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The Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path is the path of eight right practices, a discovery made by the Buddha under the Bodhi tree. This is a teaching with a central position, taught by the Buddha in his first Dharma talk and used to remind his last disciple, Subhadda, before he passed away. In the Noble Eightfold Path, each element contains the other seven elements; when one develops, the other seven also develop. The first element is Right View, the correct way of looking at all things and at oneself. Right View is both a cause and an effect; it cannot be transmitted entirely through words—just as a map is not the city of Paris—but requires the practitioner to practice and experience it for themselves.
Next is Right Thinking, the thinking and exploring that is in accord with the reality of impermanence and nonself. Right Speech is speech that accords with reality, capable of opening up insight and reconciliation, avoiding four types of wrong speech:
- Speaking untruthfully.
- Speaking with a double tongue.
- Speaking cruel words.
-
Exaggerating.
Right Action is bodily action that depends on accurate perception. Right Livelihood is a correct means of living, not harming humans or nature, or causing social injustice. Right Diligence is the diligence and steady distribution of energy to practice daily towards peace and joy.
The center of the practice is Right Mindfulness, returning to the present moment to know what is happening in the body, mind, and environment. Right Mindfulness helps the practitioner avoid wrong mindfulness, such as wishing to live with Brahma without practicing. From Right Mindfulness arises Right Concentration, the concentration necessary for all other elements. There are two types of concentration: wrong concentration to escape suffering, and Right Concentration which helps to look deeply into the heart of reality to attain insight and dispel sorrow.
