He who walks in the eightfold noble path with unswerving determination is sure to reach Nirvana.
Lord Budhha
The Eightfold Path is the third circle in the core of the teachings of Buddha. These teachings are timeless, philosophical yet practical ways of living life. By following the Eightfold Path, one can live a life full of compassion, virtue and thus achieve Enlightenment.
- Right View
- Right Intention
- Right Action
- Right Speech
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Meditation
Table of Contents
1. Right view : First The eightfold path
The right view indicates the right understanding of life. A newborn baby cries right after coming out from the mother’s womb shows the constant struggle we have with the sufferings which has evolved around us. To evade this constant struggle of suffering, Lord Buddha preached the first sermon about the four noble truths for us to have the right mentality and view in embracing the life, death part in our path towards enlightenment. It is important for us in understanding the Three Marks of Existence such as IMPERMANENCE, NOT SELF (letting go of one’s selfishness and ego), and SUFFERING.
“The importance of right view can be gauged from the fact that our perspectives on the crucial issues of reality and value have a bearing that goes beyond mere theoretical convictions. They govern our attitudes, our actions, our whole orientation to existence. Our views might not be clearly formulated in our mind; we might have only a hazy conceptual grasp of our beliefs. But whether formulated or not, expressed or maintained in silence, these views have a far-reaching influence. They structure our perceptions, order our values, crystallize into the ideational framework through which we interpret to ourselves the meaning of our being in the world.”
Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering
The understanding of three marks of existence with the knowledge of four noble truths and the karmic laws sums up the right view which is extremely vital in our journey to the enlightenment.
2. Right Intention: Second the eightfold path
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
Lord Buddha
We are shaped by our intention which in turn is influenced by our thoughts and actions. Hence we need to have the proper right intention of Bodhisattvas. Lord Buddha preached this Buddhism philosophy of letting go of our selfishness and ego’s in generating proper mindfulness with lesser greed and desire in this delusional world.
3. Right Action : Third the eightfold path
“The practice of Right Action is a practice of faith, a faith that says what we do matters. We matter. And whether we’re refilling the coffee pot at work or speaking in front of a crowd of thousands, we have the power to change the world one small act at a time.”
Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life
For us to attain the wisdom of an enlightened one, it is important to conduct the right action with proper conduct. The savage acts of killing, hurting, stealing, sexual misconduct, taking in intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs are indissoluble parts of the sufferings. We should avoid being entangled in such cruelty and devote more energy to kindness and love. Such wise actions of compassion and love can generate more positive energies among us.
4. Right Speech: Fourth the eightfold path
“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”
Sufi saying
The right speech means if any kind of speech is spoken at the right time which is true in an affectionate way for the benefit of others in a loving-kindness way. This will help us in manifesting the true qualities of a Bodhisattva. We should always shun those speeches like slander, gossip, argumentative speech, false witness to another, and words spoken in spite which are the source of negative emotions in many.
5. Right Action: Fifth the eightfold path
Inner freedom is not guided by our efforts; it comes from seeing what is true.Through effort you will cross any raging flood, through energy you will pass any sorrow.
Lord Buddha
As soon as we were born in this mortal world, we were meant to be living a life. But how we live our life differs according to our own personal life. So in this, we were meant to be living a pious and holy life thereby abstaining from our livelihood in terms of committing prostitution, selling intoxicants, or selling dead animals which are some of the sources of the sufferings in many peoples life.
6. Right Effort : Sixth the eightfold path
Through effort you will cross any raging flood, through energy you will pass any sorrow.
Lord Budhha
Every effort comes from our actions which are the result of our intentions buried deep within our minds. Primarily it is important to have the right intention with the right action for it to produce the right effort. Our effort should be in disregarding the desires we have within ourselves. Having desire in one or other forms often leads to attachment which is one of the main things responsible for suffering ( Dhukka). Disregarding these desires can be very beneficial in practicing mindfulness when it is most difficult to do so.
In the absence of the right effort of staying away from the desires, the precious teachings of Lord Buddha cannot be followed. For any living organism to attain the stage of nirvana, he or she has to put the right effort into achieving it.
7. Right Mindfulness: Seventh eightfold path
“Mindfulness brings to light experience in its pure immediacy. It reveals the object as it is before it has been plastered over with conceptual paint, overlaid with interpretations.”
Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering
Mindfulness means is the state of being conscious or aware. Right mindfulness means being conscious or aware of the moment you are living in. Because if you are too mindful of the future, it can lead to the cause of desires, hope, daydreams, and anticipation. Then if you were too mindful of your past, it can further lead to guilt, regrets, and greed. The past and the future are the two sides where we do not have the power to mutate its course.
“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.”
Shantideva
Mindfulness teaches us to live in the present. To work when work is needed, to rest when we are tired, and to avoid doing so many things at the same time. It means living fully in each moment that is given to us.
We have the habit of clinging onto the memories of the past, be it a good one or a bad one. Reminding yourself again and again about these memories can cause you to feel proud, sad, guilty which all are the causes of negative emotions. We cannot change past endeavors. In the same way, thinking too much about your future endeavors isn’t going to make much sense as it might lead you to be more suspicious and greedy.
If you put your own energies into making your present moment a worthwhile one, a moment of pure happiness for you as well as for others thereby generating love, compassion, and kindness everywhere. This is where mindfulness comes in. It means you have to live life IN THE NOW.
8. Right Meditation: Eight the eightfold path
“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”
Lord Buddha
Our mind has to be controlled for it has the pure capacity to divert at every nanosecond. In the presence of a huge diversion of our thought process, our ability to concentrate and focus greatly suffers. This world of materialism is full of things we regard and our mind constantly races through all the time. By meditating, we learn about the right focus and concentration which is key in all the other different aspects we had previously discussed.
Lord Buddha was able to attain enlightenment due to his ability to do the right meditation despite having so many distractions in the form of songs, beautiful ladies, and other things. In the present world, we were so busy with our lives that we sometimes forget about the uncertainty of the life in which we live. We flash through these moments when we see deaths and sufferings on the other side. Hence as a result of that, we do more positive work due to our ability to focus. If we could meditate and focus daily, our ability to be mindful of our presence increases, which could benefit you and your surroundings.
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