The checklist to reduce stress and suffering, The Noble Eight-Fold Path

The Noble Eight-Fold Path: The checklist to reduce suffering.

(This is the end of the Four Noble Truths, in fact it IS the fourth of the truths. It is often just left and some people forget to go on after hearing that there is suffering and that suffering has a cause. After realizing it does have some possibility of being cured, many just stop there because here is where the practice becomes important. I did a few videos on this which you can see at the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrvvatiJB0_w1Z8-OAfAcA  Please remember to subscribe and like and share.  I am trying to build the channel to over 1,000 subscribers so that ads will pay me to continue the work.  Since the pandemic there have been no in person classes nor meditations which we would get some donations. Please support us with that, I appreciate the help, encouragement and criticism as well as the donations.  Here is a link to the Patreon account which you can choose a monthly donation of as little as 3$ a month.  This helps us get better equipment as well as spend more time in research, buying materials like books and producing videos and the soon to come podcast:  https://www.patreon.com/user?u=29813343 )  

Thus, I have heard…

The fourth part of the Four Noble Truths:  Known as the Path.  The Buddha taught for 45 years, and this is the Buddhist guide for living a simpler life.  It was explained again and again, differently for different people and their situations.  For a person to be in balance there are two qualities to develop equally; compassion (Karuna) and wisdom (Panna).   This is often viewed as the eight spokes of a wagon wheel.  There is not one really above or before another, they all hold the hub and wheel together.

The ‘right’ or skillful way of.

Prajna/Wisdom)

1.       View, belief or understanding – Am I seeing what is there, or what I want to see?  “It is what it is”.  Seeing things in their true nature, without name, judgement or label.  This is possible when the mind is free of impurity and developed through meditation. This is the process of understanding the Four Noble Truths.

2.       Intention /thought– Am I truly living compassionately and wisely? Offering thoughts of love and non-violence toward all beings with selfish detachment.  Unconditional.   Making spiritual growth and having/making a good life our purpose.

Silla/Morality or virtue

3. Speech – Am I saying anything behind anyone’s back I would not say to them directly?  This includes any talk that would bring about suffering; slander, harsh, ide, useless, gossip… Sometimes the only answer is ‘noble silence’

4. Action – Do I practice what I study and preach?  Promotion of honorable, moral and peaceful conduct.  Avoid taking what is not given, destroying life, harmful sex actions, speech and thought.   We realize our actions have consequences.

5. Livelihood- Have I lost sight of my calling?  Am I living my calling? Avoid a profession that harms; weapons, war, killing animals, making intoxicants or poisons, cheating…

Samadhi/ Concentration

6. Effort -Am I pushing myself too hard or not hard enough?  Prevent evil and unwholesome states of mind, get rid of those already arisen, promote and cause good to arise in the mind and action.  The action of holding onto good and avoiding bad in mind, body and spirit.

7. Mindfulness/Meditation- Am I fully aware of this moment?  Diligently aware of our minds, attentive to the body (Kaya), sensations (Vedana), mind and thoughts (Citta) and things (Dhamma).  Being aware of one’s own mind is key.   This is where you really can have control of your mind and its processes.

8. Concentration- Am focusing on the right things? This leads naturally to the four stages of Dhyana or trance.  1. Passionate desires and unwholesome thoughts are discarded, and happiness is maintained, even in daily life.  2. Tranquility and one pointedness of the mind, with joy and happiness remaining from 1.  3. Joy as an active feeling also subsides and equanimity is maintained.  4. All sensation, happiness and unhappiness, joy and sorry disappear and pure awareness remains.   It is a feeling that you have awakened from a dream, the dream and delusion of being (independent).

Setting into motion the Wheel of Truth, The Four Noble Truths

Setting into motion the Wheel of Truth…

The Centered Path, Part 1 of Buddhist Basics  (based on the Samyutta Nikaya )

Thus I have heard-

After the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree near Benares India, he set out to tell his friends, the five ascetics he practiced with for years.  They were not too happy with him as he gave up the rigorous practice and took some snacks from a girl leaving offerings for a tree god.  They saw that something was definitely different about him so the five listened and learned…

It is based on a physician’s work, all four parts were necessary to complete the job.  The identification of the disease, the cause, whether it can be treated and the prescription.

The Four Noble Truths.

1.      The truth of suffering.  The Pali word for this is ‘Dukkha’ which means unsatisfactory, painful, or commonly, suffering basically, always changing (Life is challenging) We have identified there IS suffering, it should be understood and can be understood.   It is a practice to develop compassion for ourselves and others. Dukkha is a common bond of all beings. There should be a practice to realize, ‘Hm, I suffer, so does everyone else, it is not just me.’

2.      The truth of the cause of suffering.  In Pali, Samudaya, also known as attachment, craving or desire…  (The cause is the mind struggling to respond to challenge)  As we discuss this it also includes the ignorance we have towards it) The practice is to realize the desire for sense pleasure (think of food), desire to become (what we are not or do not have) desire to let go of (the origin of suffering is attachment to desire)

3.      The truth to the end of suffering. In Pali, Nirodha or eliminating, cessation, or ending.  I.E. The end is near... (A peaceful mind and an end to the struggle is possible)  Three parts, There is or can be cessation of suffering, the end of dukkha should be realized, the cessation has been realized.  Here we can begin to practice to let go of delusions.  Contemplate ‘why this?’ ‘what does this mean?’ ‘How can this be?’ There is possibility and hope here, if we apply ourselves...

4.      The truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering - Eight Fold Path.  In Pali, Magga or the way/means (Wise is in use for ‘skillful’ or ‘right’ which are common interpretations) They are separated into three parts which we will discuss later. 

a.      Wise View or understanding of the cause of suffering

b.      Wise intention or resolve and motivation to end suffering

c.      Wise speaking that clarifies our challenges and way out of them

d.      Wise action and behavior that supports our practice.

e.      Wise Lively hood that does not cause more suffering.

f.       Wise effort to cultivate a peaceful mind, life, and habits

g.      Wise concentration that cultivates steadiness and focus on ease and peace

h.      Wise mindfulness that cultivates alertness and balance

Don't forget to check out the website, thecenteredpath.org where you can also download most of these write ups. I am working piecemeal on them and it takes time, so pleas practice patience. and go on YouTube and look for our play list which I have videoed discussions of each of these for further contemplation. Here is a link to the channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrvvatiJB0_w1Z8-OAfAcA

Also please know, I am working on getting the class back in person as soon as the quarantine lifts and there is no mask requirement.  I am not 'yet' doing any online meditations but that is in the works.  Please make sure and subscribe so you can see more and get the updates, also make sure and share to friends on Facebook and other social media as that helps the numbers get to a point that advertising can be done.  YouTube needs to have us at 1,000 subscribers and we are now at around 250.  

This is the first part of the Cheat Sheet I made regarding the basics of Buddhist Teachings.  I will be posting on Facebook as well as producing the according videos for each of the subjects.  Some are more than one page or one video.   Your support and encouragement is really appreciated, thank you!  

With Metta, 

Rev. Sean

The Noble Eight-Fold Path: The checklist to reduce suffering.

The Noble Eight-Fold Path: The checklist to reduce suffering.

For 2020 I have changed the format of our Sunday morning meditation intention. On the website www.thecenteredpath.org I have loaded some documents to help us study the basics of Buddhist philosophy, practice, religion and spirituality to be applied to our lives as we live them as 'householders'. We do not live like monks or ascetics. We don't have the ability to study like they do, to understand it and be so immersed in it that it becomes the very air we breathe. But we can get pretty close if we can realistically apply it all to our daily lives.

Each Sunday we sit for stillness, following the breath. Then we read a page or two to get an intent and reason to contemplate. This is a good way to apply this teaching for ourselves and to better understand it. I do this so that I can really 'own' the material. When I was in medic school (I was an EMT for over 10 years in Los Angeles) we would teach people by making sure they 'hear one, see one, do one, teach one' This way we get all parts of the learner's ability whether kinesthetic, visual or auditory learning.

I will be discussing these as well in my series on YouTube (the channel is also 'The Centered Path' Here is the second of many that we had for our class. Remember to go to the website and download the 'cheat sheet' as well as the paper we use for class. Perhaps you can follow along in spirit and intent on your own during your own practice.

You are always welcome to come by or contact me for more information. Come on by and sit with me!

Thus, I have heard…

The fourth part of the Four Noble Truths:  Known as the Path. The Buddha taught for 45 years, and this is the Buddhist guide for living a simpler life.  It was explained again and again, differently for different people and their situations. For a person to be in balance there are two qualities to develop equally; compassion (Karuna) and wisdom (Panna).   This is often viewed as the eight spokes of a wagon wheel. There is not one really above or before another, they all hold the hub and wheel together.

The ‘right’ or skillful way of. Often it is displayed as a Dharma Wheel with eight spokes relating to the path itself. There is also the insinuation that there is not one ahead or above another, and that it is all part of the cycle of practice.

Prajna/Wisdom)

1.       View, belief or understanding – Am I seeing what is there, or what I want to see?  “It is what it is”. Seeing things in their true nature, without name, judgement or label.  This is possible when the mind is free of impurity and developed through meditation. This is the process of understanding the Four Noble Truths.

2.       Intention /thought– Am I truly living compassionately and wisely? Offering thoughts of love and non-violence toward all beings with selfish detachment.  Unconditional. Making spiritual growth and having/making a good life our purpose.

Silla/Morality or virtue

3. Speech – Am I saying anything behind anyone’s back I would not say to them directly?  This includes any talk that would bring about suffering; slander, harsh, ide, useless, gossip… Sometimes the only answer is ‘noble silence’

4. Action – Do I practice what I study and preach?  Promotion of honorable, moral and peaceful conduct. Avoid taking what is not given, destroying life, harmful sex actions, speech and thought.   We realize our actions have consequences.

5. Livelihood- Have I lost sight of my calling?  Am I living my calling? Avoid a profession that harms; weapons, war, killing animals, making intoxicants or poisons, cheating…

Samadhi/ Concentration

6. Effort -Am I pushing myself too hard or not hard enough?  Prevent evil and unwholesome states of mind, get rid of those already arisen, promote and cause good to arise in the mind and action.  The action of holding onto good and avoiding bad in mind, body and spirit.

7. Mindfulness/Meditation- Am I fully aware of this moment?  Diligently aware of our minds, attentive to the body (Kaya), sensations (Vedana), mind and thoughts (Citta) and things (Dhamma).  Being aware of one’s own mind is key. This is where you really can have control of your mind and its processes.

8. Concentration- Am focusing on the right things? This leads naturally to the four stages of Dhyana or trance.  1. Passionate desires and unwholesome thoughts are discarded, and happiness is maintained, even in daily life. 2. Tranquility and one pointedness of the mind, with joy and happiness remaining from 1.  3. Joy as an active feeling also subsides and equanimity is maintained. 4. All sensation, happiness and unhappiness, joy and sorry disappear and pure awareness remains. It is a feeling that you have awakened from a dream, the dream and delusion of being (independent).