The Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path
consists of “Right View”, “Right
Thinking”, “Right Speech”, “Right Action”, “Right Living”, “Right Endeavor”, “Right
Memory”, and “Right Meditation”.
“Right View” means
to abandon a self centered way of looking at things and see all things clearly.
“Right Thinking” means
not to be inclined toward a self centered attitude but to think of things
rightly, from a higher standpoint. This teaches us to abandon the “three evils
of the mind,” covetousness, resentment, and evil-mindedness, and to think of
things with as generous a mind as the Buddha. More precisely, these three evils
are the greedy mind (covetousness) that thinks only of one's own gain; the
angry mind (resentment) that does not like it when things do not turn out as
one wishes; and the evil mind (evil-mindedness) that wants to have its own way
in everything.
“Right Speech”
teaches us to use right words in our daily lives and to avoid the “four evils
of the mouth”: lying (false language), a double tongue (gossip), ill speaking
(slander), and improper language (careless language).
“Right Action”
means daily conduct according to the precepts of the Buddha. For this purpose it is important to refrain
from the “three evils of the body” that hinder right actions, careless killing, stealing. and harmful
sexual practices.
“Right Living”
means to gain food, clothing, shelter and the other necessities of life in a
right way. This teaches us not to earn
our livelihood through work that makes trouble for others or through a vocation
useless to society but to live on a justifiable income that we can obtain
through right work, a vocation useful to others.
“Right Endeavor”
means to engage constantly in right conduct without being idle or deviating
from the right way, avoiding such wrongs as the three evils of the mind, the
four evils of the mouth, and the three evils of the body mentioned above.
“Right Memory”
means to practice with a right mind as the Buddha did. It cannot be truly said
that we have the same mind as the Buddha unless we have a right mind not only
toward ourselves but also toward others, and still further, toward all things.
If we hope that only we ourselves may be right, we will become stubborn and
self satisfied people who are alienated from the world. We cannot say we have the same mind as the
Buddha unless be address ourselves to all things in the universe with a fair
and right mind.
“Right Meditation”
means always be determined to believe in the teachings of the Buddha and not to
be agitated by any change of circumstances. This teaches us to practice
consistently the right teaching of the Buddha.
Taken
altogether, the doctrine of the Eightfold
Path is the teaching that shows us the right way to live our daily lives.
THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
1.
Right View To
see all things rightly, based on the Buddha' s wisdom,
which
discerns and understands the principle of the
Reality of all Existence.
2.
Right Thinking To think rightly, avoiding the three evils of the
mind.
3.
Right
Speech To
speak right words, avoiding the four evils of the mouth.
4.
Right Action To
act rightly, avoiding the three evils of the body.
5.
Right Living To
gain food, clothing, shelter, and other daily necessities
in
a right way.
6.
Right
Endeavor Never
to do evil.
7.
Right Memory To
have a continuous right mind toward both oneself and
others.
8.
Right Meditation To
strive constantly for the true Law and be fixed and
settled
in it.