The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism - Essays

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path constitute the essential Buddhist Dharma. It is the sum of the Buddha’s teachings and forms the foundational teaching of every Buddhist school. The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, as proposed by the Buddha, consists of eight distinct spiritual practices which lead to Nirvana, or liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. It is also known as the Middle Path and Right Living. The eight practices are Right View, Right Intention (Right Resolve), Right Speech (Right Conduct), Right Livelihood, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. They are broadly grouped into three sets of practices. The first part is to cultivate morality (sila) with Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. The second part is meant to perfect meditation techniques with Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration which culminate in the highest state of mental absorption (samadhi). The third part leads to insight or higher wisdom (prajna) with Right View and Right Intention or Resolve. In this section, we have presented a collection of our essays on the eight practices of the Eightfold Path.

"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of dukkha: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration." — Samyutta Nikaya LVI.11