The Eightfold Path
Wherever the Eightfold path is practiced, the Buddha taught peace, joy and insight are there. The Eightfold path does not lead us away from the darkside to Nirvana. Rather, the Path is Nirvana. In other words, the Path is not a means to an end like the Jedi Trials. The Path is a reward in itself. To walk the path is to walk in happiness.
The eightfold path consists of, well…eight aspects.
1. Right view
2. Right thought
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right effort
6. Right livelihood
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
Right is the traditional translation of what’s literally ‘perfect’ in Sanskrit. “right” doesn’t imply that there is also a “wrong.” Buddhism is not that judgmental. No dualities, remember?
Right View
Right view can also be translated as \"right perspective\", \"right vision\" or \"right understanding\". It is the right way of looking at life, nature and the world as they really are. It is to understand how reality works.
When the Buddha speaks of mind he isn’t referring to intellect – Google the character for “heart” in both Japanese and Chinese. Look at the calligraphy; it depicts a human heart with chambers and aorta. It is also the character for “mind”. So here we see mind and body as one. Our mind is one with our heart. When we experience a change from a dark mood to a light one, ask yourself what has changed, you will discover that it was a change of mind, or as some say, a change of heart for some circumstances.
French Author Marcel Proust said “The real voyage of discovery consists not in the seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Are we just looking, or seeing attentively? Is our mind awake? How’s your view? Viewing ourselves and our impact on the world is important. Having a proper outlook on life means seeing things as they are, not as we might wish, imposing our conditions, but unconditionally, without attachment to concepts or preconceptions.
The purpose of right view is to clear one's path of the majority of confusion, misunderstanding and deluded thinking. It is a means to gain right understanding of reality. Right view should be held with a flexible, open mind, without clinging to that view as a dogmatic position. In this way, right view becomes a route to liberation rather than an obstacle
