Basics of Buddhism - 3 - The Eightfold Path

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The Eightfold Path includes eight practices that transform the way we experience ourselves and the world.  These eight practices are (from Lama Surya Das’ translation in Awakening the Buddha Within):

1. Wise View:   Seeing things as they truly are, not through the filters of our past experiences
2. Wise Intentions:  Buddha emphasized, “As we think, so we become.” Changing our intentions changes the way we see and experience the world
3. Wise Speech:  Speaking in a way that supports ourselves and others on their spiritual path
4. Wise Action:  Acting in ways that are wise and compassionate
5. Wise Livelihood:  Working in a way that supports oneself and others on their spiritual journey
6. Wise Effort:  Having a passion for enlightenment
7. Wise Mindfulness:  Practicing mindfulness by being fully present in each moment
8. Wise Concentration:  Practicing meditation to train our mind

These eight practices are designed to invigorate our daily lives with the compassionate awareness, honesty and curiosity.  It’s translated as a path but in the original teachings it was described more like a wheel with eight spokes or an eight-limb concurrent process.  It’s not necessary to start at the first step and end at the last, but rather to incorporate each as the situation arises. 

The next part of the translation that we should address is the adjective at the beginning that has been called many different words:  Right or Clear or Wise or Complete or Perfect.  Many translations use the word, “Right”, but for me that implies a rigidness, a right versus wrong. With these teaching, we are encouraged to see a situation as a whole, and to consider that no rule or dogma can fit exactly each moment of living.   These ideas encourage us to be fully aware within the context of each moment, then we can choose more wisely if we are aware of the nuances of the present moment.  So, the word “wise” sounds pretty close to that description.  I also like the word clear because it describes how we are wiping off the windows of our vision to see more clearly ourselves and our lives.  If it’s necessary to choose only one, perhaps wise is the best description.  For me, wise describes what is skillful and what does the most good and the least harm. 

The Eightfold Path can be broken down into three sections—as described in Lama Surya Das’ book, Awakening the Buddha Within.  In it, he describes the three sections as Wisdom, Ethics and Meditation.  Let’s look at these three separately.

The first two steps are part of the Wisdom training:  wise view and wise intention.  We all have a certain view of the world.  We may hang on to the view that our parents told us, or we may have come up with our own perspective through our life experiences.  If I were to ask you, how do you describe the world?  What would you say?  What would your parents have said?  Is it a scary place?  A difficult place?  A wonderful place?  An unfair place?  A beautiful place?   We often view the world from our past experiences and that vision that others have ingrained in us.

When I was growing up, there was a girl down the street named Shirley Stewart.  I can see her face right now.  She lived catty-cornered to me, and she would follow me home from school and taunt me the whole way, saying that she wanted to fight me for some reason or other.  I was a scrawny, sickly little kid—I did not have one good punch in me, but I certainly fantasized about it!  I’d like to say I was a pacifist but I was just too dang scared to try and hit her.   She never hit me but threatened to do so about a thousand times.  Luckily, we moved away from the neighborhood when I was 12, but I can still see Shirley’s face staring me down, making me feel stupid and weak.  As I grew up, I had to deal with this lingering fear and anxiety.  It no longer had to do with Shirley Stewart. It had to do with the old conditioned habits inside my brain and my body.   Wise view is about clear seeing.  I began to practice sending loving-kindness to Shirley, wherever she might be, and to make friends with the fear and anxiety that I had tried to push away for so long. Wise view is an opportunity to see ourselves and other people in a clear, fresh way.  Bringing new light to each moment helps each of us to see what is happening more clearly. 

Wise view is also encouraging us to practice seeing the world with newfound curiosity.  Can we really put one label on the world or on ourselves, particularly when everything and everyone is always changing?  When we make a decision that we and the world are a certain way, we then only see those things that confirm our prior decision.  What has happened in your past that you are hanging on to? What are the filters through which you see the world?  We may have a relationship go bad, and then all potential partners start to seem to have those same traits.  We were mistreated when we were young and the whole world might look like a scary place.   We begin to recognize these filters and peel them away, so that we can see ourselves and others more clearly. It helps build a sense of wonder in each moment, a fresh curiosity to see more clearly.  It helps to see clearly the unnecessary JUDGMENTS we often place on ourselves, on situations and on other people.  Wise view is about opening ourselves up to new possibilities.

Wise intention is how we decide what to do.  What are your intentions in your life?  What do you value?  If you could describe your values in three words, what would they be?  Now, think about your thoughts, words and actions this last week.  How well did those match your values that you just described?   The Buddhist path is designed to help us live our values, and the first step is being clear about what you value, then putting those values into practice every day. 

These first two steps are cultivating a desire and intention to see ourselves and the world more clearly.    The next three steps are about ethical living.  With this clear perspective, we can begin to live a sacred life.

Wise speech is about being more careful how we respond verbally.  We can create a GAP between stimulus and verbal response by asking ourselves these three questions:  (from Adrienne Howley’s book, Naked Buddha) “Is it true?”  “Is it kind?”  “Is it necessary?”  These three questions may cut out about 75% of what we are saying to ourselves and saying to others! 

CELLPHONES AS AWAKENING TOOLS:  Have you ever hung up the cell phone and started recapping the conversation to the person you’re with, only to double check that the phone disconnected?  What were you saying that you didn’t want the person on the phone call to hear?  It’s easy to use gossip and slander as a bonding process among friends.  Wise speech is reminding us that words have power, and we can choose words that encourage and support.  What do you say to yourself? Wise speech is also about that voice that we all have in our head, giving a regular commentary on our behavior and our circumstances.  How might you encourage and support yourself through examining your current inner voice and exploring the possibility of giving yourself a break, with some encouraging and supportive inner words?

Wise Action is about acting in ways that encourage and inspire.  With greater awareness, we create more options on how to respond to any stimulus.  Habit and past experience are not the only ways to choose how to act.  Wise action can come from a place of reflection and intention for good.  What action will ease suffering?  What action will create the most good?

Wise Livelihood can sometimes be thought of as limited to only a few jobs that really “do” any good.  Instead, Wise Livelihood includes not only WHAT you do to make a living but also HOW you do it.  How do you show up for work? HOW you interact with your co-workers?  We can practice working in a way that supports oneself and others on their spiritual journey

This step does not mean we all have to change jobs! If you’re an arms dealer or making nuclear bombs, you might want to reconsider your profession.  However, in most cases, it is far more about waking up to how we work.  You can find an awesome job but still be acting in ways that are unskillful.  Wise Livelihood reminds us to seek work that is supportive but also to do whatever work we’re doing in ways that are supportive as well.

Lastly, we have the Meditation Training of Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness and Wise Concentration. 

Wise effort is about having a passion for awakening!  It might feel easier at times to just do what you’ve always done before.  We crave to go back to the rut, go back to old unskillful habits.  THIS IS IMPORTANT TO DECIDE RIGHT NOW:  What thought will you have in those difficult moments to keep you thinking and doing in more skillful ways?  Wise Effort is encouraging us to reach within and find that passion for happiness and to, as the Dalai Lama proclaims, “Never give up!”

Dig deep within you to find the passion and fire within you to change.  In the coming weeks, there will be moments when an old way of thinking will arise.  A moment of craving to go back to the old way of living, it will at times seem so much easier than practicing these darn teachings.  BUT!  Within each of us is a passion to live a new life, a greater life, a more fulfilling life.  Find that passion now so you’ll be able to access it when the going gets tough.