The Noble Eightfold Path

Buddhism holds the belief that suffering can be eliminated in this lifetime through practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. The path can be broken down into three basic categories: Wisdom, Ethical Conduct, and Mental Development. The path is as follows:

1. Right View	Wisdom
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech	Ethical Conduct
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort	Mental Development
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html

The central teaching of Buddhism is the belief that suffering is the central condition of humanity and that, once identified, can be eliminated through systematic and thoughtful effort. It is each person's responsibility to deal with their own conditions that cause unhappiness and that there is no outside source waiting to make everything all better. This question of suffering is completely separate from the issue of God's existence. The Buddha did not speak to that subject because he found it to not be relevant to the matter at hand. The beliefs of Buddhism deal with offering practical guidance on ethical and moral development in order to free one from unwholesome attachments and, finally, see clearly the nature of things as they really are, not as our delusions make us think they are. In the end, the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism leads to a quite unremarkable view of the world. There is no exotic belief system that we must strain to understand in Buddhism. It is just life, as it actually is.

Overview

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world including a growing number of people in the west who are informed by the beliefs of Buddhism. The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35. A key concept in Buddhism is the deep study of suffering as the central condition that all find theirselves in. Buddhism's core beliefs begin with the Buddha's first sermon, after he obtained enlightenment, on what is known as the Four Noble Truths.

In his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, the Buddha taught the "Four Noble Truths," which form the foundation of belief for all branches of Buddhism:

1. All of life is marked by suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by desire and attachment.
3. Suffering can be stopped.
4. The way to end suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path.
   

The Buddha is not a god to be worshipped. There are many instructions in this regard throughout the teachings expressed in the Sutras, commentaries, Zen Koans and more. Zen is a subset Mahayana, one of the 3 main branches of Buddhism. The other 2 branches are known as Theravada (the way of the elders) dominant in southeast asia including Thailand, and Vajrayana which is known for its use of Tantra as a means to enlightenment and is the way practiced by the Dalai Lama. Within the main 3 there are hundreds of variations and schools of thought on subjects such as the nature of emptiness and the mind and what reality even means. The main point I want to emphasize is that the Buddha, rather than being a god, is viewed as an example. The Buddha referred to himself as a physician. He expressed the Four Noble Truths in the form a doctor of the day would offer a prescription for an ailment. The ailment common to all is suffering which is caused by craving for ill in an ignorant condition of the nature of oneself and what is truly good. This suffering can cease by practicing what is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. More on this in another article.

What Buddhism means to me

I am no expert on Buddhism, only a person for whom the beliefs and teachings of the Buddha resonate and have given hope and purpose. I had my first real introduction to the beliefs of Buddhism in 1986. I was attending music school, struggling to keep up. I had a jazz improvisation instructor encourage me to find the "zen" of guitar. I had no idea what that meant so I looked it up. In those days there was no Google or Wikipedia to refer to so I had to do it the old fashioned way. I found a bookstore that was likely to have new age philosophy and looked for books on Zen. What I found changed my life. It put me on the path of realization and I will always be grateful to that music teacher.

I found two books: zen mind, beginners mind and Zen Koans (not sure if that's the exact title, just a description). I didn't really get the koans right away. I later found out that I was not supposed to get them immediately. In Zen Mind, I learned of sitting meditation, Zazen, and the practice that puts you squarely in this very moment. Little did I know how important that simple practice would become.

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind is the text of teaching by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, the first zen master to establish a monastery in the USA. Suzuki practiced the Soto school of Buddhism. Soto, and Rinzai are the largest zen schools in Japan. Rinzai practice uses Koans much more than Soto practitioners. Soto practices something called "Shikantaza" or "just sitting". This is what zazen aspires to: just sit facing a wall and be completely still, quiet and aware of the thoughts that pass through, and how they do so. This practice is what enables the Buddhist to gain enlightenment, which is to be fully in ones body and fully engaged, mind and body in this very moment. In doing this practice, we actually obtain our life, rather than dream, hate, or wish it away, wasting our precious time on this earth.

Suzuki Roshi said that to be a beginner is the key to life. An expert has nothing new to learn or experience. A beginner is able to apprehend life moment by moment. This is the key to success in the arts too. That philosophy has guided my musical growth, which has become a lifelong practice, and my zen teacher has recommended it to me as a tool of practice. This is a small taste of what the beliefs of Buddhism have given me. I recommend the teachings to encourage anyone interested to dive in and taste for yourself. That is the only way to go, don't follow anybody, experience it yourself and reach your own conclusion.