Path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)
The final Noble Truth is the Buddha's prescription for the end of suffering. This is a set of principles called the Eightfold Path.The Eightfold Path is also called the Middle Way: it avoids both indulgence and severe asceticism, neither of which the Buddha had found helpful in his search for enlightenment.
The wheel of the Dharma, the symbol of the Eightfold Path © The eight divisions
The eight stages are not to be taken in order, but rather support and reinforce each other:- Right Understanding - Sammā ditthi
- Accepting Buddhist teachings. (The Buddha never intended his followers to believe his teachings blindly, but to practise them and judge for themselves whether they were true.)
- Right Intention - Sammā san̄kappa
- A commitment to cultivate the right attitudes.
- Right Speech - Sammā vācā
- Speaking truthfully, avoiding slander, gossip and abusive speech.
- Right Action - Sammā kammanta
- Behaving peacefully and harmoniously; refraining from stealing, killing and overindulgence in sensual pleasure.
- Right Livelihood - Sammā ājīva
- Avoiding making a living in ways that cause harm, such as exploiting people or killing animals, or trading in intoxicants or weapons.
- Right Effort - Sammā vāyāma
- Cultivating positive states of mind; freeing oneself from evil and unwholesome states and preventing them arising in future.
- Right Mindfulness - Sammā sati
- Developing awareness of the body, sensations, feelings and states of mind.
- Right Concentration - Sammā samādhi
- Developing the mental focus necessary for this awareness.
The Buddha described the Eightfold Path as a means to enlightenment, like a raft for crossing a river. Once one has reached the opposite shore, one no longer needs the raft and can leave it behind.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/beliefs/fournobletruths_1.shtml
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