THE
EIGHTFOLD PATH:
The first two segments of the path are referred
to as prajña,
meaning wisdom:
Wisdom
(Pañña)
2.
Right aspiration (sammā-samkappo).
1. Right view (sammā-diṭṭhi).
things as imperfect, impermanent, and
insubstantial and our self-inflicted
suffering as founded in clinging, hate, and
ignorance.
attachment, hatefulness, and ignorance. The
idea that improvement comes only
when the sufferer takes the first step of
aspiring to improvement is apparently
2500 years old.
Moral Conduct (Sīla)
3. Right speech (samma-vācā).
4. Right action (samma-kammanto).
5. Right livelihood (sammā-ājīvo).
Speech is often our ignorance made manifest,
and is the most common way in
which we harm others. Modern psychologists
emphasize that one should above
all stop lying to oneself. But Buddhism adds that
by practicing being true to
others, and one will find it increasingly
difficult to be false to oneself.
as killing, stealing, and irresponsible sex. As per Buddhists five moral precepts, which are...
·
Avoid harming others;
·
Avoid taking what is not yours;
·
Avoid harmful speech;
·
Avoid irresponsible sex;
·
Avoid drugs and alcohol.
·
A serious Buddhist may add five more:
·
One simple meal a day, before noon:
·
Avoid frivolous entertainments:
·
Avoid self-adornment:
·
Use a simple bed and seat:
·
Avoid the use of money.
5. Right livelihood (sammā-ājīvo).
Right livelihood making one's living in an honest, non-hurtful way. Here's
one we don't talk about much in our society
today. One can only wonder how
much suffering comes out of the greedy,
dishonest careers we often
participate in.
Concentration (Samādhi)
6. Right effort (sammā-vāyāmo).
7. Right awareness (sammā-sati).
8. Right concentration (sammā-samādhi
6. Right effort (sammā-vāyāmo).
Right effort taking control of your mind and the contents thereof. Simple,
direct practice is what it takes, the
developing of good mental habits: When bad
thoughts and impulses arise, they should be
abandoned. This is done by
watching the thought without attachment,
recognizing it for what it is (no
denial or repression!), and letting it
dissipate. Good thoughts and impulses, on
the other hand, should be nurtured and enacted.
Make virtue a habit, as the
stoics used to say.
7. Right awareness (sammā-sati).
Right mindfulness mindfulness refers to a kind of meditation involving an
acceptance of thoughts and perceptions, a
"bare attention" to these events
without attachment. This mindfulness is also
extended to daily life. It becomes
a way of developing a fuller, richer awareness
of life, and a deterent to our
tendency to sleepwalk our way through life.
8. Right concentration (sammā-samādhi).
Right concentration meditating in such a way as to empty our natures of
attachments, avoidances, and ignorance, so that
we may accept the
imperfection, impermanence, and
insubstantiality of life. This is usually
thought of as the highest form of Buddhist
meditation, and full practice of it is
pretty much restricted to monks and nuns who
have progressed considerably
along the path.
Bodhisattvas
A Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have
chosen not to leave the cycle
of birth, death, and rebirth, but rather to
remain in samsara (this existence)
until they can bring all of life into nirvana
with them. In northern Buddhism, they believe we all should strive to become
Bodhisattvas.
