the right understanding to navigate right action in each situation the world presents to us.</p>
 8157: <blockquote>
  <p>And what is right action?
  Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto?</p>
  
  <p><strong>Avoiding</strong> killing living creatures, stealing, and <strong>sexual activity</strong>.
  Yā kho, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātā veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, <strong>abrahmacariyā</strong> veramaṇī—</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn45.8/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Magga-Vibhanga Sutta</a></p>
</blockquote>
 43: <p>No, the canonical definition of the Eightfold Path does NOT include any <em>explicit</em> mention of celibacy. The actual language is both broader and goes further than mere sexual abstinence.</p>

<p>The right action (<code>samma-kammanta</code>) is defined as abstaining from (three) major types of wrong conduct, one of which is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Kamesu micchacara</p>
</blockquote>

<p><code>Kamesu</code> is a form of word <code>Kama</code>, which is the same word as in Kama-Sutra and means something like "pleasure of the senses".</p>

<p><code>Miccha</code> means false or wrong, and <code>Cara</code> or <code>Acara</code> means practice, conduct, behavior.</p>

<p>The literal translation is either "wrong conduct motivated by desire to enjoy sensual pleasures" or "the wrong behavior of enjoying sensual pleasures".</p>

<p>You may interpret this in any way you want, but you have to accept that celibacy is only one of several possible meanings.</p>

<p>Given the usual Buddhist emphasis on the danger of "indulging in the binding types of pleasure", and how it leads to craving and then to suffering, I think we can safely interpret this <em>more broadly</em> as <strong>abstaining from all sensory indulging</strong> and not just one of sexual nature.</p>

<p>This would therefore include abstaining from indulging in food and deserts, indulging in bodily comfort, indulging in spectator's arts, music, theater, and binge-watching TV, dressing up and using cosmetics or decoration, and all other forms of behavior connected with indulging in pleasures, however harmless and even healthy it may seem to non-Buddhists.</p>
