The Noble Eightfold Path

The wheel to the left, with its eight spokes, represents the Noble Eightfold Path. Just as every spoke is needed for the wheel to turn, we must follow each step of the eightfold path. The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering.It is a guide to ethical and mental development to free one from attachments and delusions. Together with the Four Noble Truths, it constitutes the core teachings of the Buddha. The eight aspects of the path are not a sequence of single steps, they are related principles to be followed together.

The Path of Wisdom
1. Right View. Right view means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realise the Four Noble Truth. It is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning. Since our view of the world forms our thoughts and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right actions.

2. Right Intention. Right intention is a commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. The Buddha discribes three types: intention of renunciation (resistance to desire); the intention of good will or resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and; the intention of harmlessness, to not think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.

The Path of Morality
3. Right Speech. Buddha explained right speech as follows: to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully; to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others; to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and; to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.

4. Right Action. This means to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently; to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and; to abstain from sexual misconduct. Right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. .

5. Right Livelihood. Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully.

The Path of Meditation

6. Right Effort. Right effort is a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, nothing can be achieved. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can, instead, support self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavours that rank in ascending order of perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.

7. Right Mindfulness. Right mindfulness allows one to be aware of, and in control of the way our thoughts go. Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness: 1. contemplation of the body, 2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral), 3. contemplation of the state of mind, and 4. contemplation of the phenomena.

8. Right Concentration. The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step. By doing this, we can be quiet and attain true peace of mind.