X. THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

The Noble Eightfold Path outlines the eight practices to follow in order to eradicate ignorance.

1. Right View (bien croire): To believe in accordance with truth.
2. Right Thought (bien penser): To think in accordance with truth.
3. Right Speech (bien parler): To speak in accordance with truth.
4. Right Action (bien agir): To act in accordance with truth.
5. Right Livelihood (bien vivre): To earn a living in accordance with truth.
6. Right Effort (bien s’efforcer): To strive in accordance with truth.
7. Right Mindfulness (bien se souvenir): To be mindful in accordance with truth.
8. Right Concentration (bien méditer): To concentrate in accordance with truth.

• Right View: To believe in accordance with truth, one must first understand and trust the natural laws of the Creator. This includes recognizing that all humanity shares a divine spark from the Creator, making us all children of one Father. As children of the same Father, we must love one another as siblings; this is the essence of universal love. We must also understand that all beings in the universe are subject to the law of cause and effect, the principle of karmic retribution. Therefore, all things are interconnected and interdependent. For example, one person’s harmful actions can negatively impact many others or even other species. Conversely, one person’s virtuous actions can benefit many others. Therefore, when we commit a wrong, it not only harms ourselves but also affects others. This means we not only offend Heaven and Earth but also all sentient beings. By understanding and believing in this truth, we avoid falling into wrongdoing and straying from the righteous path, thus eradicating ignorance.

• Right Thought: In all matters, truth and falsehood often coexist, and falsehood can help us recognize truth. To distinguish between right and wrong, we must be sincere and analyze everything with a clear and unbiased mind. By thinking in accordance with truth, we perceive the true nature of things, dispelling confusion, doubt, and delusion. We cease to be swayed by false beliefs and superstitions, thus eradicating ignorance.

• Right Speech: While thinking truthfully is essential, we must also ensure our words align with truth. False speech can mislead others and hinder their spiritual progress. The ancients created a statue of a person made of gold, with three strings tied around its mouth, symbolizing the importance of guarding one’s speech. Moreover, the Supreme Being has taught: “… In the Court of Judgment, no careless word will be overlooked. Therefore, I urge you to be mindful of your words and actions. It is better to commit a wrong and face its consequences than to utter harmful words and suffer a heavier punishment…” In essence, truthful speech prevents others from straying into darkness and confusion, thus eradicating ignorance.

• Right Action: Speaking truthfully is not enough; our actions must also align with truth, avoiding hypocrisy. Having established right belief and right speech, we must now act righteously. This not only guides us towards the path of virtue but also inspires others to follow. Even those with negative tendencies, when guided by our example, will eventually transform and embrace goodness. Lao Tzu taught, “… The virtuous serve as teachers for the unvirtuous…” In essence, guiding others towards the path of virtue eradicates ignorance.

• Right Livelihood: Even among spiritual practitioners, not all renounce worldly life and pursue the highest levels of cultivation. Lay practitioners still need to earn a living to sustain themselves. However, their livelihood must be in accordance with truth, avoiding activities that harm others, exploit the vulnerable, or violate ethical principles. This includes avoiding professions like selling alcohol or drugs, running gambling establishments, or profiting from prostitution, which benefit oneself at the expense of others. It also includes avoiding professions like butchery or hunting, which harm animals. Spiritual practitioners must avoid such unethical practices to maintain a “right livelihood.” By performing righteous actions, we reduce wrongdoing. A lifetime dedicated to righteous conduct leads to a life free from harmful actions, thus avoiding negative karma and the cycle of reincarnation (*1). This ultimately eradicates ignorance.

• Right Effort: Having established a right livelihood, we must strive to cultivate wisdom and spiritual clarity. We must seek knowledge and understanding, expanding our intellect. We must maintain a tranquil and focused mind, for tranquility brings clarity and wisdom, while focus empowers the spirit with extraordinary abilities. In essence, cultivating wisdom and spiritual clarity eradicates ignorance.

• Right Mindfulness: Having attained wisdom, we must seek seclusion (enter a meditation retreat) for further cultivation. We utilize our wisdom to reflect on the past, gaining deeper insights into the workings of creation, understanding the origins of things and the causes and effects of events. We seek to understand why things exist as they do and why events unfold in certain ways (*2). By comprehending the past, we not only eradicate ignorance but also draw closer to the Way.

• Right Concentration: Having understood the past and the present, we now contemplate the future, entering the stage of right concentration. Right concentration is divided into four levels:

  1. Cultivating a calm and focused mind for contemplation.
  2. Maintaining mental stability and preventing distractions.
  3. With a tranquil mind, perceiving the true nature of past, present, and future events, and comprehending the mysteries of creation, thus attaining enlightenment.
  4. Having attained enlightenment, remaining unattached to good or evil, free from suffering and joy, existing as if not existing, and transcending the limitations of the physical world to enter the realm of non-action, thus attaining the Way.

This is the essence of the path to overcoming suffering discovered by Gautama Buddha. By upholding the Noble Eightfold Path, we become righteous, and righteousness leads to purity, purity to peace, peace to clarity, clarity to enlightenment, and enlightenment to the Way. Attaining the Way eradicates ignorance, freeing us from aging, illness, suffering, and the cycle of reincarnation. Our true soul then ascends to Nirvana. “Nirvana is derived from the Sanskrit word Nirvâna, meaning the extinguishing of all fires, representing a divine realm where all suffering and sorrow cease, and the cycle of reincarnation ends.”

(*1) Spiritual practitioners who perfectly uphold the five aforementioned paths, even at the initial levels of cultivation, will attain divine or saintly status after death, escaping the cycle of reincarnation. Those who fall short will be reborn, but they will enjoy wealth and blessings in their next life.

(*2) As Confucius said, “Everything has a root and a branch, a beginning and an end. To understand the cause and effect, the past and the future, is to approach the Way.”