![]() The word ‘right’ holds tight to judgment and might make us feel confined and tentative, rebellious or afraid to be ‘wrong.’ The word ‘wise’ seems kinder, but also implies that until we ‘get with the program’ we are unwise or foolish…which we may well be, but no need to be rude! My guess is that neither ‘right’ nor ‘wise’ is perfectly accurate. How does this change your feeling toward the Eightfold Path? Language is so powerful that we can accept something with a change of name that perhaps we bristled at with a different name. This time we could choose the other term that is used: ‘Wise.’ So we would have Wise View, Wise Intention, Wise Mindfulness, Wise Concentration, Wise Effort, Wise Action, Wise Speech and Wise Livelihood. Now last time we discussed the eight aspects, we used the perfectly acceptable term ‘Right’ when we talked about each of the aspects, so we had Right View, Right Intention, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Effort, Right Action, Right Speech and Right Livelihood. And, not surprisingly, in class the diagram brought to students’ minds images and symbols from some of the world’s oldest spiritual traditions, based in a deep connection with nature. This diagram has edges and limits, but what it represents is an infinite interconnection. This circular or more accurately spherical interconnectivity is an accurate representation of life itself, the nature of energy and matter. So that when we are exploring the aspect of Speech, we can see how Intention, Effort, View, etc. You can see the lines that connect each aspect to all the others. Because there is no one right entry point for the Eightfold Path. You can see that it is not a path but a circle. Here is a chart of one of the ways I like to envision the Eightfold Path to helps us develop an understanding of how the eight aspects work together. The Eightfold Path, gives us guideposts that shed light on how to develop a meditative practice, how to be present in the moment and guidelines on how to lead a life that fosters joy, peace and compassion. The Eight Fold Path allows us to experience the Third Noble Truth, wherein the Buddha points the way to end this in-effect voluntary suffering. I am waiting for my great niece or granddaughter to provide the perfect illustrations!) (The class saw these photos but I didn’t feel I could put them on the blog as I don’t have rights to them. You may remember my talk about holding the world in an open embrace, where I showed pictures of three little girls, one holding on tight to her dolls as if someone was about to steal them away, one pouting with her arms crossed as if something in her experience was unacceptable, and one holding her hands together, palms up, in front of her, and enjoying the frog that was perched there, free to leap off at any moment. It guides us to develop personal insight into the revelation of his Second Noble Truth: That although there is unavoidable pain in life through birth, death, loss and aging, most of our suffering is caused by our grasping, clinging and pushing away of our current experience. The Eightfold Path is the Buddha’s recommended course for coping with the First Noble Truth: That life contains suffering. You can also look in the archive to expand your understanding. We first encountered the Eightfold Path together in this class exactly two years ago and during our exploration this time we may review previous dharma talks. We decided to hold off looking at the Fourth, the Eightfold Path, until the beginning of the year because it works so well with New Year’s feelings of new beginnings and setting intention. In the summer we studied the First and Second Noble Truth, and then the Third in September.
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