Buddhist Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, as it was laid out by Siddhartha Gautama. It is a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things

1. Right View (Wisdom) - Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realise the Four Noble Truths.

2. Right Intention (Wisdom) - Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement.

Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions:

1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire

2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion

3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.

3. Right Speech (Ethical Conduct) - The importance of speech in the context of Buddhist ethics is obvious: words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace.

Buddha explained right speech as follows:

1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully

2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others

3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others

4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.

4. Right Action (Ethical Conduct) - Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind. Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence

Right action in Buddhism means:

1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently

2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty

d 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct.

5. Right Livelihood (Ethical Conduct) - Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully.

The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason:

1. dealing in weapons

2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution)

3. working in meat production and butchery

4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs.

6. Right Effort Mental (Development) - Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence.

Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavours that rank in ascending order of perfection:

1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states

2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen

3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen

4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.

7. Right Mindfulness (Development) - It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression.

Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness:

1. contemplation of the body

2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral)

3. contemplation of the state of mind

4. contemplation of the phenomena.

8. Right Concentration (Development) - Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, i.e. concentration on wholesome thoughts and actions.

The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations.

The Buddhist Flag
First hoisted in 1885 in Sri Lanka, is a symbol of faith and peace used throughout the world to represent the Buddhist faith.

Buddhist Flag Meanings
Blue: Universal Compassion
Yellow: The Middle Path
Red: Blessings
White: Purity and Liberation
Orange: Wisdom

Thailand - Bangkok - City Pillar Shrine - Buddhist Temple

The Dharma Wheel

In Buddhism-according to the Pali Canon, Vinayapitaka, Khandhaka, Mahavagga, the number of spokes of the Dharmachakra represent various meanings:

8 spokes representing the Noble Eightfold Path (Ariya magga).
12 spokes representing the Twelve Laws of Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppada).
24 spokes representing the Twelve Laws of Dependent Origination and the Twelve Laws of Dependent Termination (Paticcasamuppada).
31 spokes representing 31 realms of existence (11 realms of desire, 16 realms of form and 4 realms of formlessness).

Thailand Travel Guide