Fourth Noble Truth - The 8-Fold Path
This is the path to liberation, to awakening to what is our true nature.
1. Wise View/Understanding
You must see clearly what is wrong, agreeing at least tentatively with the Buddha's diagnosis.
2. Wise Intention
You must have a strong, abiding resolve to do something about it.
3. Wise Speech
You must begin to speak in ways that further rather than obstruct your awakening: refrain from hurtful talk - gossip, backbiting, insults and the like - as well as empty talk, mindless chatter, and lying. Let speech be timely, helpful, gentle, constructive, and true.
4. Wise Action - (See Thich Nhat Hanh's link for more details) You can just choose 1 of these or a combination
You must being to act in ways that further rather than obstruct your awakening: 5 basic abstentions:
a. from taking life
b. from saying what is not so
c. from taking what is not given
d. from clouding the mind with excessive use of intoxicants
e. from misusing sex
5. Wise Livelihood
The way you earn your living must not conflict with your awakening.
6. Wise Effort
You must go forward on the path at "staying speed" - a pace that can be sustained.
7. Wise Mindfulness
You must cultivate ever-deeper, ever more continuous presentcentered awareness.
8. Wise Concentration
In order to move the whole Path to deeper levels of effectiveness, you must cultivate the deep mind, the quiet mind, through the practice of meditation. |
