The Eight Fold Path

This simple path incorporating eight imperitives, if followed, will surely lead to ones liberation from all human suffering 

1) Right View  

View is a matter of concepts. Someone is walking towards us, suddenly we freeze. Not only do we freeze ourselves, but we freeze the situation as well, the space in which the person is walking towards us. We try to conceptionalise the situation, is he a ‘friend,’ or an ‘enemy?’ We have therefore created a frozen space of fixed ideas – this, as opposed to that – the person is walking through a frozen situation. This view, is a conceptionalised view, which is imperfect, because we don’t see the situation, as it is. So right view is openness, where we don’t freeze any situation, we encounter in life, there is just open space, free from concepts. It is the ever present awareness of impermanence that life is constantly changing.

Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realise the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning

2) Right Intention

Of body, speech and mind. Ordinary intention is based on the situation, described above. We conceptually fix the person, coming towards us, we are now ready to either grasp onto, or ignore him. It is an automatic response, a thought process that relates to action. When you encounter a situation, you think, and thinking inclines towards action. In our constant alertness, we constantly relate the situation to our security. And security is concerned with pain and pleasure.

Yet there is also Right Intention, we do not need to be in control of the situation, we can afford to relax.

We don’t mean right, as opposed to wrong, but ‘right.’ Meaning ‘what is.’ Being right without a concept of what is right - complete. Completeness needs no relative help; it is self-sufficient, precise, and direct. Life without clutches, straightforward. Life is pleasure, life is pain.

Giving up wanting to be in control of situations.

3) Right Speech

Words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace

Perfect communication, it is so, not “I think it is so.” Direct precision, not delusion. No games, just right to the point. Without gossip, lying or condemnations of others. No need for idle words. There is no self, for no one knows, what self is! There’s no I, because fundamentally, nobody uttered the word “am.” 

4 )Right Morality/Discipline

There is no one to impose discipline and no one to impose discipline on; there’s is no need for discipline, in the ordinary sense at all. This leads to the understanding of Right Discipline, complete discipline, which cannot exist on the basis of ego. Discipline exists only on the level of relative decisions, so, if there’s no ego, a whole range of projections becomes unnecessary. Right Discipline is a sort of giving up process. It allows complete simplicity. We lead a direct life, acting with compassion and honesty.

To abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others.

5) Right Livelihood

Giving up harmful occupations, having nothing to do with hope, fear, or clingings. In order to live, we need to survive. We can’t live without jobs. We need a roof over our heads, food and warm clothes, the rest is just desire. Work arises naturally out of our relative situation, it’s just organic.

Right Livelihood simply means earning your money, living your life. We have to relate to the whole process, as the energy of making a living, involves us in so many situations, that we have to relate to the whole thing, the whole life situation. The more we put in, so the more we get out.

6) Right Effort

Right Effort means energy, endurance, exertion. If you enjoy your situation, take delight in it. Being present fully, with delight, with a grin. There is something very creative, humorous and constantly enjoyable, about this whole situation. It’s beautiful. Direct and simple, natural openness. We see the situation in that moment. Right Effort, is providing space, beyond discursive thought. Don’t get sidetracked, just do what you do, without allowing seductive thoughts to sidetrack us.

Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness

7) Right Awareness/Mindfulness

Right Awareness/Mindfulness is concerned with meditation, working on your breathing.

Mindfulness, is not the same as concentration. With concentration, there is a ‘you,’ and ‘other,’ another thing, which is being concentrated on. You are trying to hang onto, or grasp something. A duality is developing, a ‘self,’ who is concentrating on a ‘thing.’ ‘You,’ are trying to do it. You’re relating to something, you’re trying to get to something separate. Your body is set up, as somehow separate from your mind, and so, you are trying to relate to it. Right Mindfulness means being with the mindfulness of who you are, at every given moment, being with the situation.

8) Right Samadi/Absorption

This takes place, when one is in the situation of being completely there. Total awareness, ‘As it is.’ Relating to the space of ones living situation, in a non - dualistic way. This pertains to ones living situation as well as to sitting meditation. Right Absorption is being completely involved. In sitting meditation, the technique and you are one. In a life situation, the phenomenal world is also a part of you. Therefore, you don’t have to meditate, as such, as a separate entity. If you are one, with the living situation, your meditation just automatically happens,