
Illustration by Ray Fenwick.
Having established the reality, cause, and end of suffering, in the final noble truth the Buddha taught his disciples the eight-step path to awakening. Because they represent the actions and comportment of one who lives in accord with the dharma, these eight aspects of Buddhist practice are described as “wise,” “skillful,” “correct,” or simply, “right.”
1. Right View
A true understanding of how reality and suffering are intertwined.
2. Right Resolve
The aspiration to act with correct intention, doing no harm.
3. Right Speech
Abstaining from lying, and divisive or abusive speech.
4. Right Action
Acting in ways that do not cause harm, such as not taking life, not stealing, and not engaging in sexual misconduct.
5. Right Livelihood
Making an ethically sound living, being honest in business dealings.
6. Right Effort
Endeavoring to give rise to skillful thoughts, words, and deeds and renouncing unskillful ones.
7. Right Mindfulness
Being mindful of one’s body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities.
8. Right Concentration
Practicing skillful meditation informed by all of the preceding seven aspects.
These eight steps are considered to be of three types: right view and right resolve are related to our development of wisdom; right speech, right action, and right livelihood to ethical conduct; and right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration to meditation.
Can you help us at a critical time?
COVID-19 has brought tremendous suffering, uncertainty, fear, and strain to the world.
Our sincere wish is that these Buddhist teachings, guided practices, and stories can be a balm in these difficult times. Over the past month, over 400,000 readers like you have visited our site, reading almost a million pages and streaming over 120,000 hours of video teachings. We want to provide even more Buddhist wisdom but our resources are strained. Can you help us?
No one is free from the pandemic’s impact, including Lion’s Roar. We rely significantly on advertising and newsstand sales to support our work — both of which have dropped precipitously this year. Can you lend your support to Lion’s Roar at this critical time?