The 8-fold path
The 8-fold path is the 4th noble truth in the The Four Noble Truths. It consists of 8 practices:
- Right view
- Right resolve
- Right speech
- Right conduct
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right concentration
I struggled for a long time with the usage of the word Right, until I finally understood that it wasn’t about right or wrong in an absolute way. Instead think of a drill that has many heads. Depending on the situation, one needs to choose the right head.
So, for example, right speech is not about what is the right way to talk to people, but instead, skilfully recognizing, case by case, what words are the most appropriate to share. The end goal is to have less suffering not because it is right, but rather because it leads to more calm, stillness and joy.
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