According to legend, the Buddha started out in life as the wealthy prince Siddhartha. His father, the king, indulged him in every luxury imaginable while keeping all signs of human suffering hidden away from him, outside the palace walls. But one day, Siddhartha went outside the palace walls and saw abject poverty, a sick man, and a dead man. He had no idea that humans got sick and died! It was a shock to him; so much so, that he silently slipped away into the night, leaving all his wealth and his luxurious lifestyle, his wife and child behind him, in search for answers to the human condition. He had simplified the solution to the problems of the human condition into what he called the Four Noble Truths, one of which was the Eightfold Path.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
The First Noble Truth simply stated that human suffering was inevitable. ‘There is suffering.’ To be human is to suffer. We all experience it.
The Second Noble Truth identified the causes of suffering: craving, delusion, and ignorance.
The Third Noble Truth was the critical step. The Buddha taught that since there was an identifiable cause for suffering, then there had to be an identifiable method for ending human suffering. That method was the Fourth Noble Truth.
The Fourth Noble Truth was the path to the end of suffering, what the Buddha called the Eightfold Path. The Fourth Noble Truth was a systematic approach to the end of human suffering—the dispelling of ignorance and the liberation of the mind.
Mindfulness is one of the eight practices of this path. However, it is the one element of the path unifying and informing all the others.
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What is the Eightfold Path?
Buddhism’s Eightfold Path is a framework through which we can work on ourselves to reduce suffering in ourselves and in others. It breaks life down into eight, manageable chunks, so that we have more structure in our practice. These are the eight paths of the Noble Eightfold Path:
Right view
Right thought
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration
Each of these practices contains all the others. They are different aspects of a unified whole. Thich Nhat Hanh writes, ‘When Right Mindfulness is present, the Four Noble Truths and the seven other elements of the Eightfold Path are also present.’
The Eightfold Path is part of the Middle Way of Buddhism—towards peace wherever we are, in the here and now. By neither grasping nor resisting life, we can find wakefulness and freedom in the midst of our joy and sorrows.
The three divisions of the Eightfold Path
The steps of the Eightfold Path are often grouped together under their broader categories: 1) Integrity, 2) Focus, and 3) Wisdom. This subdivision of the Eightfold Path is another way to help us remember, study, and implement the Middle Way.
Integrity
1. Right speech
2. Right action
3. Right livelihood
Focus
4. Right effort
5. Right mindfulness
6. Right concentration
Wisdom
7. Right view
8. Right thought
The folds of the Eightfold Path
The eight elements of the Eightfold Path are not steps. They are not something you engage with once, complete, and then move on to the next. Instead, each element of the Eightfold Path is its own path—a journey of practice, discovery, and constant reiteration. The paths are interconnected and follow no particular order. What life throws at you is what will likely determine the paths you focus on each day. Here’s a succinct explanation of what each of the eight paths of the Eightfold Path means in practical terms:
Right view
We can have plans and preferences, but we layer them with understanding of impermanence and non-self.
Right thought
To stimuli received through our senses, we actively respond with thoughts of compassion, love, and generosity.
Right speech
Our speech is timely, reliable, and holds to the truth. Our speech adds value, not chatter, and serves above all to promote reconciliation and peace.
Right action
Our behaviors are peaceful, both to ourselves and to others. Violent actions are obviously bad, but inattentiveness, negative judgments, and impatience are also sources of suffering.
Right livelihood
We work diligently to support ourselves and those who depend on us, but we are not possessed by wanting ‘more’. Our work does not jeopardize our integrity nor does it overshadow our health, family, or any other core personal value.
Right effort
Happiness requires effort, so we actively look for the positives and avoid doubt, restlessness, and ill will. Somewhat paradoxically, truly deep rest comes through mindfulness and meditation, both of which require effort.
Right mindfulness
We remember to be aware of what we’re doing, without emphasis on ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘me’ or ‘I’. Right mindfulness is a precursor to all the other eight elements of the Eightfold Path.
Right concentration
We unify the mind to focus singularly, without scatter or distraction, even if there is no particular object of focus.
Related article: Right Mindfulness & Right Concentration Of The Eightfold Path
Following the Middle Way, we establish integrity, focus, and wisdom. Following this Eightfold Path, we learn when and where to direct our practice. If you need to have a difficult conversation with your partner, Right speech and Right concentration come to mind. If you’re so tired from the week’s work that you only feel like watching television on the weekend instead of meditating, Right effort is there to remind you that true peace of mind requires a bit of discipline. When embarking on a new endeavor, Right view reminds you to practice non-attachment to the outcome and to not hang too much of your sense of self-worth on the peg of success.
Related article: Life Untethered: Breaking The Four Categories Of Attachment
The Eightfold Path is profound. It contains millennia of wisdom that has been applied and refined and endures to this day. People are often dissuaded from Buddhist practices and traditions because the religious aspect is unappealing to them or because it is too confusing. Many promoters of these practices do a poor job of communicating their utility. They’re so busy demonstrating their deep knowledge of Buddhist texts and ancient languages that they fail to communicate the everyday practicality in plain English. But, the fact is that these practices are some of the most refined and tested means of living a mindful lifestyle.
The Eightfold Path is a guiding principle of life itself
Although profound, the Eightfold Path is simple and practical. Who doesn’t want their speech to be clear and compassionate? Who doesn’t want to maintain a work life in harmony with their other core values? In which situation is mindful awareness and at least the attempt to refrain from grasping or aversion not immensely beneficial?
Related article: Desirelessness Is Happiness: 7 Practices To Help You Let Go
The Four Noble Truths give us a succinct definition of the problem. Even better, the Eightfold Path gives us guidance towards the solution. It’s not a quick fix, because with something as complex as the human condition in the twenty-first century, there are no quick fixes. It’s a practical framework that helps you direct your focus and energy to eight encompassing aspects of life.
If you want to learn more, an excellent book that lays out the Eightfold Path in fairly common language is The Beginner’s Guide to Walking the Buddha’s Eightfold Path by Jean Smith. You can also watch a short video where we summarize the key takeaways of that book here.
Zen Buddhism
There are two major schools of Buddhism. In Theravada Buddhism, the ideal person was the arhat, someone who practiced to attain enlightenment. Whereas in Mahayana Buddhism, the ideal person was the bodhisattva, a compassionate being who, while practicing the Eightfold Path, helped others. From Mahayana, Zen Buddhism emerged.
The Eightfold Path: The path is the goal
The Buddha was a human being who was born, lived, and died. For us to seek such a Buddha would be to seek a shadow, a ghost Buddha and at some point our idea of Buddha would become an obstacle.
In Zen Buddhism, the path—the Eightfold Path—itself is the goal. You are not seeking ‘enlightenment’ or ‘nirvana’. If you go to a Buddhist center and encounter someone who says that they are enlightened or are seeking enlightenment, then you are in the wrong place.
All that is required is returning over and over to the present moment, using our clear mind that exists right here and now. Then we can be in touch with liberation. Will all of our suffering cease to exist? No! But we will begin to find gratitude and moments of joy. And we need to be kind to ourselves, as well as to others.
“Whether we are looking outside or inside of ourselves, we need to abandon the views (Right View) and ideas about Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. They are not exalted words and scriptures outside of ourselves, sitting on a high shelf in a temple, but are medicine for our ills. Buddhist teachings are skillful means to cure our ignorance, cravings, and anger, as well as our habit of seeking things outside and not having confidence in ourselves.” —Thich Nhat Hahn
Insight can’t be found in sutras, commentaries, or Dharma talks. Liberation and awakened understanding can’t be found by devoting ourselves to Buddhist scriptures. This is like hoping to find fresh water in dry bones, like chasing ghosts.
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