The Noble Eightfold Path is the Fourth Noble Truth, and the Buddha said when asked "what is the true religion?" Answered "Any religion that holds the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path is a true religion" (DN16). This statement could indicate self promotion because no other religion has the Four Noble Truths or the Noble Eightfold Path, however If we look carefully most religions do in one form or another, as life without god is generally seen as suffering and with god bliss (although their is no supreme deity in Buddhism their are gods but they are not seen as objects to be worshipped but as higher forms of beings) and some of these have the Noble Eightfold Path, yet not necessarily spelt out in this way, or from the founder.
We can see each layer of the Noble Eightfold Path start with the word right, but what is right? Well where the Noble Eightfold Path is concerned right could be substituted for correct in its adjective form, or appropriate, and proper, even morally good, however, right here not only means that which is true, but also that which is appropriate and useful, so I have opted to use upright as a translation in my works, using right for ease in places.
The Noble Eightfold Path has three sections, or areas it trains us in, so I will explain the path in relation to them, although the path needs some explanation as a whole first. The Noble Eightfold Path isn't a step by step guide to be developed individually but a whole unit to be cultivated at the same time in relation to the rest, even though in life we are tested at different times on each individually they are supportive of each other. The Tibetans say "to be a bodhisattva1 you should cultivate wisdom, and compassion to all beings" by this they don't mean develop compassion first and be a warm hearted fool, or develop wisdom first and be a cold hearted Wise Man but to cultivate them together, so you can develop as a whole not as a part, as both are needed to be developed in all of Buddhism not just the bodhisattva path.
Well onto The Noble Eightfold Path (I will do the section first then the part of the path related to it).
Ethical conduct (sila) is based on ethics as the name implies and is to-do with love and compassion, and is made up of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood, and the product of intention which is part of the wisdom division of the training.
Right Speech is speech that is not hurtful, mean, or otherwise disrespectful, such as slander and gossip, lying about
someone, telling the truth when it could cause harm, and lying about yourself.
Right Action is a physical action which helps or could help, and does the right thing, such as intervening in a fight to protect
someone, defending yourself when attacked, not intentionally causing harm, or when a surgeon or doctor performs a
procedure which could kill with the hope of relief of pain or curing.
Right Livelihood is and work which does not involve harm or damage intentionally such as a surgeon, cleaner, nurse,
although a butcher and slaughterer is out of the list.
Mental discipline (Samadhi) is the cultivation of the mind through Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration, and mental discipline can be understood through the explanation of all three otherwise I would be just repeating myself.
Right Effort is the mental effort needed to do what is to be done when you don't feel like it and not using so much that you
are unable to focuses on other things when required.
Right Mindfulness this is referring to meditation and is concerned with the foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana Sutta),
this sutta is all about focusing on reality how it is and that is what we should be mindful of are we seeing things as they are or are we seeing things how we want to see them, for example if you saw a spider you become scared due to the spider
being their but the spider is not what is making you scared your perception of what the spider will do scares you not the
spider, the spider is just there doing what it is doing but you see the spider as there to do something to you, so react when
in reality the spider more than likely is searching for food, this is why allot of people are bitten by snakes because they the snake thinks you are their for food and you see the snake as food but more than likely you don't, your just their walking. If we are mindful we will recognise what is and what isn't we will be aware of what is going on around us, and inside us.
Mindfulness is like a camera taking a picture of the countryside.
Right Concentration this is specific focusing or one pointed concentration, and this way we are able to perform intricate
things, or complex things, it is like a camera focussing in on a tree in the scenery of the countryside.
Wisdom (panna) is good sense as well as learning (knowledge) as learning can take you only so far and good sense is learnt so wisdom comprises of Right Thought, and Right Understanding.
Right Thought, we all think and if we look at our thoughts we can see some are wholesome like compassion and some are unwholesome like anger, and hate, so Right Thought is the cultivation of wholesome thoughts and ridding ourselves of
unwholesome thoughts
Right Understanding is putting our thought to use when we are contemplating using enquiry (see Kalama sutra a previous posting) to discern what is true too see how things are, to know why, and too grasp what it is.
This is The Noble Eightfold Path and by cultivating not one but all bit by bit their will be an improvement in many things in our life, we can be happy when happy, sad when sad and experience each moment how it is without worrying what is to come as life is lived in the moment and we can prepare and cultivate things for the next but we cant live in the next moment.
At the end of the day I may be right, I may be wrong, but I share this hoping I am one or the other.
Notes
1 - A being aiming for enlightenment & in the Tibetan tradition one who chooses to help others before entering complete
Nibbana themselves
We can see each layer of the Noble Eightfold Path start with the word right, but what is right? Well where the Noble Eightfold Path is concerned right could be substituted for correct in its adjective form, or appropriate, and proper, even morally good, however, right here not only means that which is true, but also that which is appropriate and useful, so I have opted to use upright as a translation in my works, using right for ease in places.
The Noble Eightfold Path has three sections, or areas it trains us in, so I will explain the path in relation to them, although the path needs some explanation as a whole first. The Noble Eightfold Path isn't a step by step guide to be developed individually but a whole unit to be cultivated at the same time in relation to the rest, even though in life we are tested at different times on each individually they are supportive of each other. The Tibetans say "to be a bodhisattva1 you should cultivate wisdom, and compassion to all beings" by this they don't mean develop compassion first and be a warm hearted fool, or develop wisdom first and be a cold hearted Wise Man but to cultivate them together, so you can develop as a whole not as a part, as both are needed to be developed in all of Buddhism not just the bodhisattva path.
Well onto The Noble Eightfold Path (I will do the section first then the part of the path related to it).
Ethical conduct (sila) is based on ethics as the name implies and is to-do with love and compassion, and is made up of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood, and the product of intention which is part of the wisdom division of the training.
Right Speech is speech that is not hurtful, mean, or otherwise disrespectful, such as slander and gossip, lying about
someone, telling the truth when it could cause harm, and lying about yourself.
Right Action is a physical action which helps or could help, and does the right thing, such as intervening in a fight to protect
someone, defending yourself when attacked, not intentionally causing harm, or when a surgeon or doctor performs a
procedure which could kill with the hope of relief of pain or curing.
Right Livelihood is and work which does not involve harm or damage intentionally such as a surgeon, cleaner, nurse,
although a butcher and slaughterer is out of the list.
Mental discipline (Samadhi) is the cultivation of the mind through Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration, and mental discipline can be understood through the explanation of all three otherwise I would be just repeating myself.
Right Effort is the mental effort needed to do what is to be done when you don't feel like it and not using so much that you
are unable to focuses on other things when required.
Right Mindfulness this is referring to meditation and is concerned with the foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana Sutta),
this sutta is all about focusing on reality how it is and that is what we should be mindful of are we seeing things as they are or are we seeing things how we want to see them, for example if you saw a spider you become scared due to the spider
being their but the spider is not what is making you scared your perception of what the spider will do scares you not the
spider, the spider is just there doing what it is doing but you see the spider as there to do something to you, so react when
in reality the spider more than likely is searching for food, this is why allot of people are bitten by snakes because they the snake thinks you are their for food and you see the snake as food but more than likely you don't, your just their walking. If we are mindful we will recognise what is and what isn't we will be aware of what is going on around us, and inside us.
Mindfulness is like a camera taking a picture of the countryside.
Right Concentration this is specific focusing or one pointed concentration, and this way we are able to perform intricate
things, or complex things, it is like a camera focussing in on a tree in the scenery of the countryside.
Wisdom (panna) is good sense as well as learning (knowledge) as learning can take you only so far and good sense is learnt so wisdom comprises of Right Thought, and Right Understanding.
Right Thought, we all think and if we look at our thoughts we can see some are wholesome like compassion and some are unwholesome like anger, and hate, so Right Thought is the cultivation of wholesome thoughts and ridding ourselves of
unwholesome thoughts
Right Understanding is putting our thought to use when we are contemplating using enquiry (see Kalama sutra a previous posting) to discern what is true too see how things are, to know why, and too grasp what it is.
This is The Noble Eightfold Path and by cultivating not one but all bit by bit their will be an improvement in many things in our life, we can be happy when happy, sad when sad and experience each moment how it is without worrying what is to come as life is lived in the moment and we can prepare and cultivate things for the next but we cant live in the next moment.
At the end of the day I may be right, I may be wrong, but I share this hoping I am one or the other.
Notes
1 - A being aiming for enlightenment & in the Tibetan tradition one who chooses to help others before entering complete
Nibbana themselves
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