Last time, I talked about the Four Noble Truths: 1) Life involves suffering; 2) Suffering is caused by craving and attachment; 3) Craving and attachment can be overcome; 4) The way to overcome craving and attachment is the Eightfold Path. So today, it’s time to tackle the Eightfold Path. Ugh.
Because I have now read at least 6 books on Buddhism and have yet to find two that agree on the exact wording of the steps in the Eightfold Path, I’m going to use the terms outlined in Gary Gach’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism, if only to avoid going back and forth with terms that all seem to mean the same thing, at least to me.
According to Gach, the eight steps are:
1. Right view
2. Right thought
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
 |
| The eight steps on the path are illustrated as the spokes of a wheel. |
Okay, so there they are. But what the hell do they mean?
Well, I’ve got to tell you, nobody does a very good job explaining them, so I doubt my attempt will be much better. But I'll give it a try.
1. Right View
Buddhism says that our ability to see reality is clouded by our attachments to the physical world and our own assumptions and prejudices. In order to break the cycle of suffering and reincarnation, we need to remove the things that block our view of what is real and keep our vision clear. Apparently, if we manage to do this, we see things the way they really are and we understand that every moment is perfect and complete, just as it is.
All I can say is, the Buddha never had to live a single moment in my crappy life, or he’d REALLY be rethinking the whole “every moment is perfect” concept. But let’s move on.
2. Right Thought
Right thought is closely related to right view. The way we think about things affects the way we view the world.
As the Buddha said, “Mind is forerunner of action, foremost of deeds. Everything’s made up of mind. If your mind is polluted, sorrow will follow. . . . If your mind is pure, happiness will ensue, the way your shadow trails along wherever you go.”
That's just a little too “Power of Positive Thinking”/The Secret for my taste. Maybe my mind is just too “polluted,” but I have never found that thinking positively has helped attract even an iota of happiness to my life. Yeah, I know. I’m bitter. And polluted.
3. Right Speech
I’m in trouble on this one. Gary Gach explains right speech by saying, “Watch what you say: it colors our thoughts, which shape our deeds, which in turn influence our predispositions. . . . whatever we say about others, applies to us as well.”
So “right speech” means the same old stuff your grandmother probably told you: If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. It also means we shouldn’t gossip about other people or make fun of people—either behind their backs or to their faces. And that means I can no longer engage in my favorite form of recreation—mockery.
4. Right Action
This one is pretty simple. To achieve “right action,” you’re supposed to act out of love and avoid causing anyone to suffer as a result of your actions. With the exception of my tendency toward mockery, which I assure you is almost always good-natured, I’m generally a pretty nice person. Really. So I might be okay on right action.
5. Right Livelihood
That’s right, folks—Buddhism tells you what kind of occupation you can and cannot practice. The list of “unwholesome” professions isn’t too big, but I imagine quite a lot of people around the world actually do make their living working in some aspect of them.
The list includes: dealing in arms/weapons (I guess the military isn’t up on Buddhism); dealing in intoxicants (uh-oh—does the fact that I spent six months as a bartender mean I’ll never achieve enlightenment?); dealing in slavery (phew! I’m good on that one—never had a slave, never sold a slave); prostitution (oh no! Even the oldest profession is banned!); and slaughtering animals (and I was so looking forward to getting a job at the local slaughterhouse—damn!).
Essentially, right livelihood means picking a job that doesn’t harm others—including animals.
6. Right Effort
This one involves the way you put the other steps into practice. Revered Wisdom: Buddhism explains it this way: “Right effort . . . is when a monk [or any practitioner of Buddhism] makes an effort, and strives to prevent evil states of mind from arising; to suppress them if they have arisen; to produce good states of mind, and develop and perfect them.”
Right effort lays the groundwork for developing a solid practice of meditation, which is where the next steps on the Eightfold Path come into play. And that is where I get into trouble every time.
7. Right Mindfulness
Mindfulness, or energetic awareness, is a key component of effective meditation. And I don’t have it—not even a little bit.
Mindfulness means being fully aware of where we are in the here and now, taking the time to pay attention to the present moment and stop everything else. Gary Gach describes it, saying, “Mindfulness is being fully attentive to things as they are, in and of themselves, moment to moment. And if this awareness feels splendid, even miraculous, remember it’s your birthright.”
I don’t know. All I ever feel when I focus on the present moment is anxiety and usually a little bit of boredom. It certainly doesn't feel "miraculous." I guess I’m not doing it right.
8. Right Concentration
Concentration refers to undivided attentiveness. Now, I’m fabulous at devoting my undivided attention to a few things—my work (well, most of the time), food, and, of course, television. But when it comes to meditation, my concentration sucks.
Revered Wisdom: Buddhism says that when someone practices right concentration, it “purifies his mind from all lust, ill temper, sloth, fretfulness, and perplexity. When these are gone, he is like a man freed from jail or debt, gladness rises in his heart. . . . Then his whole mind and even his body is permeated with a feeling of purity and peace.”
Funny. My experience of meditation is almost exactly the opposite. Instead of feeling free of “lust, ill temper, sloth, fretfulness, and perplexity,” I always get pissed off, sleepy, anxious, and confused. I guess I should be happy I don’t also get horny.
Clearly, I have a lot of work to do when it comes to the Eightfold Path.
No comments:
Post a Comment