The Eight Fold Path

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Ngawang Drolma.
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The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

I've recently been sort of amazed at the precision with which the Buddha defined the path to cessation of suffering and enlightenment. The eightfold path is so basic that people don't talk about it much. But recently I noticed that when the precepts and the 8FP are really applied, life is different. Understanding is one thing, and application is truly meaningful and life-changing.

What has your experience been? Do the basics get left behind as you advance, or are they always at the core of what you do? Have you ever reflected on how beautiful and perfect the really simple teachings are?

:anjali:
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Ben
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ben »

Hi Drolma

You are approaching a subject close to my heart. My experience has been that the precepts and Noble Eightfold Path have always remained at the core of my pratice. What I have noticed is that I have found increasing depth of meaning and practice in the so-called 'basics'. The sublime beauty and depth is revealed the more one practices.

If you don't know this work, it is well worth a read: The Noble Eightfold Path The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... toend.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kind regards

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
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Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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retrofuturist
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Drolma,

The Four Noble Truths have always been the anchor to my practice... encompassed in that is of course the fourth of those Noble Truths... the Noble Eightfold Path.

Don't leave home without it! :thumbsup:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

Thank you Ben and Retro. And Ben, that's a wonderful link.

It's my belief that a person's practice may include various elaborations, but if the 4NT and 8FP are deeply embedded in the heart and mind, the simple beauty is never lost. Any buddhist path necessarily includes these most profound teachings and they lie at the heart of all cushion-practice and real life-practice.

That's right, never leave home without it! And don't venture in any mental directions without it too.

Just my opinion. :spy:
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Drolma,
Drolma wrote:And don't venture in any mental directions without it too.
Yeah, there's no Right Papanca in the Noble Eightfold Path.

Image

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

Retro, LMAO, how did you get that pic I made for Element?

Is this subject monkey-chatter? If so, I'm sorry. I just feel it's important for some reason. The 8FP has really been on my mind lately.

:alien:
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retrofuturist
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Drolma,

No... this is an excellent Noble topic! :twothumbsup:

It's papanca which is monkey chatter! ;)

My comment was to reaffirm your comment "And don't venture in any mental directions without it too"

I love the icon... I kept the URL. :tongue:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

Oh, cool :mrgreen:

I'm not entirely sure what the papanca is. Is it the stream of thoughts that run through our heads when we're not focused? Or is it wrong speech or frivolous speech?

Glad you liked the pic ;) I take requests, too.
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Drolma,

Traditionally understood as "diffuseness", papanca has probably best been defined by Venerable Nanananda as "conceptual proliferation". Papanca runs directly counter to Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. In Sanskrit, you may know it as prapanca.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

I understand this conceptual proliferation, thank you. I have a less polite term to describe that activity :jumping:
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by DNS »

Drolma wrote:
Have you ever reflected on how beautiful and perfect the really simple teachings are?
Yes.

:buddha2:

There may be lots of suttas to study :reading: , lots of discipline to learn in the Vinaya :popcorn: , lots of higher technical stuff in the Abhidhamma :sage: , but it all boils down to the 8-fold Path. :meditate:
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Drolma,

I'm sure you've seen me quote this before... but one more time won't hurt.

SN 56.31 - Simsapa Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .wlsh.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Drolma,

I'm sure you've seen me quote this before... but one more time won't hurt.

SN 56.31 - Simsapa Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .wlsh.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta,
Retro. :)
Hi Retro,

I haven't read that before. Very nice, thanks :anjali:
mudra
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by mudra »

I think of the Four Arya Truths or the 8FP as the proofstone of whether a teaching is Buddhist or not.

You can argue all day long about such and such a teaching but in the end all you have to do is "plug it in and see if it works".
If it's the wrong voltage chances are it will burn out.

(please excuse the mixed metaphors)
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Re: The Eight Fold Path

Post by pink_trike »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Drolma,

Traditionally understood as "diffuseness", papanca has probably best been defined by Venerable Nanananda as "conceptual proliferation". Papanca runs directly counter to Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. In Sanskrit, you may know it as prapanca.

Metta,
Retro. :)
heh, love that phrase. "conceptual proliferation".
Vision is Mind
Mind is Empty
Emptiness is Clear Light
Clear Light is Union
Union is Great Bliss

- Dawa Gyaltsen

---

Disclaimer: I'm a non-religious practitioner of Theravada, Mahayana/Vajrayana, and Tibetan Bon Dzogchen mind-training.
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