Summa – “right,” or that which promotes the end of suffering has traditionally been divided into three sections:
Study – Cultivating Wisdom
1. Right Understanding – a person becomes acquainted with the basic principles of Dhamma,
the Buddha’s teachings, and enters the path, gradually awakening an
understanding of the wisdom he or she can attain at the end.
2. Right Intention
– One contemplates the desire for all beings to be happy and free from
suffering. One cultivates goodwill, harmlessness and non-attachment,
avoiding tendencies towards greed, hatred and harm.
Ethical Conduct – Developing Moral Conduct
3. Right Speech
– I will refrain from false speech – not only lying or slandering, but
gossip, cursing, swearing or meaningless babble. I will communicate in
kind, gentle and direct speech.
4. Right Action – there are 5 precepts of non-harming (ahimsa)
– these are ideals that one vows to live by: to refrain from harming
sentient beings; to refrain from taking what is not offered; to refrain
from sexual misconduct; to refrain from false speech; to refrain from
stupefying drink.
5. Right Livelihood – to earn a living in a way that benefits humanity.
Mental Development – Disciplining the Mind
By “Mind” the Buddha meant the totality of thoughts, sensations,
feeling and consciousness, that are experienced at each moment. The mind
has great potential, but the undeveloped mind is like a wild horse:
difficult to stay attentive, it craves stimulation, jumping from thought
to thought, dwelling in the past or in the future, with thoughts that
often cause anxiety or fear. When this undisciplined mind does pay
attention to the present, it does so with opinions and emotional
reactions rather than being in the present. To bring the mind under control is necessary, but it requires patience, skill, and persistent training.
6. Right Effort
– since deluded thinking hinders the ability to understand the world,
the student pays deliberate attention to developing positive thoughts
that alleviate suffering and to letting go negative ones, he or she
practices generosity and patience.
7. Right Mindfulness –
taking meditative awareness into everyday life. Doing so can restrain
the mind’s proclivity to make immediate judgments, reduce its tendency
to need stimulation, and sharpen its awareness in the present moment.
8. Right Concentration – it is necessary to take time each day to practice meditative awareness.
These
eight elements are symbolized by a wheel and practiced simultaneously,
since the practice of one supports the practice of the others. The
Buddha maintained that one could develop the virtues described as one
would develop any skill, with regular practice.