The Means

1
The Means

• Eightfold Path / Ethics / Meditation

2
Noble Eightfold Path

• The Noble Eightfold Path is the core of Buddhist
  practice and lifestyle. It is a guide to life,
  with its basis in the central teachings of the
  Four Noble Truths.
• Split into three sections Wisdom, Morality, and
  Meditation
• Not a step by step guide
• All should be practiced simultaneously
• All stages are interconnected
• It is seen as the Way to achieve enlightenment
• See The Path (Dhammapada)

3
Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right View (understanding 4NT)
2. Right Intention (Doing things for right reasons)
3. Right Speech (no gossip / idle chat / lying)
4. Right Conduct / Action (being useful/helpful)
5. Right Livelihood (a good / helpful job)
6. Right Effort (Work hard towards keeping to 4NT
   and 8FP)
7. Right Mindfulness (Awareness / See things in the
   right way / Understanding how your actions affect
   everything around you)
8. Right Concentration (Meditation)

4
Ethics / Morality

• Compassion is a central value to Buddhists it
  underpins all belief and action
• Ahimsa non-violence and respect for life
• Metta loving-kindness (compassion for all
  creatures)
• Using skilful means
• Gaining good kamma (to enable a better rebirth)
• Altruism putting others first as based on
  compassion and as seen in the Bodhisattva ideal
  of Mahayana Buddhism

5
Meditation

• Develops understanding / mindfulness /
  concentration
• Samatha Meditation developing mindfulness, but
  not specifically Buddhist / wont get you
  enlightened
• Bhavana (Mental Culture) specifically Buddhist
  / essential for enlightenment / insight into
  nature of reality
• Not an escape from life, but developing an
  awareness and understanding of it!
• Pure Land Buddhists believe they can become
  enlightened simply by meditating on a mental
  image of the Pure Land!

6
Questions

1. Explain the importance of Right Understanding,
   Right Intention, Right Speech, and Right
   Livelihood (8 KU)
2. Explain the importance of Eightfold Path (3 AE)
3. Explain the concepts of metta and ahimsa (4 KU)
4. Meditation is essential to enlightenment how
   far do you agree? (6 AE)