THE 8FOLD PATH

IT is about the eight aspects of life, all of which are to be integrated in

every day life.

1. Right Understanding

Right Understanding is clear knowledge of the Four Noble Truths,

encompassing the “Three Basic Facts of Existence”: Anicca
(Impermanence), Anatta (Pali for “non self” or “insubstantiality”; in Sankrit
Anatman) and Dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness). Dharma teachings
and commentaries, our own teachers, our own insight meditations for
guidance on “right understanding.”

In his book " Old Path, White Clouds" , Thich Nhat Hanh tells the story
of the Buddha. The Buddha says "my teaching is not a dogma or a
doctrine, but no doubt some people will take it as such." The Buddha goes
on to say "I must state clearly that my teaching is a method to experience
reality and not reality itself, just as a finger pointing at the moon is not
the moon itself. A thinking person makes use of the finger to see the
moon. A person who only looks at the finger and mistakes it for the moon
will never see the real moon."

Knowing reality is of very little value if we don’t put it to personal use in

our lives.

2. Right Thoughts / Right INTEND

With clear knowledge, clear thinking follows suit. This is known as initial
application (of knowledge).

Thoughts mould a person’s nature and direct their course and direction of
action. Unwholesome thoughts will debase and erode a person’s character
over time, while wholesome thoughts will lift him/her higher and higher
up.

In particular, Right Thoughts are:

 Renunciation (Nekkhamma) of worldly pleasures, and

selflessness (altruism). This is opposed to insatiable desires and
selfishness.
  Loving-kindness (Metta) or good will towards people, including
yourself; which is opposed to hatred, ill-will, aversion, dislike, detest
and spite.

 Harmlessness (Avihimsa) or compassion, as opposed to cruelty

and callousness.

3. Right Speech

Right Speech is the next step of the Path. We tend to underestimate the
power of the spoken word, and often regret words said in haste. Each of us
has experienced the disappointment associated with harsh criticism,
whether justified or not, and we also are likely to have felt good when kind
words encouraged us.

Verbal expression and communication need to match Right Thoughts. For

instance, you are cursing and swearing, or being harsh and abusive, your
thoughts will certainly match your speech, and vice versa.

Communicating thoughtfully helps to unite others, and can heal

dissention. By resolving never to speak unkindly, or in anger, a spirit of
consideration evolves which moves us closer to everyday compassionate
living.

The specifics are:

 Firstly, avoid speaking lies, slander, harsh words, and indulging in

frivolous chatter (gossips, idle talk etc.)

 Secondly, as mentioned earlier, a harmless mind that generates

loving-kindness cannot vent with harsh speech, which first debases
the speaker, then hurts the listener(s). Last but not least, what is
spoken should not only be true, but also sweet and gentle. If your
comment is true, but hurtful and unnecessary/unconstructive; then
just keep your noble silence.

4. Right Action

With good thoughts and wholesome speech, naturally, your actions have
to be compatible. In particular, abstinence from killing, stealing and sexual
misconduct (rape / molestation / deception / abuse). These three
unwholesome deeds are caused by craving and anger, coupled to
ignorance.

With the gradual elimination of these kammic causes (evil mental /

verbal / physical actions) from your mind and body, blameworthy / bad
tendencies will find no outlet nor route to express themselves.
 Right Action recognises the need to take the ethical approach in life, to
consider others and the world we live in. This includes not taking what is
not given to us, and having respect for the agreements we make both in
our private and business lives.

Right Action also encompasses the five precepts which were given by the
Buddha, not to kill, steal, lie, to avoid sexual misconduct, and not to take
drugs or other intoxicants.

This step on the path also includes a whole approach to the environment,
with Right Action being taken whenever possible to safeguard the world
for future generations.

5. Right Livelihood

If you feel good about your job, it’s probably right livelihood. Do you help
people? As long as you harm no one — and that would include the
environment, since that impacts all beings — then it’s right livelihood.

If your work has a lack of respect for life, then it will be a barrier to
progress on the spiritual path. Buddhism promotes the principle of
equality of all living beings and respect for all life.

Right Livelihood also implies that a Buddhist who is able, will undertake
some work, either as part of a Buddhist community, or in the workplace,
or, alternatively, do home based or community service. Many
communities of monks ensure that each member has daily chores, which
remind him of this step on the Eightfold Path.

6. Right Effort

To do anything in life requires determination, persistence and energy. The

sustained, lifelong practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, to lead a pure and
spiritual life, is the very definition of Right Effort. Right effort includes
developing good habits, such as practicing right mindfulness, right
meditation and other positive moral acts in your daily life — not just
occasionally.

Right Effort should produce an attitude of steady and cheerful

determination.

In order to produce Right Effort, clear and honest thoughts should be

welcomed, and feelings of jealousy and anger left behind. Right Effort
equates to positive thinking, followed by focused action.

7. Right Mindfulness
Right Mindfulness means being aware of the moment, and being focused
in that moment. When we travel somewhere, we are hearing noises,
seeing buildings, trees, advertising, feeling the movement, thinking of
those we left behind, thinking of our destination. So it is with most
moments of our lives.

Right Mindfulness asks us to be aware of the journey at that moment, and

to be clear and undistracted at that moment. Right Mindfulness is closely
linked with meditation and forms the basis of meditation.

Right Mindfulness is not an attempt to exclude the world, in fact, the

opposite. Right Mindfulness asks us to be aware of the moment, and of
our actions at that moment. By being aware, we are able to see how old
patterns and habits control us. In this awareness, we may see how fears of
possible futures limit our present actions.

Now, having read this, try the same walk as before but with a focused
mind, which now concentrates only on the action of the walking. Observe
your thoughts before reading on.

Sometimes you may be absorbed in what you are doing. Music, art, sport
can trigger these moments. Have you ever done anything where your
mind is only with that activity? At that moment, you are mindful, and the
Buddha showed how to integrate that awareness into our everyday lives.

Mindfulness can be achieved many ways, including concentrated activities

such as “being one with the skateboard” or martial arts. See our previous
story on the skateboarder who practiced mindfulness>>

The practice of Right Mindfulness, in particular, requires Right Effort. It is

the constant watching / observation of your own body and actions,
feelings, thoughts and mental objects (your imagination / images in your
mind).

This self-observation is useful in two major ways:

 It complements Vipassana (Insight) Meditation. As a subset to

insight, it helps you gain better understanding of yourself, the ever-
changing (impermanent) nature of your own mind and body.

 It enables you to check any subconscious or careless mental / verbal

/ physical actions that are negative or bad.

Anapanasati, mindfulness of breath, helps cultivate the seven factors of

awakening as defined the Anapanasati Sutta:
  sati (mindfulness)

 dhamma vicaya (analysis)

 viriya (persistence)

 piti (rapture)

 passadhi (serenity)

 samadhi (concentration)

 upekkha (equanimity)

 For more on this topic, see this teaching from Ven. Zasep
Rinpoche>>

There are also subsets, such as the “mindfulness of feelings” which can
help one overcome afflictive emotions such as anger. (See this story on
Mindfulness of Feelings, Mahamudra Teachings)

8. Right Meditation / concentration

Right concentration implies that we select worthy directions for the

concentration of the mind, although everything in nature, beautiful and
ugly, may be useful for concentration. At deeper levels, no object or
concept may be necessary for further development.

The benefits of Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration are significant

as they teach the mind to see things, not as we are conditioned to seeing
them, but as they really are. At the same time, they also lead to a feeling
of calm and peace with the world. By being in the moment and being able
to concentrate effectively, a sense of joy in the moment is felt. Release
from the control of past pains and future mind games takes us closer to
freedom from suffering.

Simply put, Right Meditation is deep concentration or total focus. The

purpose is to train your mind to obey you and not the other way
round.

When you start practicing meditation, you will be shocked that your mind
controls you, and how unruly it is, like a three-year child. (Sometimes we
call it “monkey mind” because it won’t settle.) All sorts of thoughts will go
and on in your mind. Initially, it will be like wrestling with a bull, or trying
to ride a wild horse without getting thrown off. But, with persistence,
strength and determination, you will gradually find it easier and easier to
focus your mind. The key is to become the “observer.” Don’t judge what
you observe, simply observe such as it is. Stay in the present, mindfully
observing.

Once you have succeeded in focusing your mind on a point, you can
direct it / wield it, like a laser pointer. So, where do you point your laser-
sharp and mirror-clear mind at? The answer is – the Five Aggregates that
make up ‘you’. The Five Skandas (Aggregates or ‘heaps’) is a topic of its
own, but in brief it is the realization that the Five Skandas entirely
constitute sentient existence. The Skandas are: form (‘rupa’ or body),
sensations (‘vedana’ or feelings), perceptions (‘samjna’), mental activity
(‘sankhara’ or formations), and consciousness (‘vijnana’). These,
interestingly, correspond to the Five Buddha Families (yet another feature
story in its own right).

Right meditation includes many methods from different paths, all equally
valid:

 Mindfulness meditation (Apannasati): sitting, lying, walking,

skateboarding, just being mindful all day long. For previous stories
on Mindfulness, please see these>>

 Samatha: single-pointed meditation (concentrating single focus on

breath, for example), helping to give insight into the transitory
nature of reality. For helpful guidance on samatha, see this previous
story on Mahamudra, with Venerable Zasep Rinpoche guiding
samatha>>

 Vipassana: seeing things as they really are, or discerning

“formations” (conditioned phenomena based on the five
aggregates)

 Panna (in Pali), Prajna (in Sanskrit): wisdom meditation: advanced

meditations on reason, wisdom, insight, knowledge, recognition.

 Metta Meditation: meditating on loving kindness for all beings.

 Analytical meditation: where is this “I” — a specific form of

Vipassana and also a subset of Panna meditation

 Visualization meditation: traditionally advanced Enlightened being

or deity visualizations in Vajrayana: these guided meditations (in the
sense that you typically recite the visualization) take the meditator
through the full path, generation, completion, understanding
shunyata through “rehearsal” style drama that ultimately bring
insight and realizations. For one of our stories on Visualization
meditation, see this interesting story where researchers found that
Vajrayana visualized meditation is good for people with cognitive or
memory issues>>

 Mantra meditation: focusing on symbolically sacred sounds (often

combined with meditation): can be considered a combination of
Samatha (with sound as the focus) and Visualization. Some Buddhist
include an element of faith in the use of mantra (or prayer) which
can empower the sound. There is even some evidence mantra can
have some effect even if there is no faith (See this story, “The
Science of Mantras”>>).
There are many more. All of these methods, taught by our precious
teachers, are designed to bring us — we, ourselves — to our own
realizations, our own ultimate Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient
beings.

Samatha, Panna, Vipassana

As we follow the eightfold path, we try to focus on Samatha, Panna,

Vipassana. Here’s how it might look in simplified form (in a perfect
practice):

At a future time, when your body and mind are pure in conduct (Morality),
and your mind is entirely focused and concentrated (Samatha), and you
come to realize the wisdom (Panna) of the Emptiness of the Five
Aggregates, you might have a sudden flash of insight (Vipassana). Then,
realizations — or even Enlightenment — becomes possible. Once you
achieve all of these things, possibly ………..Nibbana! (Nirvana!)

Never-the-less, this is the goal and the journey. Initial knowledge (Wisdom)
guide moral conduct (Morality). Purified mind and body through morality
assist concentration (Samatha). Using concentration, the Five Aggregates
can be analysed thoroughly (Wisdom). Finally, with the realization that the
‘self’ is actually a composition of factors streaming along and intrinsically
‘empty’ – then, the actual breakthrough to Enlightenment (Bodhi) is
possible.

THE NOTION OF ‚SELF’

So each person has a physical body which is dependant on food and

warmth, and develops in response to those inputs and to the ageing
process. Our feelings change with our mood and our time in life, and as a
direct result of perceptions which comes from what we see and hear
around us. We make decisions based on our feelings and perceptions and
these constitute our mental formations.

From these four, body, feelings, perceptions, and mental formations

comes consciousness which is dependant on the other four. And the sum
of these is what we refer to as self, so therefore, according to the Buddha,
there is no fixed definable self. You are still there, with a personality and
feelings, and with tremendous possibility for change, and not locked in to
some rigid fate, because your nature is built on change.
In fact, the Buddha took a middle way on the definition of self. He saw the
self as dependant on everything that had gone before, and constantly
changing in response to an interconnecting and changing reality. While we
are not permanent and fixed entities, we are certainly part on the on-
going reality.

Once this is understood, once interconnectedness becomes part of the

way of seeing the world, then suffering arises from the personal concept
of an independent self.

3 main characteristics of existence: suffering, impermanence and the

concept of no unique self.

Suffering comes from life, as sickness, loneliness, old age, or just a

general feeling of life not being what it should. Part of the problem is, that
we wish life to be permanent when all existence is impermanent,
everything is subject to continuous change. Birth and death are part of
that process of change.

All life, yours, mine, your family and friends, is like a flowing river. While it
may appear the same when you look at a river, each moment is different
and every view of the river is different. Nothing in nature is what it was
the moment before. Every living thing is in a continuous state of flux.

In our lives, our bodies grow when we are young, and change as we age.
Relationships come and go, often because personalities, interests and
attitudes change.

As we live, we take on both positive and negative habits and we cling to

ideas which we associate with "our permanent selves". But our permanent
self is a myth, and once we learn that, we can look beyond the need to
have life stay the same.

SAMSARA: Hinduism the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.