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The Noble Eightfold Path

The Buddhas teachings describe an accessible path to liberation. The ancient Buddhist metaphor of a path draws on the idea of a cleared passageway that allows one to move through an otherwise impassable forest. Just as a person brings his or her entire body along when walking on a path in the forest, so a spiritual practitioner enters the Buddhas path by engaging all aspects of who he or she is. Yet while a physical path exists whether we walk on it or not, the Buddhas path exists only in our engagement with it. We create the path with the activities of our minds, hearts, and bodies. Teachings about the Buddhas path are simply maps indicating how we create the path as we go. The Buddhas path to liberationknown as the Noble Eightfold Pathis made up of eight interrelated practices. The Buddhist name for each of these practices is prefaced by samma, a Pali word usually translated as right that can also mean proper, complete, and in harmony. When right is the translation, its useful to think of it as meaning appropriate, as when we speak of having the right tool for a particular task. Because the path is made up of practices rather than beliefs, right does not refer to truths were obligated to adopt or to moralistic judgments of right and wrong. The potential for practicing the Eightfold Path lies within us. When we practice the factors well, they transform us. They have the ability to reduce and even end our clinging, attachment, fear, hatred, and delusion. When we do this thoroughly, the Eightfold Path is no longer something we have to walk. When we are free, there is nowhere we have to go to nd freedom. When we live from our freedom, the eight factors are no longer practices; amazingly, they become the natural expression of liberation. The Eightfold Path becomes who we are.

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The First Factor: Right View

What is right view? Knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the origin of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of path leading to the cessation of suffering this is called right view. The Buddha (MN 141.24) The safe and good path leading to happiness is the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha (MN 19.26)

Behind almost everything we do, say, and think are views, some conscious and many not so conscious. Our views are the orientations, perspectives, and beliefs with which we understand our selves and our world. They are the basis on which we choose how to live our lives. Often our core views are so embedded and habitual that they are not seen as views but rather as the way things truly are. Core views are generalizations applied to a wide range of situations. For example, some people have the deep-seated view that the world is a dangerous place. With this view they live perpetually cautious and anxious, their behavior focused on being safe. Others, with the rosy view that life is supposed to be a benign paradise, will often nd themselves upset and confused when it is not. Or some people may have an unexamined view that there is an external, invisible authority gure always ready to help or to criticize. In contrast, others may believe they are so alone in the universe that they must buckle down and always try harder. Core views are often learned early in life. They can come from life experiences, our religious upbringing, our families or society. Some of the most tenacious views are the ones about our selves. These include beliefs about who we are, what we need, how we are situated in relationship to others, and judgments about our self worth. A tremendous amount of suffering comes from selfbeliefs, compounded all the more when they are seen as true instead of as views. It is not possible to live without views. Fortunately it is possible to increase our awareness of our views and to choose useful ones to live by. For this four things are needed. First we need to become increasingly aware of the subconscious ideas which are the lenses through which we see the world. Second, we must learn to free ourselves from views that are harmful to have. Third, we must be able to understand which views are actually benecial and which ones are not. And fourth, we must nd a way to live by the benecial views. Meditation is one of the great training grounds for accomplishing this. Through this practice it is possible to notice persistent views often invisible in daily life. Sometimes this is possible because we see how frequently we think them. Other times it is through
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noticing the various physical tensions associated with holding our views that points us back to the views. Or it may be by noticing the relationship between our emotional state and what we are thinking that our views get highlighted. While it can be difcult to stop thinking unhelpful thoughts, it is a giant turning point to recognize it is not necessary to think them, and that it is useful to disengage from them. Then it is possible to begin disidentifying and to start learning how to let go of thoughts we dont need. Letting go removes the strain and authority these views may have over us. Easing up on hard held views loosens the compulsion behind thinking. And, conversely, easing up on thinking helps relax the grip of compelling views. As the mind relaxes we can learn a new view, that is, the view that it is healthy to not be caught up in thoughts and views, that letting go of them brings peace. This is a useful view to have during meditation as it helps with letting go. Having insight into the nature of thinking can be easier during meditation than in daily life. Meditation is a good opportunity to learn to disengage, perhaps even let go of thoughts. Once we begin to learn these lessons in meditation it becomes possible to apply them in daily life. As we notice what we are thinking we can distinguish what is useful to think and what is not. If we have begun to strengthen the ability to let go of thoughts in meditation, we can begin to let go of some of the unhelpful ways of thinking in daily life. And this gives us some ability to replace these with useful thoughts, especially those that the Buddha called right view. The Buddha emphasized two forms of right view. One is the standpoint that what we do, say, and think doesnt exist in a vacuum. Rather they have physical and psychological consequences that are related to their ethical nature; if they are based on greed and hate, the consequences are deleterious. If they are based on generosity and kindness the consequences for us will be benecial. Whether this viewpoint is always true is less interesting than the fact that if we live by this view, we are more likely to think, speak, and act in ways that bring us and others greater well-being. The second kind of right view is a perspective called the four noble truths. If we want to become free of suffering, it can be helpful to notice what causes our suffering. If we want to overcome suffering but dont know where to look for its cause, it is possible to pursue beliefs, practices, and external remedies that have nothing to do with the problem. The four noble truths point us to nd the cause within ourselves. While conventionally we may say that some one or some event in the world caused our suffering, the Buddhist path to liberation begins when we begin to take responsibility for what our inner, psychological contribution is to the suffering. In particular, the four noble truths point to the role of compulsive desires and clinging.

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As right view, the four noble truths are perspectives we can adopt for nding greater freedom and happiness. If we want to suffer less, it helps to notice when we are suffering (the rst noble truth); it is all too easy to be distracted from suffering by other preoccupations. It is also useful to discover the attachments that create the suffering (the second noble truth) so we can begin to let go of them. The point of view that it is possible to let go of these attachments fully and so end the suffering (the third noble truth) gives direction and encouragement for the practice to do so. And nally, knowing a way to create the appropriate conditions for freeing ourselves from our clinging (the fourth noble truth) orients us to the practices that can help. The Buddha prescribed the Eightfold Path as the practices making up the fourth noble truth. They begin with right view because this is the view that puts us on the Buddhas path to liberation. If we want to nd the path, the two denitions of right view show us where it is. It also guides us and safeguards us in practicing the other seven factors of the Eightfold Path. It guides us by keeping the purpose of the Eightfold Path in mind, namely liberation from suffering. It safeguards us when it shows us any suffering and attachment present in how we practice the other path factors. When we become aware of them we have a chance to let go of the attachments. Using the Four Noble Truths as Right View is a lot about practicing with ease. The more at ease we become, the easier it is to notice suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path to its cessation. The more we use the four noble truths to overcome attachments, the more we live at ease. When people mature on the Buddhist path, the ease they experience becomes strong enough to naturally highlight the four noble truths in their lives. It is similar to how the cleaner a white cloth becomes the more obvious is a new stain. For this reason there is a long tradition of understanding the Buddhist phrase cattri ariyasaccni, not as the four noble truths but rather as the four truths of the noble ones. The grammar of the phrase allows for both meanings. For those who begin to use them as a wise view to live and practice with, they can be called the four noble truths; for those who have experienced the peace of walking the path, they become a natural view to live by and so become the four truths of the noble ones. Either way, Right View has its sights on the most profound and meaningful peace. It is a peace which, when attained, needs no views.

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The Second Factor: Right Intention

The Buddhas path to liberation starts with seeing a course of practice he called the Eightfold Path. This is a remarkable set of straightforward practices that can free us from attachment and clinging and thus from suffering. As we saw last month, it is the task of the rst factor in the Eightfold Path, Right View, to provide the perspective for nding the path by bringing our attention to suffering, its cause, and the possibility of ending that suffering. If we are interested in walking the path to freedom the Buddha taught, then Right View can show us whether our intentions are in accord with the purpose of this path. By applying the perspective of Right View to the intentions we live by we can determine if our intentions either cause suffering or contribute to the ending of suffering. It is not possible to end suffering if our intentions cause suffering to others or ourselves. We cant end attachments if we remain motivated to cling. The Buddha singled out three intentions, attitudes, or ways of thinking that cause suffering and are off-track, i.e., which take us away from the path. These are lust, ill will, and hostility (kma, vypda, and himsa). Craving and addiction to sensual pleasures of any kind reinforces attachment and keeps the mind agitated. And anyone who has experienced ill will and hostility knows they are troubled and painful states. These intentions lead to more suffering, not less. In contrast, the second step on the Eightfold Path Right Intention involves cultivating intentions that lead to less suffering. These are the positive opposites of lust, ill will, and hostility that can overcome these harmful motivations. The opposite of ill will and hostility is simply stated as non-ill will and non- hostility (avypda and ahimsa). In the ancient language of the Buddha the negative prex implies their positive opposites. Non-ill will means goodwill, and non-hostility means compassion. The opposite of lust is described as renunciation or relinquishment (nekkhama). This works best if we consider the benets of wise renunciation: simplicity, ease, and non-harming. Cultivating renunciation, goodwill and compassion begins by having the intention to do so. When it is not easy to have good intentions, it is helpful and meaningful to want to. Then we can at least practice restraint and not act on our harmful intentions. Having the intention to have Right Intention can be the rst step and motivate us to begin thinking in terms of renunciation, goodwill and compassion. This, in turn, places us on a path of practice leading to the end of suffering. If our intentions or thoughts involve lust, ill will, or hostility, then it is useful to nd a way to disengage from such thoughts. If we recognize the value of the opposite of these intentions, renunciation, goodwill and compassion, then it will be easier to adjust our orientation and think in terms of the positive intentions even when we dont feel like it. Reecting on the three right intentions is not meant to be pretending or covering over what we really feel. Pausing and reecting on our circumstances can be a realistic
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assessment of the situation including the role that our intentions might have in that situation. And if we cant change our intentions for the better, it is useful to be mindful and aware of the relationship we have toward our intentions. Sometimes the rst role of mindfulness is to notice our attitudes toward unskillful intentions. We suffer more if there is greed or ill will toward our lust, ill will, or cruelty. We will suffer less if we relate to these intentions without being reactive and adding to them. We dont just walk the Eightfold Path for ourselves. Some people assume that bringing attention to suffering means that the Eightfold Path only involves self- concern. However, the renunciation, goodwill, and compassion of Right Intention clearly establish the path of practice within the context of our interpersonal relationships. A concern for the welfare of others is integral to walking the Eightfold Path. While it is the practice of Right Intention that fosters positive intentions toward others, the next three steps in the Eightfold Path, Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood, are about putting these intentions into action. The intentions we live by have major consequences in shaping our lives, character, and psychological wellbeing. It is invaluable to reect deeply about what intentions are most important. These can be the compasses for our lives. Even when it is a challenge to follow the compass, the wish to do so puts us on the path of liberation.

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The Third Factor: Right Speech

Right Intention, the second factor of the Eightfold Path, sets the stage for the next three factors, Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. Grouped together as practices of virtue, these three factors are concerned with how the intentions of wise renunciation, goodwill, and compassion are expressed in our daily lives. These virtue factors also lay the foundation for the last practices of the Path, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration The virtue practices begin with Right Speech because what we say and how we say it has a direct link to the cultivation of the Path. When we choose whether or not to speak or what to say based on clinging or fear we lose an opportunity to cultivate the freedom that is supported by the Eightfold Path. Dishonest and harmful speech does not support the honesty and caring needed for walking the Path. However, paying attention to what underlies our speech and the contents of our speech present important opportunities for cultivating the path. Reecting on whether or not our speech expresses goodwill, friendliness or compassion can be the beginning of practicing Right Speech. If our speech does not have these qualities, then we have the important opportunity to nd out why. What are the conditions, beliefs, and strategies that motivate our unkind speech? What does such speech show us about ourselves? If we truly care about ourselves, then reecting on these questions can inspire our nding alternative ways of speaking. Rather than being discouraging, such self-knowledge can fuel our practice. Right Speech is described by both abstaining from speech that is unskillful and speaking in ways that are skillful. Lying, slander, harsh, or pointless speech is dened as unskillful. Words that are honest, create social harmony, friendly, meaningful and timely are skillful. When it is difcult to speak skillfully it may be possible to at least restrain oneself from saying things that will cause harm. Avoiding unhelpful speech prevents a great amount of social discord and injury. At times, one of the most powerful, challenging, and wise practices we can do is hold our tongue. However, abstaining from unskillful speech is not an end in itself if we want to cultivate the freedom of the Eightfold Path. It can be useful to investigate the inner conditions that motivate such speech. What does it teach us about ourselves? Are we overly stressed? Are we being unduly inuenced by desire, aversion, or fear? What are we trying to accomplish through such speech? If we settle into our hearts, what would we say?

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Such reections are useful so that we dont practice Right Speech simply as a set of rules, but as a way to support our practice on the Path. These investigations help us get in touch with our inner life and the inner wellsprings of wisdom and caring from which we can better consider what to say. It is good to remember that our speech arises out of the ecology of our inner life. If the inner life is well cared for it is much easier to speak wisely. Wise and skillful speech is honest, supportive, and friendly. When we consider what to say, it can be helpful to ask whether it is true, conducive to social harmony, expresses goodwill and respect, is benecial and is timely. If it is not, is there something else we can say that is? What we say has a powerful relationship to how we feel. One reason to avoid unskillful speech is to avoid the agitation of regret. A reason for skillful speech is to create conditions for happiness and peace. The uncomfortable inner states that give rise to unskillful speech is strengthened by such speech. Likewise, the inner wellbeing that supports skillful speech is, strengthened by skillful speech. By practicing Right Speech we are not only cultivating the Eightfold Path, but also we are taking care of both others and ourselves. It benets the world and strengthens our path of liberation.

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The Fourth Factor: Right Action

The intention to avoid causing harm lies at the heart of the entire Eightfold Path. In fact, without it there is no Eightfold Path. The practice of avoiding harm through our physical actions is Right Action, the fourth path factor. Most commonly dened as three abstinences, the tasks of right action are to avoid killing any sentient being, taking anything belonging to others that is not freely given, and engaging in sexual misconduct. Practicing these three restraints can be inspiring when we consider the safety and peace they create both for others and for the practitioner. In a world where too many people are in danger of physical harm, practicing right action supports peace. Dedication to not killing can include not physically injuring others. This may well have been the Buddhas original intent because the word translated as killing, atipata, also means to attack and to injure. The avoidance of killing and injuring pertains to all conscious, breathing beings, not only other humans. It includes insects, pests, and the slaughter of animals for food. Avoiding taking what is not given is a higher standard than simply not stealing. It means we dont take, borrow, or use anything belonging to others unless it has been specically offered to us. It also implies that we do not withhold items in our possession that rightfully belong to others. Refraining from sexual misconduct is to avoid any sexual activity with others that might cause harm. It means taking great care not to hurt our sexual partners. It also means respecting and upholding all relationship commitments that have been made, including those made by others. By avoiding injuring others we also avoid injuring ourselves. By practicing right action, we are less likely to have a painful conscience. Plus, others are less likely to reciprocate their hurt by wanting to injure us. Right action also prevents us from acting on our impulses of greed, hate, or delusion. This, in turn, protects us from experiencing the negative consequences that come from acting on these underlying motivations. Hate is a common motivation for wanting to injure or kill and greed is often behind stealing. While sexual misconduct may have a variety of motivations, they all contain a degree of delusion, in particular the delusion of not recognizing the harmful consequences that can ensue. Greed, hate and delusion may all be entangled with fear, sometimes as responses to fear. Right Action is a way to help us limit the impact of these painful motivations. Because it can be easier to control our actions than controlling our mind, the three abstinences of right action can be an effective way of preventing greed, hate and delusion from controlling us. When greed, hate and delusion are strong, not acting on them may require marshaling a matching strength of restraint. But it is worth it. Right action keeps these impulses within ourselves where mindfulness can help us understand, resolve and dissolve them from the inside without harming others or causing further harm to ourselves.
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In addition to these practices of restraint, right action also includes acting on the opposite motivations. Instead of greed, a practitioner may tap into her capacity for generosity; instead of hate, a practitioner might cultivate love and respect for others; instead of delusion, a practitioner may take time to pay more careful attention to the people and beings he encounters. We can be prompted to cultivate positive motivations when we encounter greed, hate and delusion in ourselves. When we want to injure others we can instead consider the situation through the perspective of compassion. The impulse to take what is not given might instead prompt an exploration of contentment. Anytime there is a desire for a sexual relationship is probably a good time to ask if compassion and respect are adequately present. Some people prefer to emphasize the positive sides of right action because they are not inspired by only avoiding killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Sometimes people feel burdened by the seemingly restrictive nature of these teachings. Even so, one advantage of the negative formulation of these practices is that it is often easier to determine which behaviors constitute not engaging in injuring, killing, stealing, or sexual misconduct than how to be compassionate, generous and respectful. Ideally the negative and positive sides of right action work together. By restraining harmful actions one has the opportunity to consider and experience more meaningful and inspiring behaviors that promote the well being of all. For example, practicing nonkilling may help us cultivate a greater appreciation for life; practicing non-stealing may help us cultivate respect for others and practicing good sexual conduct may help us cultivate trustworthiness. In addition it is important to appreciate the tremendous value of looking deeply into the motivations and feelings behind the actions that can cause harm. For practitioners on the eightfold path, right action provides an opportunity to bring greater mindfulness to the underlying cause for unskillful behavior. In this way, right action works together with the rst two factors of the path, right view and right intention. Plus, it can be inspiring to know that practicing the eightfold path is a way to release our self from these underlying painful and potentially destructive roots of greed, hate and delusion. Right action is a foundation for the inner practices which make up the last three factors of the Eightfold Path. Right action is the outer expression of the freedom and compassion which grows as we walk the path.

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The Fifth Factor: Right Livelihood

In moving along the Eightfold Path from Right Action to Right Livelihood we switch from a focus on our particular actions to focusing on the general ways in which we live our lives. It means taking into account the consequences of the regular, ongoing actions that combine to form our way of life. What we do has a much greater consequence when done repeatedly than when done only once or a few times. The effects ripple further out into our society and deeper into our hearts. Right Livelihood is the most common English translation of the Buddhist expression samma ajiva. However, because ajiva means the way one lives, it encompasses more than ones job or occupation. It includes such lifestyle choices as what we buy, consume, use for housing, and rely on for nancial support. It also includes how we parent, care for ones family, or live in retirement. When walking the Eightfold Path the question regarding Right Livelihood is whether or not the way we live moves us toward more compassion, peace, and freedom. Is it nourishing? Does it support the development of ease and insight? Does it help us become a better, happy people? Does it help others? Behind these questions is the fundamental question that guides us along each step of the Eightfold Path: is what we are doing causing harm to others or suffering for ourselves? When this is applied to Right Livelihood, we ask whether the way we live and the way we earn a livelihood causes harm or suffering. If it does, then we remember that this is in cross-purposes with a path meant to end harming and suffering. When considering whether our way of life harms others we can take into account how we contribute to the aggregate effect of many other people doing the same activity. If we were the only person driving a car on the roads, the exhaust we produce would have no or very little effect on the health of others. However, when we are one of the ve million drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area we are contributing to the smog-related health problems both in the Bay Area and in the central valley where the smog often blows. Similarly, when millions of people add additional electrical equipment to their homes or carelessly discard their old computers and cell phones, the aggregate effect has repercussions far beyond what we can see in our immediate, individual lives. What would be not very harmful if only one person did it becomes harmful when many people do it. Such considerations are not meant to evoke anxiety and guilt. Right Livelihood takes these issues into account so that we can nd a way to live that increases our ease and peace and which benets our community. It is a practice that cultivates a deep, inner sensitivity that simultaneously awakens a greater responsibility for the world while being less weighed down by the world.

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For many people the most signicant aspect of Right Livelihood is their work. Many people spend more time working than any other activity except perhaps sleep. Work and other occupations such as parenting are often how people have their biggest impact on others. When considering whether our work is Right Livelihood we ask whether it harms others or ourselves. When this is clearly the case, then we know that our work does not support our walking the Eightfold Path. Considering our work through the lens of Right Livelihood can be a meaningful contemplation on what is most important. What are the purposes for which we work? What values do we express in our work? What consequence does our work have on the quality of our inner life? What consequences does it have on the world? If we are on the path of liberation, does our work and how we work further us on this path? Because joy, ease and peace are important parts of the Buddhist path, the question of Right Livelihood includes considering whether we enjoy our work. Is the way we live our life satisfying and meaningful? If it is not, what can we change to have greater joy, satisfaction, and meaning? Many things help make our livelihood a source of enjoyment and satisfaction. Being honest and ethical in work is foundational. There can be no ease if one does not have a clean conscience. Not being in debt is also important. Doing work that benets others is helpful. So is sharing the fruits of our work with others. Living a balanced life and avoiding overworking supports ease and calm while working. How we work is also key. Being mindful, engaged, and focused in work is more satisfying than being distracted and uninspired. This is also true when we enjoy the work for its own sake rather than for the income it will bring. Working with attitudes of generosity and kindness can create a more supportive work environment. When living by the Eightfold Path the practice of Right Livelihood is dedicated to living and working in a way that supports the path. It is accomplished by practicing the rst four factors of the Eightfold Path in our working life. In particular this means to practice goodwill, compassion, right speech, and ethical behavior while working. It is also accomplished by working in ways that support the last three practices of the Eightfold Path, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. When the Eightfold Path is practiced at work, work can become energizing, calming, and easeful. This in turn makes it much easier to meditate. Meditation is then less about de-stressing and relaxing and more about developing mindfulness and concentration. This in turn brings greater capacity to further fulll the Eightfold Path at work.

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The Sixth Factor: Right Effort

Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration are the factors of the path focused on our inner activities, what we do with our minds and hearts. This is distinct from the emphasis on verbal and physical activities in the three preceding factors: Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. Attention to and care with our outward actions prepare us to do the same for our inner, mental actions. What guides this care is the intention to avoid what causes harm and to engage in what is benecial. The Buddhist tradition often calls those activities that cause harm unskillful and those that are benecial skillful. The use of these terms highlight that we can cultivate our actions to have greater benet. Using the words skillful and unskillful avoids the moralistic judgments that good and bad often imply, and the absoluteness of right and wrong. Skillfulness suggests helpfulness; things unskillful are not helpful. When one is walking the Eightfold Path, skillful activities are those that help us move closer to peace and freedom. Those that are unskillful take us in the other direction, toward suffering and servitude. Distinguishing mental actions that are skillful from those that are not is at the heart of Right Effort. Here mental actions are the thoughts, impulses, feelings, and states that arise and persist dependent on our intentions and reactions. Only by recognizing whether or not these are helpful and benecial can we usefully choose which thoughts, impulses, feelings or states to cultivate and which ones to not cultivate and where we want to put our efforts. In practicing Right Effort we exercise this choice to support the path of liberation. Right Effort involves four different ways to apply our self. We can (1) prevent, (2) overcome, (3) arouse, or (3) maintain our inner thoughts, feelings and states. Far from being uniquely Buddhist practices, these four are common throughout human life. For example, when we avoid stress by giving ourselves ample time for an activity we are practicing preventing; when we relax our impatience while waiting for a red light to turn green we are practicing a form of overcoming; when we cultivate appreciation of a child we are practicing arousing; and when we stay calm in difcult circumstances we are practicing maintaining. In the practice of Right Effort we utilize these four efforts to safeguard and develop the quality of our mind and heart. The quality of our inner life is our most important asset; it well deserves our care.. When we see clearly that unskillful mental states decrease the quality of our inner life, it is natural to want to either prevent this from occurring or, if they are already occurring, to nd a way to stop them. And when we know we can do something that will increase the quality of our inner life, it is healthy to do so. In this way the quality of our inner life can be improved.

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Preventing, the rst of the four Right Efforts, involves avoiding and restraining. Avoiding means to not put oneself in a situation where unskillful mind states are triggered. For example, if one has an addiction, it is best to stay clear of temptation. If one tends to become angry when around angry people, perhaps it is best to avoid those people. This effort to avoid is built on the understanding that we are better off without unskillful mental states and behavior. Restraining is the practice of not giving in to unskillful reactions and desires. It requires rst recognizing impulses and thoughts of greed, ill-will, and delusion when they arise, and then holding them in check so we neither act on them nor feed them with more mental involvement. Better than restraining unskillful states is overcoming them, the second of the Right Efforts. At times, this can happen through simply letting go of the mental activity. Other times it can occur through acquiring a good understanding of that which we want to overcome. Sometimes, insight into the conditions that give rise to the unskillful states can show us the underlying attachments to let go of. The third Right Effort is to arouse skillful mental states, thoughts, and intentions. These are qualities that are not only helpful on the path of liberation, they are also enjoyable in themselves. Particularly useful are the seven factors of awakening: mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. Also helpful are loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy. Some of these states arise as a consequence of meditation practice and some can be purposefully cultivated with other activities. Once skillful states have arisen, the job of the fourth Right Effort is to maintain them. This includes recognizing when skillful states are present as well as applying the rst Right Effort of preventing unskillful states from arising. Continuing the practices which give rise to skillful states is also a way to maintain them. Right effort includes attention to the manner in which we make effort. The kind of effort required varies depending on the circumstances. Sometimes it is appropriate to make heroic effort, other times what is needed is an extremely light touch. Sometimes the purpose of our efforts is benecial but how we exert ourselves to attain this goal is not. For example one can be too aggressive or too hesitant, too self-aggrandizing or to selfdeprecating in the way we apply ourselves. Our efforts in Buddhist practice can be delightful when the effort is free of greed, aversion, and fear. At times effort can feel almost effortless and satisfying for its own sake. Certainly it can be inspiring to know ones efforts are dedicated to walking the Eightfold Path, to bringing greater peace and freedom into this world.

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The Seventh Factor: Right Mindfulness

What is Right Mindfulness? Here a practitioner abides focused on the body in itself, on feeling tones in themselves, on mental states in themselves, and on mental processes in themselves, ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, having put away greed and distress for the world. - The Buddha (MN 141.30)

When the steps of the Eightfold Path are practiced sequentially from Right View to Right Concentration, the journey of practice goes inward toward the core of our being. Right View and Right Intention provide the broad understanding for walking the path; Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood bring the practice home to our behavior in the world; Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration take the practice into the heart, to our innermost capacity to experience peace and ease. Right Mindfulness, an important step in this process, is itself a journey inward to our core. Traditionally Right Mindfulness involves practicing mindfulness in four progressively more rened and intimate areas of our lives. These four, usually called the foundations of mindfulness are our body, feeling tones, mental states, and mental processes. The journey begins with establishing mindfulness of our body, including our breathing, physical activities, and physical sensations. After being focused on the body, we then establish mindfulness on the simple feeling tones of our direct, present-moment experiences. As the feeling tones come into focus it is possible to distinguish those feelings which arise in our contact with the outside world from those which, independent of the world, arise in the mind and heart. This, in turn, allows us to become increasingly aware of the changing quality of our mental states. Then, in the fourth foundation of mindfulness, we turn our attention to the mental processes underlying our mental states. This last foundation involves cultivating wisdom about what our minds do to cause suffering and what we can do to overcome suffering. We learn to cultivate the kind of mental processes needed to release our clinging, to come home to the hearts peace. Right Mindfulness is more than being mindful. In the Buddhas ancient instructions, sati, the word often rendered into English as mindfulness, refers to the presence of mind needed for a strong, balanced awareness. Mindfulness practice occurs when this presence of mind is combined with clear comprehension, ardency, and a willingness to disengage from things of the world. And when this mindfulness practice is directed toward the four foundations of mindfulness it is known as Right Mindfulness. Clear comprehension lies at the center of mindfulness practice. Whereas mindfulness allows us to be aware, clear comprehension understands what we are aware of.
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Because it is hard to understand well when we are in the grip of greed or distress, the instruction for mindfulness practice is to put these aside. When this is difcult to do, the practice requires us to at least let go of focusing on what we want or what distresses us. Instead, we begin the process of tracking what is happening in our body, feelings, and mind when we have greed and distress. A characteristic of clear comprehension is simplicity. It involves training oneself to recognize what is happening without judgment, interpretation, or emotional reactivity. As part of the instruction to know the body, feelings, mental states, and mental process in themselves, clear comprehension sees what is happening without reference to past events, future imaginings, or complicated abstractions. In this simplicity, clear comprehension can be a relief. The more the mind is trained to stay present for our immediate experience, the more mindfulness and clear comprehension help create an inner quiet and steadiness. Conict, incessant commentary, and reactivity toward our experience lessen. Appreciation for the quality of our inner life increases. This appreciation becomes particularly signicant for the fourth foundation of mindfulness, the important mental processes that either keep us caught and contracted or those that free us. These are activities of our minds/hearts that each person must be responsible for him or herself. They are aspects of our inner life that have the most inuence on our suffering or happiness, our agitation or peace. Important among the mental processes that bring suffering are the ve hindrances of desire, ill will, lethargy, restlessness, and doubt. As these are seen clearly and steadily it becomes possible to discover how to let these go. Important among the mental processes that bring peace are the seven factors of awakening: mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. As these are seen clearly it is possible to cultivate and strengthen them. Fueling mindfulness practice is ardency. As a enthusiastic wholeheartedness, the primary role of ardency is maintaining the constancy of practice. Steady consistency of mindfulness practice throughout ones life is what establishes the strong presence of mind required for growth in wisdom and freedom. Right Mindfulness can be practiced in both ones daily life and in meditation. Doing so in meditation is usually the most appropriate time for following the path into the depths of our heart. It gives us a chance to understand, heal, cultivate, and free our hearts, our most important natural resource.

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The Eighth Factor: Right Concentration

When the Buddha knew that the householder Upalis mind was ready, soft, free from hindrances, joyful and bright, he expounded the teaching special to the Buddhas. -MN 141.30

The nal factor of the Eightfold Path is Right Concentration. The preceding seven factors on the path provide important support for developing a concentrated mind. With the development of Right Concentration, the Eightfold Path can then culminate in insight and liberation. Right Concentration prepares the mind for deep understanding and profound letting go. This occurs when the mind is ready, soft, free from hindrances, joyful, and bright, as in the description above of Upalis mind when he received the Buddhas most signicant teachings. Knowing that cultivating a ready, soft, free from hindrances, joyful and bright mind is part of the concentration factor of Eightfold Path can guide us along the path. Rather than straining under expectations, we can cultivate receptive readiness; plus, understanding the value of a soft mind protects us from getting tense with the practice; remembering the need to become free of the hindrances reduces the authority of these mental states; and understanding the role of joy and mental brightness can encourage us to recognize and support these states. Upali experienced his concentrated mind while listening to the Buddha. However, in practicing the Eightfold Path, most people develop Right Concentration through meditation practice. As betting the metaphor of a journey along a path, the practice of Right Concentration itself involves a passage toward increasingly tranquil states of mind. Similar to how Right Mindfulness is a journey of deepening self-knowledge, Right Concentration moves us inward to experiencing progressively deeper wellsprings of stillness. On the Eightfold Path, mindfulness and concentration work together: mindfulness provides clear awareness and concentration infuses mindfulness with peace. With Right Concentration the mind also becomes unied as it goes from being scattered, agitated, and discursive to becoming calm and centered. When agitated, the mind easily jumps between sensations in our bodies, emotions, moods, thoughts, daydreams, desires, events around us, and our reactions to what we are experiencing.

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When concentrated, the mind settles down and stays undistracted. As we relax into a focused attention our physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts join together to support a unied attention. A feedback loop then operates: when concentration relaxes the body, the relaxed body supports further concentration. Part of the delight of concentration is the progressive silencing of discursive thinking. The energy that usually goes into thinking becomes increasingly available for heightened clarity and peace. It can be a relief to be free of the incessant chattering in the mind. Cultivating concentration takes patience and consistent practice. For most people concentration develops slowly, perhaps even imperceptibly, with day-to-day meditation practice. It can be useful to assume that only twenty-ve percent of developing concentration is the intentional effort to stay present and focused; twenty-ve percent of the practice is an attitude of equanimity and receptivity; and a full fty percent of concentration practice is letting go and relaxing. All meditation practices develop concentration. Some practices have this as their primary purpose, while with other practices concentration is a by-product. One of the most common ways of developing concentration in meditation is to focus on breathing. Another approach is loving-kindness practice. A concentrated mind can also be cultivated by focusing on the changing nature of present moment experience without emphasizing any particular object. Concentration in meditation is not a laser-like focus originating in the control-tower in the mind. Rather it is physically and mentally settling the attention onto the object of focus. While establishing a rm intentness to stay focused is helpful, it is best not to concentrate with brute mental force. Instead, we can use our discernment to discover how to stay focused in a committed, relaxed way. We can develop wisdom about the hindrances to concentration and other forces that distract us. Instead of resorting to aversion or resistance to distractions, we can learn to calm whatever mental energy is involved with them. When letting go of distractions it can be helpful to simultaneously letting go into the object of the concentration. It is also useful to explore how to enjoy the practice. Not only can concentration practice bring joy, it can also bring peace, often to a greater degree than is available in daily life. Even small amounts of meditative joy and peace are useful for encouraging greater concentration. A concentrated mind is a still mind, bright with awareness. This is not an end in itself. Rather, for those walking the Eightfold Path, such a mind provides the clarity for deep insight and wisdom. In particular, it leads to penetrating insight into the Four Noble Truths. And because concentration softens mental rigidity and fear, it facilitates the letting go and freedom that this insight shows is possible.

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The Four Noble Truths stand at the beginning and the end of the Eightfold Path. At the beginning they provide the orientation for Right View. At the end the Truths are afrmed by the insights Right Concentration makes possible. With greater wisdom into the Four Noble Truths a person can then continue to walk the Eightfold Path with greater condence and wisdom.

This material is licensed under the Creative Commons License. You may make and/or distribute copies, provided that you do so freely without cost, follow the guidelines of the license, and this notice is included with all copies.
This Study guide was created by Gil Fronsdal for the Insight Meditation Society. It can be viewed online and downloaded at:

http://audiodharma.org

Additional Resources: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/wings/part2.html#part2-h http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/lee/pathtopeace.html#fact1 http://www.beyondthenet.net/dhamma/nobleEight.htm

Bhikkhu, Bodhi. The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions, 2000. Print. Gunaratana, Henepola. Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Path of the Buddha. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2001. Print. Nht Hnh, Thich. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy & Liberation : The Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and Other Basic Buddhist Teachings. New York: Broadway, 1999. Print.

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