The Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path is comprised of eight primary teachings which Buddhists follow and use in their everyday lives. 1. Right View or Right Understanding , insight into the true nature of reality. When the steps of the Eightfold Path are presented in a list, usually Right View is the first step (even though there is no "first" step). Right View supports wisdom. Wisdom in this sense is the understanding of things as they are, as explained in the teachings of the Four Noble Truths. This understanding is not mere intellectual understanding. It is instead a thorough penetration of the Four Noble Truths. Theravada scholar Wapola Rahula called this penetration "seeing a thing in its true nature, without name and label." ( What the Buddha Taught ) 2. Right Intention , the unselfish desire to realize enlightenment. - Three Kinds of Right Intention The Buddha taught that there are three kinds of Right Intention, which counter three kinds of...
