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The Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Buddha’s Noble Truths and is described as a method that helps end the causes of suffering. It brings about increasing peace, wisdom, virtue, and happiness. Each part of this path is usually labeled with the words “right” or “wise,” both essential to understanding one’s suffering and desire to end it.
The term “right” refers to what is correct, moral, and serves as a guide on how to live properly. On the other hand, “wise” hints at a deep understanding that leads to positive outcomes. For consistency and emphasis, we’ll use the term “right” here.
Although the eight elements are usually listed in a specific order, they aren’t steps you tackle one by one. They are all significant, all the time, though some might stand out more at different points in your practice. The core of each element is non-clinging, which ties to the Third Noble Truth: ending suffering.
Right View means deeply understanding the truth about things, especially the truth of suffering, its origin, cessation, and the path leading to its end. Fully comprehending right view makes one a “stream-enterer,” or someone assured of achieving ultimate liberation. Right View also involves knowing what is wholesome and unwholesome, avoiding the latter, and embracing the former.
The Buddha identified greed, hatred, delusion, and the belief in a separate self as causes of the unwholesome. Equanimity, renunciation, compassion, loving-kindness, wisdom, and letting go of ego are seen as the causes of the wholesome.
Right Intention, sometimes called “right resolve,” involves a strong determination to do no harm, causing no pain or losses to any living being. This extends to small actions, like not killing insects, and broader lifestyle choices, like considering a vegetarian diet. While some harm is unavoidable, a sincere effort to minimize it is crucial.
Right Speech emphasizes truthfulness, avoiding harmful speech, and ensuring communication is timely and beneficial. This also includes internal speech or thoughts. The idea is to abstain from false, malicious, harsh, or idle thinking.
Right Action follows the five precepts, which include not killing, not stealing, and abstaining from sexual misconduct. These precepts cover not only extreme actions like murder and theft but also more subtle infringements like exploiting others. These actions must be contemplated mindfully to avoid any form of clinging or grasping.
Right Livelihood outlines ethical ways of making a living. The Buddha advised against trades involving weapons, living beings, meat, intoxicants, and poisons. Additionally, he emphasized virtues such as faith, moral discipline, generosity, and wisdom as essential for well-being.
Right Effort focuses on cultivating positive mental states and eliminating harmful ones. This includes not only rooting out greed, hatred, and delusion but also promoting qualities such as generosity, diligence, insight, and equanimity.
Right Mindfulness is the continuous, non-judgmental awareness of your inner and outer worlds. It helps reduce stress, make pain more bearable, and increase self-knowledge and acceptance. Mindfulness is key to observing and changing old patterns, supporting a healthy mind, and encouraging peaceful presence. It’s the path to enlightenment and ending suffering.
Meditation is the primary way to cultivate mindfulness, allowing for deeper awareness that leads to liberating insight. This requires regular practice and vigilance in everyday actions, not just during meditation.
Right Concentration involves developing deep states of meditative absorption, leading to a profound, joyous, and tranquil mind. These states, known as jhanas, cultivate mental steadfastness, reducing distractions and leading to deeper insight.
Ultimately, the Eightfold Path serves as a comprehensive guide for improving one’s life and achieving profound spiritual growth through ethical living, mental discipline, and wisdom.