Daily Reflection
Whether our actions are positive or negative depends entirely on our motivation. Suffering results from our being motivated by disturbing emotions such as anger, hatred and attachment that are very much related to ignorance.
—The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet
Yesterday we considered the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism, and what they had to teach us about suffering, life, and acceptance.
Accepting that life is in flux and our identity is a fluid concept at best, is the ground floor of Buddhist philosophy. I find that impressive and inspirational.
Where many philosophers were content simply to observe flux, Buddhist epistemology begins with flux.
Or to put it another way, life is impermanent, and resisting that impermanence leads to suffering.
But now the question is, how do we cultivate a life that is in balance, free from suffering, and free from attaching to the temporal?
For many, the answers are found in the Eight Fold Path. This is not a prescriptive answer to living a good life, but the description of the journey one takes on the path toward liberation (from attachment to things that are temporary.)
The core behaviors that lead to suffering are greed, possessiveness, and bouts of uncontrolled anger. The Eight Fold Path invites us to consider other possibilities.
Eight fold Path
Right Action (not harmful to others, acting mindfully)
Right Speech (truth-telling)
Right Livelihood (earning a living in a way that does not cause suffering)*
Right Mindfulness (aware of personal and collective emotions)
Right Effort (Effort on right things, like lovingkindness, compassion, and meditation)
Right Concentration (Developing focus for meditation)
Right View (Being mindful of actions' consequences)
Right Intention (Being clear about following this path)
My favorite in this list is number 3. In a culture where career often defines a person and requires much of one’s waking hours in life, finding a way to make a living, support a family, and not harm others along the way is a fascinating journey every person must take for themselves.
One final note, it’s easy to see the word “right” and think it’s a list of ethical actions to pass/fail. I find it helpful rather to see instead as a list of habits to try for yourself which might help cultivate an interior life of peace and stillness.
What do you think about the Eightfold path? Leave a comment to let us know!
Want to read more about the the 8 Fold Path, suffering, and life? Check out this full length article from an earlier TPP Newsletter here!