How Well Do You Practice The "Eightfold Path" and Understand The "Four Noble Truths"?

compassion

The eightfold path is preached by the Buddha. However, it is hard for one to really practice up to even the "mundane" state (much less the "ultramundane" state). The Buddha said that Right Effort consists of the effort to avoid, the effort to overcome, the effort to develop and the effort to maintain.

How many of you follow the Eightfold Path really?

federica

I practice it extremely well, and feel I have really got everything under my belt, perfectly.

except perhaps, for Right Speech.... :rolleyes:

Tosh

I have a fairly good understanding of the Four Noble Truths; I've studied it in a structured way under the guidance of a teacher. I don't think getting the gist of the framework it is particularly difficult.

But as for the 8fold path, I like the breakdown of ethical life, wisdom and compassion (there's a name for it; the three trainings (I think), and that's how I practise. I try to lead an ethical life, I try to develop wisdom (gain realisations through meditation), and I try to practise compassion.

For me, the three trainings are easier to work on than the 8fold path (but they're the same thing).

And it's a PRACTICE, just like sport is a practise; the word indicates that we're gonna get it wrong, make mistakes and will always have scope for development.

Invincible_summer

Right Speech is the hardest, IMO

compassion

I have a fairly good understanding of the Four Noble Truths; I've studied it in a structured way under the guidance of a teacher. I don't think getting the gist of the framework it is particularly difficult.

But as for the 8fold path, I like the breakdown of ethical life, wisdom and compassion (there's a name for it; the three trainings (I think), and that's how I practise. I try to lead an ethical life, I try to develop wisdom (gain realisations through meditation), and I try to practise compassion.

For me, the three trainings are easier to work on than the 8fold path (but they're the same thing).

And it's a PRACTICE, just like sport is a practise; the word indicates that we're gonna get it wrong, make mistakes and will always have scope for development.

Yes, I agree. The framework isn't hard- but I find practicing it extremely hard. Right livelihood is pretty easy to uphold... Right attentiveness, effort and all that take a bit more effort. But yes, right speech, right action - these are really the two that I'm having trouble with.

Vain talk, angry words, judging talk, tale-bearing... They are just so embedded in today's society it is hard to remove. Newspapers and media are full of it, for example.

patbb

I think we need to define it first.

for example,

Right effort.
What is an acceptable definition.

if it is:
A: 10 minutes meditation a day = right effort? -> lots of people are doing this and would fit the bill.
B: Using all available moments during the day other than work and chores to develop concentration without slacking (no tv, no reading novel books, no hobbies etc...)? -> not many fit the bill.

I think the answer must lie somewhere in between but it should be much closer to B than A.
I also think alot of people are in denial about this. If they'd look at how they spend their free time and compare this with the amount of time spend actually developing the mind, they'd realize they have been slacking.
I'm one of those people.

Tosh

but I find practicing it extremely hard. Right livelihood is pretty easy to uphold... Right attentiveness, effort and all that take a bit more effort. But yes, right speech, right action - these are really the two that I'm having trouble with.

Vain talk, angry words, judging talk, tale-bearing... They are just so embedded in today's society it is hard to remove. Newspapers and media are full of it, for example.

I'm no guru, I'm pretty much a beginner myself, but from my experience it's tough to say "Right, I'm going to practise right speech" and then actually be able to do it 24/7.

We have to approach things a little smarter; head on using sheer force of will never tends to work for me. I find that if I develop compassion - and I really work hard on that - then right speech becomes easier; it happens without any real conscious effort. And my guts will tell me when I'm misbehaving and saying something that I shouldn't be saying.

I'm also 'playing about' with 'faking it till I make it' (it's often said in A.A. meetings), where I will fake that I have a good trait, when I really don't; for example I often lack discipline, so I just pretend that I'm a disciplined person; and guess what? I become a more disciplined person - I got out of bed this morning when I should've for example, rather than having my usual 20 min lie in and then go rushing around.

So my experience shows me that there are ways of dealing with traits we wish to improve upon, without trying to deal with them head on. And go gentle on yourself; you will get it wrong, but play about with it - have fun with it too. If you think you keep on failing, you'll bin the whole practise as not suitable for you, when it is, you've just got to find the correct approach I think.

Now these are only the thoughts of a beginner. Take anything that's useful and bin the rest.

Tosh

Just another thought; if you try to make compassion your motivation for everything you do, things like right speech will become easier. You won't want to hurt people with your speech because you're motivated by this compassion. And yes, you can still do things like go to the cinema; out of compassion for others, you need your time to relax too; it will make you better suited to help others if you look after your own needs too.

In the same vein, 'right effort' will become easier if you're motivated by compassion for others. Don't you find there's some power in helping others rather than just helping our small self? Even when it comes to meditation, it could be easier to think, "I'll meditate to make me better able to help others!", rather than to think, "I'll meditate because I want to develop wisdom for myself". Same action but the intention is different, and one intention maybe more powerful with your practise than the other.

Am I making sense?

But it is a practise; we all will make mistakes; and my best teacher is my 15 year old daughter.

Sometimes I find the only way I can practise 'right speech' is by shutting up till I've calmed down.

AMH

I think a moderately good job? I realize part of it works out because of my job and how it doesn't put me in as many difficult situations as some other jobs. It is a good place to work on things (I work with kids) and feel comfortable about trying to focus on right x 8.

However the more I work on the right x 8 the deeper my understanding gets so the more work I have still to do,

etherea

I am a bit the wrong way round in a manner of speaking. I don't try to live according to the 8 because I'm a buddhist, it was because I was pretty much leading my life that way that brought me to investigate buddhism.

vinlyn

I am a bit the wrong way round in a manner of speaking. I don't try to live according to the 8 because I'm a buddhist, it was because I was pretty much leading my life that way that brought me to investigate buddhism.

Etherea, that's very interestingly put!

Jeffrey

The four noble truths is about seeing what is there rather than what we think should be there.

Everyone is doing it even non-buddhists.

What does someone think?

Patbb, I had a surprising response to your post. I have been motivated and benefited from success of meditation I hear about. I have overcome a lot of fear of meditating and now meditation is no problem I just sit down and get up when my legs are numb, sit again if I decide. But on the other hand I find in my practice I need islands of sense pleasures. To cheer me up. And I do them fully. The teaching I have about desire is that it is like a hydra. You can avoid one pleasure but the desire keeps popping up until you go into desire and do it without the division of an alternate reality of purity. I'm thinking aloud. Or not do it, but not on the fence.

AMH

i agree that I would be trying to live like this regardless of being buddhist, however the knowledge of the 8 fold path and the support of teachings and sangha really help to stick to it.

Lady_Alison

I fail everyday in one way or the other...I think I'm a little shit.

But knowing that, makes me want to try harder.

Jeffrey

Sometimes it makes me feel better to realize I am a big shit.

Bekenze

Not very.

ThailandTom

Now how about also asking yourselves what you seem to excell in, what positive ways have you taken the teachings of the 8fold path and 4NTs into your daily life.

Bekenze

Now how about also asking yourselves what you seem to excell in, what positive ways have you taken the teachings of the 8fold path and 4NTs into your daily life.

I am more compassionate towards people who have down something "wrong" or has "messed up" in some way.

shays860

Not very well. I get sucked into obsessive negative thoughts and it's all downhill from there.

DairyLama

How many of you follow the Eightfold Path really?

For me the biggest challenge is Right Mindfulness because I think that without that it's quite difficult to do the rest effectively.