Enjoy a few simple notes from one of our Deeper Dive in The Dharma sessions and a lecture given by our teacher.
The Noble Eightfold Path
- Wise View
- Wise Intention
- Wise Speech
- Wise Action
- Wise Livelihood
- Wise Effort
- Wise Mindfulness
- Wise Concentration
Definition of Wise Effort
- Consistently focusing attention on the present moment.
- Clearly observing every experience.
- Gaining insight into the nature of reality with Wise View and Wise Intention.
Motivation for Right Effort
- Spiritual urgency is the driving force.
- This urgency is deepened by understanding impermanence.
- Reflect on the inevitability of death, both our own and that of others.
Reflection Question
- Have you ever pondered the fact that everyone you know will eventually die?
- What if you knew your time was limited, even to the next moment?
Understanding the Path
- Challenges and obstacles may initially seem burdensome.
- The journey evolves: starting with enthusiasm (honeymoon phase), encountering obstacles, and eventually reaching a stage of effortless practice.
Facing Challenges in Practice
Practice can be difficult during pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral experiences.
Strategies to enhance practice:
- Extend your meditation time.
- Practice under varied conditions like reduced sleep, sickness, or during extended retreats.
- Minimize certain sensual indulgences to focus on practice.
Engagement in Experiences
- Some experiences draw us in fully, while others only get half our effort.
- Cultivate awareness of these variations in engagement.
- Prioritize mindfulness to navigate these moments with clarity.
Wise Effort Summarized
- Give attention to all experiences.
- Observe with clarity, guided by Wise Intention and Wise View.
Reflection Question
- Think of a task that benefits you but you’ve approached half-heartedly. What causes your resistance to it?
Resources
Bodhi, B. 1999. “The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering.” Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/
Bodhi, B. 2005. “Right Effort: samma vayama.” Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/
Catherine, S. September 10. 2013.Five Conditions for Insight. Dharma Seed. Five Preconditions for Insight: Wisdom (the fifth precondition)
Goldstein, J. May 18, 2009. Satipatthana Sutta-Part 46. Dharma Seed Satipatthana Sutta – part 46 – The Noble Eightfold Path: Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration, Conclusion.
Gunaratna, B. June 2021. “8 Mindful Steps to Happiness. Wisdom.
Kornfield, J. March 1,1992. Eightfold Path of Practice: Right Effort and Mindfulness. Dharma Seed. Eightfold Path Of Practice: Right Effort And Mindfulness
Kornfield, J. May 16, 2022. The Most Basic Truths: Gateways to Freedom. Dharma Seed. The Most Basic Truths: Gateways to Freedom | Monday Night Talk
Smith, R. 2010. “Stepping out of Self Deception; the Buddha’s Liberating Teaching of No-Self.” Shambhala.
Kinnell, Galway, 1968. Little Sleep’s-Head Sprouting Hair in the Moonlight