Transcript The Noble Eight Fold Path

The Noble Eight
Fold Path
The Middle way
The Noble Eight Fold Path
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The Noble Eight Fold Path is
also known as the Middle Way
It is a way of living between
the extremes
It is a path to a more
favourable rebirth
It is a path to enlightenment
It is a path to peace, balance
and self harmony
It is a path to happiness
The Noble Eight Fold Path
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Right intention
Right thought
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration
The Triple Way (The Threefold Way)
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Right view
Right thought
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration
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Wisdom
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Morality
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Meditation
Right View
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Seeing the true nature of reality
Developing insight and understanding of reality
Not simply academic knowledge
Understanding the truth of impermanence
Understanding the truth of no self
Insight into selflessness
Insight developed through meditation
Seeing how one’s actions affect others
Right Thought
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The right motivation to follow the path
Intention to act in a selfless way
Removing thoughts of a self
Banishing selfish thoughts and replacing them with
selfless thoughts
Focus to reach enlightenment
Right Speech
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No lies
No gossip
No boasting
No talking behind people’s backs
Using speech in a thoughtful way
Speech can cause great harm
Speech can also do good
Compassionate, skilful speech is encouraged
Right Action
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Practical and demands application
Doing the right thing
Acting in a way that causes least harm or suffering
Being aware of how actions affect others
Being in control of one’s actions and the consequences of
them
Intentional actions carry karmic consequences
Cultivation of skilful action
Elimination of unskilful action
Right Livelihood
Practical
 Doing a job or earning a living in a way that does not
cause suffering could be a doctor, nurse, vet
 Cannot work in an industry that exploits animals,
children or the environment
Not able to:
 Be a butcher
 Work in the Scottish whiskey industry
 Work for companies that cause environmental harm
such as destruction of habitats or pollution
 Being aware of the consequences of unskilful action
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Right Effort
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The energetic will
Diligence and effort to prevent unwholesome
states of mind
Diligence and effort to prevent unwholesome
actions that result from unwholesome thought
Cultivation of skilful thoughts and action
Right Mindfulness
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Being aware/mindful
Being continually aware of the activities of
the body
Awareness of how thoughts can lead to
actions
Being continually aware of one’s own
feelings and thoughts
Right Concentration
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Mental effort
Avoiding distractions of the mind
Being in control of one’s own mind
Developed through samatha meditation
The Triple Way: Wisdom, Morality
and Meditation
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All three are cultivated together, at the same time
Wisdom developed through meditation
Morality developed through wisdom and meditation
Meditation develops insightfulness enabling one to see
how their actions affect others
Seeing how actions affect others develops wisdom
Wisdom developed through meditation helps one to be
in control of thoughts, actions and feelings
Many other benefits achieved through the higher
trainings
The Noble Eight Fold Path
You will be:
 examining in depth, the Fourth Noble Truth, the Noble Eight Fold
Path
 Looking at the threefold division of the path into the Triple Way
You will be able to:
 Describe fully three parts of the path
 Explain why the Noble Eight Fold Path is called the Middle Way
 Explain the connectedness of the higher trainings of the Triple Way