3. The Path to Living in the Middle (The Eightfold Path)

          Believe it or not, we have more control over our life than you would think. However, we must choose a path to travel in our lives. Each path leads to a different outcome and there are a variety of paths we can choose. Some lead to one extreme or another or we can even choose to follow a path that is more like a wheel and we end up going in circles wandering through life. The good thing is that we have the ability to switch our paths. The path I will be describing in this section is a path that will help us better manage or eliminate our suffering. This path in Buddhism is called The Eighfold Path. This is where the Living in the Middle philosophy relies on a key element in Buddhist belief. Following the Eightfold Path is the Key, if you will, to living in the middle and finding more happiness with less suffering in our lives. Again, we are undertaking a more philosophical path and not a religious journey; unless, that is what you are seeking. I will leave that up to you. However, my intent in sharing this path is strictly philosophical. So, let us begin to discover The Eightfold Path or, as I call it, the Path to Living in the Middle (the Middle Way Path). Or feel free to personalize this path and journey and call it what you feel most comfortable with.

The Middle Way Path. This is a path, a journey, of gradual self-improvement with the goal of eliminating suffering in our lives. It is a path that takes a middle way approach between the two extremes (the Sharp of self-centeredness, indulgence, and gratification vs. the Dull and Flat with a lack of motivation) found in our life pendulum.

The middle way path is more of a practical guide for the development of ethical values and mental strength that creates wisdom.  This path consists of Eight Elements (Eightfold) that are not intended to be followed in a sequence or in steps but are more interdependent aspects that must be viewed as a whole based on their relationship to one another.

The Eight Elements of the Middle Way Path: (The Right ways to stay on the Middle Way Path)

1. Right View

Having the right view is how we begin and end our middle way path. It is how we view and grasp or understand how things really are in life; the direct link to the four (noble) truths. It is the intellectual basis of wisdom where wisdom is not a matter of intelligence or of one’s intellect. Right view is more of how we perceive the imperfect and impermanence of all of the world’s objects as well as ideas. It is seeing how “things” are not perfect and how they will not last forever. We achieve the right view by using our mind’s capacity to understand the nature of things and by doing so we also are able to maintain and further develop our right view. Therefore, right view begins intuitively with our own insights into knowing that all living beings are exposed to suffering and ends with our total understanding of the true nature of how all things in life are.  So, how we then view the world around us is what helps us to form our thoughts and even the actions we take. Thus, right view is the foundation for right thoughts and right actions. Our wisdom.

2. Right Intention

As right view is the intellectual basis of wisdom, right intention is the will or mental aspect that helps us to control our actions. It is our commitment to mental as well as ethical self-development. Right intention has three main concepts: Intention to Reject – meaning to resist the attraction of desire; Intention of Good Will – meaning to put forth the best of intentions by resisting the feelings of anger and hatred; and the Intent to Do No Harm – meaning to avoid thoughts or acts of violence, aggression, and cruelty and to further one’s development of compassion.

3. Right Speech

Right speech is very important as it is the first principle of ethical conduct (our moral discipline) and directly supports the other elements of the middle way path.  Additionally, speech is vital to the nurturing of a person’s ethical conduct and is crucial to sustaining mental clarity. We can all appreciate and understand the power of our words. Therefore, we should use our words, our speech, with care as speech can destroy or save a life, create an enemy or foster friendships, and can even be the cause of war or the foundation of lasting peace. It is pretty clear then that our ethical values can be displayed through our speech and are telegraphed with our messaging. So, to maintain Right Speech we should refrain from telling deliberate lies or engaging in false speech, avoid uttering dishonest words; refrain from using malicious or slanderous speech towards others; refrain from offensive or cruel speech that will only hurt others; and avoid meaningless idle speech that lacks purpose or depth. Thus, Right Speech is employing words that deliver a positive message, that are friendly and truthful, are spoken with warmth and compassion, and are considerate and sensitive. We should also only talk when it is appropriate or necessary; when value is added with our speech.

4. Right Action

Right action is the second principle of ethical conduct. It is a natural form of our expression that encompasses the implementation of a body function or bodily action. Unhealthy actions will undoubtedly lead to unstable/extreme states of mind, while healthy actions lead to stable/balanced states of mind. It all boils down to not engaging in harmful and unhealthy actions. So, then what does that mean? It means that Right Actions are actions that do not harm living beings, they are actions that do not intentionally or negligently cause harm, they are actions that especially do not take a life to include one’s own life; it is not engaging in stealing, deception, fraud, or dishonest actions of any kind; and to refrain from sexual and deviant misconduct. The right actions we want to engage in are one’s grounded in kindness and compassion; they are actions that are honest and respectful towards others and their possessions; and they are actions that foster harmless and normal sexual relationships with others.

5. Right Living

Right living is living life virtuously. It is achieving or acquiring things, such as prosperity, in a legal and peaceful manner. To maintain right living one should avoid activities that will lead to harming other sentient beings, such as the selling of intoxicating or poisonous substances (drugs and alcohol), wrongful use of any weapon, and the exploitation or harming of people and animals. We should avoid all activities that run counter to the principles of Right Speech and Right Action. We should engage in uplifting, harmonious, and enriching activities that bring balance to our lives where we can show compassion towards others.

6. Right Effort

Right effort is just what it sounds like. It means that no matter what we do in our lives (career/ education/our life practice) we should always approach it enthusiastically and in a way that fosters a positive attitude. In reality, it is a prerequisite for all other principles of the middle way path; of living in the middle. One’s effort is a direct link to one’s will and without our will nothing can be accomplished in life. Our will should always promote efforts of good intentions. Whereas, misguided efforts set us off course to an extreme and only creates confusion to enter our lives. Therefore, we need to focus our mental energy as it is the force behind right effort – guiding us on a healthy or unhealthy path. Understand that our will and efforts are what fuels our mental energy and that energy generated can just as easily lead us to a more aggressive, violent, and envious path; the unhealthy path. Or that same mental energy can lead us on a much better path filled with sincere kindness, truthfulness, compassion, and self-discipline – the healthy path. To apply the right effort we should be actively engaged in efforts that eliminate the rise of unhealthy conditions, that stop those unhealthy conditions that have already arisen from developing further, and instead focus our energy on stimulating healthy conditions that have not arisen and then on maintaining those healthy conditions that have become a part of our lives. Basically, the right effort is to develop the good and to maintain that good in our lives. By striving for the good we decrease and ultimately eliminate the presence of unhealthy states increasing a natural foundation of healthy thoughts in our mind set.

One aspect of right effort that, I feel, is important to mention is its close relationship to our next element – Right Mindfulness. Mindfulness or the practice of mindfulness is important in Buddhism as it is seen as the way to ending suffering. Therefore, it is also very important to living in the middle on the middle way path. Because our goal to living a life that is balance is to eliminate, in our lives, aspects that lead us to extremes. Suffering is a key factor to creating extremes in our lives. Mindfulness is developed by maintaining a constant awareness of four vital aspects in its application that encompasses the body in posture and breathing; our feelings be them good, bad, or indifferent; our mind (be it greedy or not, deluded or grounded, angry or happy); and finally the mental object – what’s going on in the mind (be there a mental block for concentration, the Four Noble Truth/the Truths, scattering of thoughts, distractions, clearness, etc.). Mindfulness is critical for one to be fully aware of their actions, thoughts, feelings, and to appreciate what is occurring in our environment at each moment. Therefore, our goal is to keep the mind clear and focused while doing our best to avoid distractions or clouding of the mind. Now let’s look at the next element on the middle way path – Right Mindfulness.

7. Right Mindfulness

With right mindfulness we want to direct our attention to our body, feelings, mind, and mental object or being thoughtful to others by placing our attention to where we choose to place it. This is accomplished through concentration or Right Concentration – our last element that we will discuss. (But for now, we return to right mindfulness). Right mindfulness is the mental ability to perceive or see things just as they are without distraction and with a clear conscience. We try our best to prevent the mind from processing impressions of our thoughts by interpreting them based on prior experiences or perceptions into concepts or to fit constructs that only serves to obscure how we see things.  With right mindfulness, we become anchored in clear perception giving us the ability to pierce through impressions while staying focused and grounded. Mindfulness enables us to become aware of how we are conceptualizing allowing us to actively observe and control our thoughts by preventing them from becoming cloudy or obscured. We accomplish mindfulness by concentrating our awareness of our body, feelings, mind, and mind object or state.

8. Right Concentration

Right concentration is the ability to sustain one’s attention on the object without allowing the mind to be distracted. Concentration is how we develop the practice of one-pointedness of the mind where the mind focuses on one single object (physical or mental). The mind becomes completely absorbed focusing solely on the object without distraction or becoming tired. For living in the middle on the middle way path we take right concentration to mean a focus on heathy concentrations; like healthy thoughts, behaviors, and actions. Right concentration is not easy at first and takes practice to develop. The best way to develop right concentration is through meditation. Meditation allows and trains the mind to focus on select objects by directing the mind onto an object, then to sustain that focus or concentration, and then to slowly intensify that concentration. With continuous practice meditation can become very natural to apply in everyday situations obtaining higher levels of concentration as one’s practice develops. Right concentration bears benefits. It can lead to mental and physical tranquility, comfort, joy, well-being, calmness and stability. It can also help the mind to develop an instinctual ability to seeing things as they truly are without distortion. Thus, preparing the mind, through meditative practice, for attaining the gift of wisdom.  Mindfulness.

            As you can see, the path to living in the middle has eight elements that directly stems from the fourth truth and is further the very essence of what makes the middle way path a true path to eliminating suffering in our lives. And it takes a dedication to practice and a willingness to open one’s mind – it takes work to eliminate suffering. That suffering we face in our lives comes from selfishness, cravings for things, and greed. Now we have a way to end this suffering. The middle way path is a path created thousands of years ago with the sole intent to nurture moral and ethical conduct through our speech and actions, the mind’s development, and the enrichment of the level of our understanding and the quality of our thoughts. This path can deliver a way to obtain mental (and spiritual) maturity that will ultimately, with practice and commitment, release us from our suffering. We simply need to take that first step onto that path – our journey.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – Loa Tzu

Next Chapter: 4. Meditation