#eightfoldpath

The Noble Eightfold Path

I’ve been reading the Discourses of the Buddha lately and I wanted to create symbols to go with each of the aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path that represent their meanings. Partly to help me remember them all. So here is what I created.

Starting with the top symbol and moving around to the right:

Right View:

Right View is about fully understanding the Four Noble Truths, so I made an eye with Four rectangles representing the Four Noble Truths.

Right Intention: 

Right Intention is about moving from the Unwholesome to the Wholesome, specifically Abandoning Sense-pleasures, Hatred, and Harmfulness/Cruelty, and Embracing Renunciation of the Sense-pleasures, Loving-Kindness, and Compassion. I created an arrow showing pointing from three empty [unWHOLEsome] circles to three filled [WHOLEsome] circles.

Right Speech:

Right Speech is about abandoning Unwholesome speech and embracing Wholesome speech. Specifically abandoning Lying, Slanderous speech meant to divide people, Harsh speech filled with anger, and Idle chatter, like gossip.I made a speech bubble with the four empty [unWHOLEsome] circles outside of it, with a filled [WHOLEsome] circle inside of it.

Right Action:

Right Action is about abandoning unwholesome actions, specifically Killing, Stealing, and Sexual Misconduct, and embracing compassionate actions. I created an arrow with a filled circle inside of it pointing away from three empty circles with a line between them.

Right Livelihood:

Right Livelihood is about making sure that you don’t earn your livelihood through unwholesome professions, specifically from anything to do with death, like being a butcher, anything to do with poisons, anything to do with weapons, anything to do with slavery or prostitution, or anything to do with intoxicants. You’re also supposed to avoid anything like high-pressure sales or anything else that would encourage dishonesty or harming others. I created an alms bowl with five empty circles outside of it and one filled circle inside.

Right Effort:

Right Effort is about actively training and making an effort to abandon the defilements, specifically Greed, Hatred, and Delusion, and embracing their wholesome opposites, Renunciation, Loving-Kindness, and Wisdom. I created a large circle with the three empty circles on the outside and a filled circle on the inside.

Right Mindfulness:

Right Mindfulness is about cultivating clear awareness of the truth of things in and around you by using the four foundations of mindfulness, being mindful of your body, being mindful of your feelings and where they come from, being mindful of your states of mind and where they come from, and being mindful of your thoughts and where they come from. I created a simplified image of a brain seen from above with four lines beneath it like a foundation.

Right Concentration:

Right Concentration is about training yourself, through meditation, to focus your mind into one pointedness. I used the simplified image of the brain and put a filled circle in the middle.

I also put a lotus in the center of all of it.

What is Dharma & what does it signify?

Remember these Four Noble Truths:

1. Anguish is everywhere.

2. We desire permanent existence of ourselves and for our loved ones, and we desire to prove ourselves independent of others and superior to them. These desires conflict with the way things are: nothing abides, and everything and everyone depends upon everything and everyone else. This conflict causes our anguish, and we project this anguish on those we meet.

3. Release from anguish comes with the personal acknowledgment and resolve: we are here together very briefly, so let us accept reality fully and take care of one another while we can.

A quick summary of what I’ve learned about the Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right View

(Senses give our brains input 24/7. Perspective is often needed to have a clear view of these senses and what they mean.)

2. Right Resolve

(Positive thinking is an important aspect of the journey to minimizing and eliminating suffering. A peaceful mind is created by peaceful thoughts.)

3. Right Speech

(Using foul language, spreading lies, spreading gossip, and using sarcasm can all be negative things, and most often times are negative. Using judgment and avoiding negative speech is important.)

4. Right Action

(Peaceful thoughts and a goal to eliminate suffering are good, but turning those thoughts into deliberate and calculated actions is the key to achieving enlightenment.)

5. Right Livelihood

(Simply put, your livelihood is the long-term word for who you choose to associate with, what job and career you choose, parenting, friendships, etc. Choosing positive long-term options, as well as trying to solve and improve upon negative and neutral options.)

6. Right Effort

(You should always be trying but at the exact same time not trying. Effort shouldn’t become a craving, and should always be balanced. Giving the things you care about in life effort and energy is the key to making things happen.)

7. Right Mindfulness

(Being aware and mindful of what your mind and body are telling you about your present situation is important. Mindfulness is a knowledge and understanding of not only self but all.)

8. Right Concentration

Today is Buddha Purnima, also known as Vesak Day or Buddha Jayanti. It is the celebration of Buddha’s birth (born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama) and it normally falls on the full moon day in the month of Vaisakha as per the Hindu calendar.

It is the one significant day when Buddhists all over the world commemorate the significant events of Buddhism, i.e., the birth of Buddha, his enlightenment under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India and his death.

On his spiritual path, Buddha discovered The Four Noble Truths and these contain the essence of Buddha’s teachings. Put very simply, these are -

1) Life is suffering

2) The cause of suffering is desire

3) The cure for suffering is to remove desire

4) To remove suffering, follow the Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path is symbolised by the dharma wheel - a wooden wheel with eight spokes as shown on the image.

Today is a wonderful day to meditate and connect to the essence of Buddha within us all. 💜

Trees as Symbols of Spirituality — The Eightfold Path of Yoga TechniquesUnderstanding the eightfold path of yoga techniques is a process. It requires applying yoga philosophy in daily life. It is a journey of developing and integrating the mind, body, and spirit. Come and see how these tools can enhance your spiritual walk. In spiritual circles, the path refers to the inward journey. Spirituality uses analogies and symbols to convey concepts. These are important tools used to facilitate learning. Astronomy and nature provide a bounty of objects for this subject. The Sun, stars, and moon, along with circles and spheres, are found in almost every culture. Flowers and trees are also excellent teaching metaphors in nature. In Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, used the eightfold path in his talk on enlightenment. We also find this same pattern in several other Eastern traditions. We can also identify one or more of these eight components in indigenous cultures around the world. (1)

Tree Wisdom Allegory — Yoga Means Union