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Buddhist Festivals

Buddhist New Year In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Lao, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

Vesak or Visakah Puja ("Buddha Day") Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.

Magha Puja Day (Fourfold Assembly or "Sangha Day") Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month (March). This holy day is observed to commemorate an important event in the life of the Buddha. This event occurred early in the Buddha's teaching life.

After the first Rains Retreat (Vassa) at the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha's disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana.

The assembly is called the Fourfold Assembly because it consisted of four factors: (1) All 1250 were Arahats; (2) All of them were ordained by the Buddha himself; (3) They assembled by themselves  without any prior call; (4) It was the full moon day of Magha month (March).

Asalha Puja Day ("Dhamma Day") Asalha Puja means to pay homage to the Buddha on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month (approximately July). It commemorates the Buddha's first teaching: the turning of the wheel of the Dhamma (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) to the five ascetics at the Deer Park (Sarnath) near Benares city, India. Where Kondanna, the senior ascetic attained the first level of enlightenment (the Sotapanna level of mind purity).  

Uposatha (Observance Day) The four monthly holy days which continue to be observed in Theravada countries - the new moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. Known in Sri Lanka as Poya Day. [ Web Link: Uposatha or Observance Days ]

Pavarana Day This day marks the conclusion of the Rains retreat (vassa). In the following month, the kathina ceremony is held, during which the laity gather to make formal offerings of robe cloth and other requisites to the Sangha.

Kathina Ceremony (Robe offering ceremony) Is held on any convenient date within one month of the conclusion of the Vassa Retreat, which is the three month rains retreat season (Vassa) for the monastic order. It is the time of the year when new robes and other requisites may be offered by the laity to the monks.

Anapanasati Day At the end of one rains retreat (vassa), the Buddha was so pleased with the progress of the assembled monks that he encouraged them to extend their retreat for yet another month. On the full-moon day marking the end of that fourth month of retreat, he presented his now-famous instructions on mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), which may be found in the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118) - The Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing.

Abhidhamma Day In the Burmese tradition, this day celebrates the occasion when the Buddha is said to have gone to the Tushita Heaven to teach his mother the Abhidhamma. It is held on the full moon of the seventh month of the Burmese lunar year starting in April which corresponds to the full moon day in October.

Songkran This Thai Buddhist festival goes on for several days during the middle of April. People clean their houses and wash their clothes and enjoy sprinkling perfumed water on the monks, novices and other  people for at least two or three days. They gather around the riverbank, carrying fishes in jars to put into the water, for April is so hot in Thailand that the ponds dry out and the fish would die if not rescued. People go to the beach or river bank with jars or buckets of water and splash each other. When everyone is happily wet they are usually entertained by boat races on the river.

Loy Krathong (Festival of Floating Bowls) At the end of the Kathin Festival season, when the rivers and canals are full of water, the Loy Krathong Festival takes place in all parts of Thailand on the full moon night of the Twelfth Lunar month. People bring bowls made of leaves (which contain flowers) candles and incense sticks, and float them in the water. As they go, all bad luck is suppose to disappear. The traditional practice of Loy Krathong was meant to pay homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the beach of the Namada River in India.

The Ploughing Festival In May, when the moon is half-full, two white oxen pull a gold painted plough, followed by four girls dressed in white who scatter rice seeds from gold and silver baskets. This is to celebrate the Buddha's first moment of enlightenment, which is said to have happened when the Buddha was seven years old, when he had gone with his father to watched the ploughing.  (Known in Thailand as Raek Na)

The Elephant Festival The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant which, when it is caught, is harnessed to a tame one to train. In the same way, he said, a person new to Buddhism should have a special friendship of an older Buddhist. To mark this saying, Thais hold an elephant festival on the third Saturday in November.

The Festival of the Tooth Kandy is a beautiful city in Sri Lanka. On a small hill is a great temple which was especially built to house a relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside may caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special procession for it.

Ulambana (Ancestor Day) Is celebrated throughout the Mahayana tradition from the first to the fifteenth days of the eighth lunar month. It is believed that the gates of Hell are opened on the first day and the ghosts may visit the world for fifteen days. Food offerings are made during this time to relieve the sufferings of these ghosts. On the fifteenth day, Ulambana or Ancestor Day, people visit cemeteries to make offerings to the departed ancestors. Many Theravadins from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand also observe this festival.

Ulambana is also a Japanese Buddhist festival known as Obon, beginning on the thirteenth of July and lasting for three days, which celebrates the reunion of family ancestors with the living.

Avalokitesvara’s (Kuan Yin) Birthday This is a festival which celebrates the Bodhisattva ideal represented by Avalokitesvara. Who represents the perfection of compassion in the Mahayana traditions of Tibet and China. It occurs on the full moon day in March.

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Origin of Buddhist Hell

A kind of "hell realm" or underworld called Narak or Naraka is also found in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. I understand the earliest use of the name is in the early HIndu Vedas (ca. 1500-1200 BCE). Yama, the Buddhist lord of the hell realm, made his first appearance in the Vedas as well.

The early texts, however, describe Naraka only vaguely as a dark and depressing place. During the 1st millennium BCE the concept of multiple hells took hold. These hells held different kinds of torments, and reincarnation into a hall depended on what sort of misdeeds one had committed. In time the karma of the misdeeds was spent, and one could leave.

Early Buddhism had similar teachings about multiple hells. The biggest distinction is that the early Buddhist sutras stressed that there was no god or other supernatural intelligence passing judgments or making assignments. Karma, understood as a kind of natural law, would result in an appropriate rebirth.

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The Six Realms

The Six Realms are a description of conditioned existence, or samsara, into which beings are reborn. Although sometimes they are described as "real" places, more often these days they are appreciated as allegories.

In Buddhist iconography, a bodhisattva is placed in each realm to help beings out of it. This may be Avalokiteshvara, bodhisattva of compassion. Or it may be Ksitigarbha, who travels to all the realms but who has made a special vow to save those in the hell realm.

1.  Deva-gati, the Realm of Devas (Gods) and Heavenly Beings

In Buddhist tradition, the Deva realm is populated by godlike beings who enjoy great power, wealth and long life. They live in splendour and happiness. Yet even the Devas grow old and die. Further, their privilege and exalted status blind them to the suffering of others, so in spite of their long lives they have neither wisdom nor compassion. The privileged Devas will be reborn in another of the Six Realms.

2.  Asura-gati, the Realm of Asura (Titans)

The Asura are strong and powerful beings who are sometimes depicted as enemies of the Deva. Asura are marked by their fierce envy. The karma of hate and jealousy causes rebirth in the Asura Realm.

Zhiyi (538-597), a patriarch of the Tiantai school, described the Asura this way: "Always desiring to be superior to others, having no patience for inferiors and belittling strangers; like a hawk, flying high above and looking down on others, and yet outwardly displaying justice, worship, wisdom, and faith -- this is raising up the lowest order of good and walking the way of the Asuras." You may have known an Asura or two.

3.  Preta-gati, the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

Hungry ghosts (preta) are pictured as beings with huge, empty stomachs, but they have pinhole mouths, and their necks are so thin they cannot swallow. A hungry ghost is one who is always looking outside himself for the new thing that will satisfy the craving within. Hungry ghosts are characterised by insatiable hunger and craving. They are also associated with addiction, obsession and compulsion.

4.  Naraka-gati, the Hell Realm

As the name suggests, the Hell Realm is the most terrible of the Six Realms. Hell beings have a short fuse; everything makes them angry. And the only way hell beings deal with things that make them angry is through aggression -- attack, attack, attack! They drive away anyone who shows them love and kindness and seek out the company of other hell beings. Unchecked anger and aggression can cause rebirth in the Hell Realm.

5.  Tiryagyoni-gati, the Animal Realm

Animal beings are marked by stupidity, prejudice and complacency. They live sheltered lives, avoiding discomfort or anything unfamiliar. Rebirth in the Animal Realm is conditioned by ignorance. People who are ignorant and content to remain so are likely headed for the Animal Realm, assuming they aren't there already.

6.  Manusya-gati, the Human Realm

The Human Realm is the only realm of the six from which beings may escape samsara. Enlightenment is at hand in the Human Realm, yet only a few open their eyes and see it. Rebirth into the Human Realm is conditioned by passion, doubt and desire.

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The Five Skandha

Skandha, ( Sanskrit: “aggregates”) Pāli Khandha, according to Buddhist thought, the five elements that sum up the whole of an individual’s mental and physical existence. The self (or soul) cannot be identified with any one of the parts, nor is it the total of the parts. 

They are: 

1.) matter, or body (rūpa), the manifest form of the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water.

2.) sensations, or feelings (vedanā)

3.) perceptions of sense objects (Sanskrit: saṃjñā; Pāli: saññā). 

4.) mental formations (saṃskāras/sankhāras).

5.) awareness, or consciousness, of the other three mental aggregates (vijñāna/viññāṇa). 

All individuals are subject to constant change, as the elements of consciousness are never the same, and man may be compared to a river, which retains an identity, though the drops of water that make it up are different from one moment to the next.

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The Five Hindrances

In the Nivarana Sutta of the Pali Canon, the Buddha said there are five hindrances to realising enlightenment. These are (words in parentheses are in Pali):

Sensual desire (kamacchanda)

Ill-will (vyapada)

Sloth, torpor, or drowsiness (thina-middha)

Restlessness and worry (uddhacca-kukkucca)

Uncertainty or skepticism (vicikiccha)

These mental states are called "hindrances" because they bind us to ignorance and to suffering (dukkha). Realising the liberation of enlightenment requires unbinding ourselves from the hindrances.

Sources: 

http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhismglossaryf/g/five-hindrances.htm 

http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhistmeditation/a/Working-With-The-Five-Hindrances.htm

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The Middle Path

Throughout the 2,500-year history of Buddhism, the concept of the Middle Way has seen multiple interpretations, but, simply, it describes the way or path that transcends and reconciles the duality that characterises most thinking.

In the broadest sense, the Middle Way refers to the Buddha’s enlightened view of life and also the actions or attitudes that will create happiness for oneself and others; it is found in the ongoing, dynamic effort to apply Buddhist wisdom to the questions and challenges of life and society. In this sense, the search for the Middle Way can be considered a universal pursuit of all Buddhist traditions—the quest for a way of life that would give the greatest value to human existence and help relieve the world of suffering. It is for this reason that Buddhism itself is sometimes referred to as the “Middle Way.”

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What are Buddhist ethics about?

To live is to act, and our actions can have either harmful or beneficial consequences for oneself and others. Buddhist ethics is concerned with the principles and practices that help one to act in ways that help rather than harm. The core ethical code of Buddhism is known as the five precepts, and these are the distillation of its ethical principles. The precepts are not rules or commandments, but ‘principles of training’, which are undertaken freely and need to be put into practice with intelligence and sensitivity.

The Buddhist tradition acknowledges that life is complex and creates many difficulties, and it does not suggest that there is a single course of action that will be right in all circumstances. Indeed, rather than speaking of actions being right or wrong, Buddhism speaks of the being skilful (kusala) or unskilful (akusala). In Triratna, our faith in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha finds everyday practical expression in our aspiration to live by ethical precepts, to the best of our ability.

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The Triple Gem

The central focus of inspiration and devotion for Buddhists is the Triple Gem (also known as the Three Treasures and the Three Refuges). These three are Buddha, Dhamma (Dharma), and Sangha.

Buddha means 'Enlightened One' or 'Awakened One,' and is generally used to refer to the founder of Buddhism. There have been other Buddhas before him, however, and will be other Buddhas in the future.

The word Dhamma (in Sanskrit, Dharma) is often used to refer to the Buddha's teachings, but it also means the eternalTruth which the teachings convey to us. Dhamma is threefold:the Dhamma that we study, that which we practice, and the Dhamma of Realisation.

Sangha literally means 'community' or 'assembly.' The word has two meanings in proper Buddhist usage: the community of disciples (whether ordained or not) who have gained Realisation of any of the stages of Awakening; and the community of ordained disciples - bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns).

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The Four Bodhisattva Vows

The Four Great Bodhisattva Vows are recited daily in Buddhist Temples and monasteries at the close of the service (Sanzenkai). Buddhist recite the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows to encourage them in their studies and pursuit of the Enlightement through the means of Buddha.

These great vows express the infinite Compassion of the Buddhas, and, in chanting them buddhist express their desire to become as the Great Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

Japanese:

Shu jo muhen sei gan do Bo no mujin sei gan dan Ho mon myryo sei gan gaku Butsu do mujo sei gan jo

English:

Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them all. Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them. The dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them. The Buddha's Way is unsurpassable; I vow to attain it.

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7 Dimensions of Buddhism

Experiential: Enlightenment, nirvana

Mythic: Biography of Buddha, stories and descriptions of the bodhisattvas

Doctrinal: Middle Way, Three Marks of Existence, Four Noble Truths

Ethical: Five Precepts (and an additional five for monks and nuns), ideal of compassion

Ritual: Mahayana acts of religious devotion and prayer to the bodhisattvas, Vajrayana chanting of mandalas and practice of mudras

Social: Sangha, figure of arhat, Dalai Lama

Material: Bodhi tree, mandalas

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Illusion of Soul

The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a ‘living being’, human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being’, but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being’ anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer’, but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer’. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer’, just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul’.

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What Makes Up a Buddhist Ritual

The beginning of a ritual sets the stage for the middle.  Its primary function is to differentiate the ritual activity from the participants’ ordinary activities and concerns.  This creates a focus and a context for the main body of the ritual. Sometimes this is accomplished by going to a special place, such as a temple. For an impromptu ritual this can be done quickly by having the participants form a circle.  A meaningful, sacred object could be placed in the middle of the circle or in a prominent place.  Other things that can contribute to creating a focused environment is sprinkling the space with water, burning incense, or lighting a candle.  In some rituals the participants clearly let go of activities and identities associated with daily life.  This can be as simple as putting down anything people are holding or taking off their shoes.  

In some ceremonies a period of silence, meditation, or time alone helps give power to the next phase of the ritual. Often the beginning of a ritual involves saying something that sets the intention and context for the ritual.  This can be stories or descriptions of what is left behind, what the focus of the ritual is about, or what the intention is going to be.  Sometimes participants are quiet while an officiant does all the speaking; sometimes participants are asked simple questions that prepare them for what is going to happen next.

The middle part of a ritual is sometimes referred to as a period of transition.  It is a transition between leaving one’s ordinary life and then returning. Sometimes it is a period between leaving one identity or way of being and starting a new one.  It can be seen as blank slate ready for something new.  It is time when participants are open and willing to hear or do something different.

The middle phase is when the main purpose of the ritual is enacted or evoked.  The purpose can be to:

Offer a blessing

Connect to what is sacred

Remember what is important

Heal

Set an intention

Make a commitment

Mark a new beginning, initiation, or transition

Welcome or honor something or someone

Let go of something, leave something behind, or say good-bye

Evoke something meaningful, e.g. strength, support,

Courage, patience, love, compassion, wisdom

Facilitate forgiveness, reconciliation, or speaking the truth

Prepare for upcoming events

Receive particular wisdom teachings

Tell one’s story

Celebrate

Once the main intention of a ritual is finished, it is useful to have a time focused on bringing it to a close and helping the participants to integrate the ritual activity back into the life they left behind.  The ending of the ritual is a time to restate or appreciate the intention of the ritual and explicitly connect it to the life one is returning to.  An object associated with the ritual and its purpose can be given to the participants to accompany them back into their life and serve as a reminder.

The most common Buddhist element at the end of a ritual is the dedication of merit.  For people who don’t think in terms of merit, this can be understood as a stated aspiration that the benefits of the rituals be shared with others.  The ending is also a time to offer appreciation for the ritual and acknowledge the people involved.

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Inquiry

The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one’s beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one’s teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one’s own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it!

This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha’s own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one’s Truth and give blissful liberation.

The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn’t get angry at what one can’t accept.

Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true.

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After The Death of the Buddha

Within a short time of his passing away there was disagreement over what could be changed and different sects emerged. The more reformist sects later called themselves Mahayana (greater vehicle) and referred to the conservative sects as Hinayana (lesser vehicle). The only conservative sect remaining today is Theravada, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Theravada recognises the Pali Canon as its scriptures and a variety of ancient Theravadin commentaries.

Whereas Theravada spread to the south and east, Mahayana moved to the northwest through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and then across Central Asia to China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. For historical reasons, the language of Mahayana scriptures was Sanskrit and that of Theravada was Pali. Hence the difference in spelling of some common Buddhist terms: Nirvana/Nibbana, Sutra/Sutta, Karma/Kamma, Dharma/Damma, etc. Westerners are more familiar with Mahayana Sanskrit terms.

Mahayana also has its own scriptures in addition to the Pali Canon, the most important of which is the Lotus Sutra. These sutras are purported to be the Buddha’s secret “higher” teachings, which were handed down only to those who were ready for them - an idea emphasised at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra.

Apart from a modified monastic code which made monasticism possible in harsh environments such as Tibet, Mahayana emphasises the Bodhisattva Ideal, where a man vows not to achieve final enlightenment until all sentient beings have been saved. So anyone helping others to achieve enlightenment can be considered a bodhisattva. In Theravada, the term bodhisattva usually refers only to the historical Buddha in his previous lives. Historically, some Mahayanists consider Theravadins to be selfish for seeking enlightenment only for themselves, while some Theravadins consider Mahayanists to have deviated from what the Buddha taught.

For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha.

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The 5 Buddhist Precepts

All Buddhists live by the Five Moral Precepts which are refraining from:

Harming living things

Taking what is not given

Sexual misconduct

Lying or gossip

Taking intoxicating substances (e.g. drugs or drink)

Buddhist monks live by ten precepts. The ten precepts include the five precepts as well as refraining from:

Taking substantial food after midday (from noon to dawn)

Dancing, singing and music

Use of garlands, perfumes and personal adornment like jewelery

Use of luxurious beds and seats

Accepting and holding money, gold or silver

Therefore on celebration days, Buddhists will often eat vegetarian food and will not drink alcohol. Gifts will be simple, especially those given to monks. Monks in particular will not dress up, and people will not eat to excess. However, Buddhist celebrations are also very joyful, colourful occasions.

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The Eightfold Truth

1. Right View- Seeing the world as it is is Right View, with an understanding of the Three Marks of Existence, and the Four Noble Truths. When you fully understand the marks and truths, then you see the world and yourself without delusion, hatred, greed, etc. Also touches on our own views of the world, how we may cling to them, how we may consider them permanent, when they are really impermanent, and how we can get caught up in a “thicket of views”. Exploring the Three Marks of Existence helps you see through getting caught in your own views.

2. Right Action- Some of the traditions also include kamra (kamma) here, but most secular Buddhist view kamma as intention or action, so we place it under Right Action. Additionally, with secular Buddhists, kamma is not believed to be a system of justice that goes from one life to the next, but instead is about developing wholesome intention behind our actions so we behave ethically in this life, with Right Action. With wholesome intentions, our actions are more likely to be skillful as well. This part of the path asks us to pay attention (mindfulness) to how we act or behave in the world, that our actions go towards helping and not harming, that what we do is skillful and don’t do what leads to more suffering. Keep in mind, we are not giving you specifics of what you should do or shouldn’t do. Instead, you learn to develop an ethics meter so to speak, good judgement, based on whether or not your action will bring harm or suffering to yourself or others. You learn to make sure your actions don’t cause suffering.

3. Right Action- With wholesome intentions, our actions are more likely to be skillful as well. This part of the path asks us to pay attention (mindfulness) to how we act or behave in the world, that our actions go towards helping and not harming, that what we do is skillful and don’t do what leads to more suffering. Keep in mind, we are not giving you specifics of what you should do or shouldn’t do. Instead, you learn to develop an ethics meter so to speak, good judgement, based on whether or not your action will bring harm or suffering to yourself or others. You learn to make sure your actions don’t cause suffering.

4. Right Speech- From the above, you probably figured out already that Right Speech is talking, and includes emailing/messaging,  in such a way that you don’t hurt feelings, you don’t lie, don’t use deceptive or intentionally confusing language, that you don’t gossip, or intentionally make people angry with your speech. Why? Because doing so causes suffering to the people you speak or write harshly too. That doesn’t mean you have to withhold your opinion. It does mean, learning to pay attention (mindfulness) to the intention behind what you are saying, and deciding if it’s going to do more harm than good.

Intention plays a big role here. Examine your intentions for wanting to share your opinion, for wanting to correct or criticize, etc. Right Speech, can also be thought of as Right Writing as well, because what we are really talking about here is communication. We want our communications to be of benefit, not harm. This can be tricky in a world where we come across a multitude of opinions and ideas daily. Sometimes we know people’s views are skewed, wrong, delusion, or divisive. Set an example for healthy, helpful communications.

5. Right Livelihood- Right Livelihood addresses how we earn a living and more. I’ve seen a lot of debates online where people argue about whether it’s ok or not to work at certain places. Again, this is another part of the path that asks us to determine for ourselves if what we do for a living is causing suffering, or whether what we do is neutral or helping. It’s not a matter of this place is bad and that place is good. Mindfulness and intention come into play in how we interact with our coworkers (action), what our jobs ask of us, how we approach our work ethics. You could be working at a place that does service to others, but if you are treating coworkers unfairly, or you are cheating your employers out of hours or money, then you might want to examine your intentions. This is an area that is worth deep and detailed exploration. The Eightfold Path helps us learn to make our own judgement calls on where we work, how we can make the most of it, and how we interact with others while doing our jobs.

6. Right Effort- Without effort, our practice is toast. Of course, we all know that to accomplish anything we need to put effort in. For our practice, however, this effort has the motivation/intention of lessening suffering. So, the effort we put into our practice is the impetus for dropping whatever gets in the way of our developing ethics, compassion, and it motivates us to let go of greed, fear, angst, hatred, self loathing, etc. By practice, I mean all your interactions in the world. Being mindful of where we put our effort in our actions and speech each day is really important. And, of course, we need to apply effort toward other areas of our practice, such as developing mindfulness in meditation so that we can put it to good use throughout our days.

7. Right Mindfulness- Mindfulness in a nutshell is paying attention, but it stretches beyond that. The norm for many of us is to go through our days, living mostly in our heads, with thoughts of the past or future, in conversation with people who aren’t present, ruminating over and over problems. Now, that’s not to say thinking and problem solving aren’t necessary. They surely are, but there is a time and place for thinking and musing, and it’s not all day long. Mindfulness helps keep us anchored in the present, so we can interact in the world appropriately, so we can apply just the right effort to various tasks, and to help prevent from creating and worsening problems. Living entirely in our heads is a habit that is hard to break. Living in our heads can cause us to do poorly in our jobs, distract us from driving on the road well, and in general can just cause a lot of angst.

But with proper intention, effort, and mindfulness, you can train yourself to be present, and deal with whatever arises appropriately. You’ll find over time, mindfulness becomes the new mode of being, a new healthy habit, and you’ll find yourself lost in thoughts much less frequently. Meditation is the tool to develop mindfulness. As you develop mindfulness in the quiet, still environment of meditation, you then extend mindfulness to include all your daily life.

8. Right Concentration- Sometimes called Right Meditation, and is the practice of focusing the mind solely on one object. Where mindfulness is open to whatever arises, concentration is focusing on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. Both concentration and mindfulness are tools to sharpen the mind, and bring it out of the shadows of discursive thinking and root us in the present. In some traditions, concentration is developed through the practice of the jhanas. This is not a common practice in western Buddhism, but as neuroscience finds benefits to meditation, there seems to be renewed interest in using jhana techniques to develop very specialised forms of concentration.

Concentration also improves naturally through mindfulness meditation. Concentration requires use of Right Effort, Right Intention, and Right Mindfulness. Some argue that you can’t have really good concentration until you’ve developed the ability to let go of anger, hatred, discursive thinking, negativity, etc. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try developing concentration until you have a free mind. Indeed, working on concentration is what helps you to learn to drop unskillful thinking. Once mindfulness and concentration are established, then you can develop greater insight overall because your mind is cluttered with thoughts that inhibit wisdom.

Why is it important to practise the Eightfold Path?

It’s important to review the Eightfold Path from time to time, and to focus on areas as needed. Over time, you’ll notice the overlaps, how each part of the path works with other parts. Working the path is an ongoing lifetime effort that brings many rewards and improve the quality of life.