The Noble Eightfold Path

     

From: Fo Guang Shang Temple in Toronto

    The Noble Eightfold Path, one of the principle teachings of the Buddha (the fourth of the Four Noble Truths) describes the path one must take in order to cease suffering and achieve Enlightenment. The practice of right view, right thinking, right mindfulness, right speech, right action, right diligence, right concentration, and right livelihood is much easier to describe than it is to enact.
     It is basically human instinct to stray towards greed and hatred yet these eight different elements, either individually or together can bring the human mind back to the now and help overcome those challenges that we face. I find it interesting that the set of eight elements are all interconnected. One depends on the other and so on and so forth. The path to Enlightenment could not be complete without all the parts of this practice present. While each of these elements can be broken down much deeper, the face value of each element is important in understanding how we can apply this practice to modern life. I also am fascinated by the fact that more than half of the eight are all practiced within the mind. This only goes to show how individualize this whole process is. 
     It was never apparent to me, but when it comes to anything religious, my thoughts switch to Vietnamese. For example, all of my thoughts are in English, but when I go to pray, my prayers will always be in Vietnamese. It almost feels wrong for me to pray in English. I could easily say that this small factor is inhibiting right view, right thinking, and right concentration. My thoughts aren't being directed towards what really matters, but is focused on what language I'm using. The whole language barrier, for me, is defeating the purpose of the actual practice. In modern life our minds are stretched very thin at all moments of the day, and it is just so easy to forget where we are, what we are doing, and why we are doing it. 
     It is also important to note that this path is the way for Buddhists to keep their morals in check. Our thoughts and actions all have effects on others, whether it is providing them with joy or adding to their suffering and our own. The Noble Eightfold Path regulates our actions towards others so that we can be free from suffering. These morals brings us back to the idea of karma, in that our actions directly affects what happens to us in the future or in another life.