Morning Words on the Eightfold Path

Ed Mushin Russell

An early and fundamental teaching of the Buddha is what is called the eightfold path which begins with right view. What is right view? The Buddha is advising us to see, to experience our life, exactly as it is. This is where True Nature reveals itself. It's always right here, right now. There is no secret formula or hidden reality to discover. In being just this moment, we don't just have right view, we are right view.


Second on the eightfold path is right intention. Can we choose what our intentions are? Perhaps or perhaps not, but we can become aware of them. We can ask ourselves, "What am I believing? Is this true?" And we can recognize our reactive habits and the trouble they cause. Only in recognizing our human nature we can realize and manifest compassion for ourselves and others. In opening our heart to life as it is, we become right intention.


Third on the eightfold path is right speech. The Buddha described it as that which is true, kind and beneficial. I won't add anything to that but I would like to mention the corollary of right speech which is right listening. Sometimes, right speech is being silent, attentive and truly hearing what someone is saying to us. We take time in our day for zazen, but zazenning is a full time practice.


Next on the eightfold path is right action. It is referring to our ability to respond skillfully and appropriately to whatever arises. What can hinder this ability is our self-centered desires and aversions. What supports this ability is our effort to be present in this moment and to see, as clearly as we can, the Buddha Nature that pervades everywhere, revealed right here now. With this awareness our functioning is based on compassion for ourselves and all beings and can be none other than right action.


Next on the eightfold path is right livelihood. This is more about how we do our job than what our job is. Of course, I doubt that there is a right way to be a thief or assassin but, fortunately, most of us don't choose these career paths. For the rest of us, are we mindful of how our work affects others? Do we give ourselves to the task at hand? Do we perform our responsibilities with kindness and compassion toward those we encounter? If so, this is right livelihood.


Now we come on the eightfold path to right effort. In our practice, there can be no expectation or requirement for success. How would we even define success? All that is required is our consistent effort to be present, to be honest with ourselves and others and to strive to appreciate and embrace this life as it is. Then we can respond skillfully to whatever arises and, perhaps, improve on the perfection that our lives always are. Doing so is right effort.


Next on the eightfold path is right mindfulness. This is our ability to be present within this moment experiencing. More exactly, to be this moment, since experiencer and experience are not two. We all have this ability and our practice teaches us how to use it. When happy, be happiness. When sad, be sadness. This is not a mind that is empty or full, but an open mind. Open to our life as it is. This is right mindfulness.


Lastly on the eightfold path we have right meditation. I won't say that there is a right way to meditate since the practice varies from just being present to following or counting the breath to koans, etc. For some styles, it might even include mantras or visualization. In Zen practice we tend to keep it simple and specific to each individual. I can say what wrong meditation is, however. It's the zazen we put off until tomorrow and never seem to get around to. Without our zazen, there is no true practice. It just becomes ideas and theory. As Genmyo said, "No need to do zazen, therefore we must do zazen".


The eightfold path speaks of right view, right intention, etc. "Right" is probably not the best word here since we tend to contrast it with wrong. Better, perhaps, would be skillful, appropriate or beneficial. I would like to include sincere. Our practice isn't about what we get from it, but about what we give to it and the most important ingredient is our sincere effort. In fact, it's all that is required. No wisdom, no gain, no goal. Just doing our best, moment by moment.