Download The Eightfold Path: Morality and Meditation

The Means
Eightfold Path / Ethics / Meditation
Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path is the core of Buddhist
practice and lifestyle. It is a guide to life, with it’s
basis in the central teachings of the Four Noble
Truths.
• Split into three sections: Wisdom, Morality, and
Meditation
• Not a step by step guide
• All should be practiced simultaneously
• All ‘stages’ are interconnected
• It is seen as the ‘Way’ to achieve enlightenment
• See: The Path (Dhammapada)
Noble Eightfold Path
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Right View (understanding 4NT)
Right Intention (Doing things for right reasons)
Right Speech (no gossip / idle chat / lying)
Right Conduct / Action (being useful/helpful)
Right Livelihood (a good / helpful job)
Right Effort (Work hard towards keeping to
4NT and 8FP)
7. Right Mindfulness (Awareness / See things in
the right way / Understanding how your actions
affect everything around you)
8. Right Concentration (Meditation)
Ethics / Morality
• Compassion is a central value to Buddhists – it
underpins all belief and action
• Ahimsa = non-violence and respect for life
• Metta = loving-kindness (compassion for all
creatures)
• Using skilful means
• Gaining good kamma (to enable a better
rebirth)
• Altruism = putting others first as based on
compassion and as seen in the Bodhisattva
ideal of Mahayana Buddhism
Meditation
• Develops understanding / mindfulness /
concentration
• Samatha Meditation = developing mindfulness,
but not specifically Buddhist / won’t get you
enlightened
• Bhavana (Mental Culture) = specifically Buddhist
/ essential for enlightenment / insight into nature
of reality
• Not an escape from life, but developing an
awareness and understanding of it!
• Pure Land Buddhists believe they can become
enlightened simply by meditating on a mental
image of the ‘Pure Land’!
Questions
1. Explain the importance of Right
Understanding, Right Intention, Right
Speech, and Right Livelihood (8 KU)
2. Explain the importance of Eightfold Path
(3 AE)
3. Explain the concepts of metta and
ahimsa (4 KU)
4. “Meditation is essential to enlightenment”
– how far do you agree? (6 AE)