The Eight Fold Path!

Here is my beggar’s offering: a study aid of the Glorious Eightfold Path. May it support your practice as it has supported mine.

The Buddha lived by the alms bowl and his mendicants are known as ‘Bhikkave,’ meaning ‘Beggars.’ This term holds deep meaning for me. I have been homeless many times in my life—twice even since COVID, and these experiences have made me low, made me humble, and made me beg. 

Practicing the Eightfold Path has been a true solace to me; providing a framework for balance and light through unstable and dark times.

I am truly thankful to have heard the Dhamma taught by Buddha, a method to get free from suffering! It is known as the Eight Fold Path or the Dhamma Wheel! It is eight steps that when practiced lead to extinguishment!

It is a skillful ‘view’ to see reality as it is; without trying to cling to permanence, without denying the suffering, and without a conceit of a self.

These views inspire skillful ‘intentions’ to grow within us; proliferating initiatives that are without attachment, harm, and hate.

These intentions blossom into skillful ‘speech’ that are free of lies, divisiveness, harshness, and unnecessary chatter.

These words articulate into the thoughts behind our skillful ‘actions’; deeds free of killing, taking what isn’t given, sexual misconduct, deception, and intoxication.

These actions develop into a skillful ‘work’ ethic; professions that refrain from trading in beings - alive or dead - weapons, poisons, and toxins.

This work affords us the time to make the skillful ‘effort’ to cultivate wholesomeness through the restraint of sensory stimulation.

Making this effort to guard the sense doors becomes a skillful ‘mindfulness’; being presently aware to calm our body, our feelings, our thoughts, and our rhythms/cycles.

This mindful awareness deepens into a skillful ‘Samadhi’; finding a quiet union through the enjoyment of our breath and the stillness of our meditation.

Then clarity generated from meditation makes a clearer and more skillful view into the marks of existence!

Encourage your personal practice by downloading the free digital image to print yourself or purchase a print from the shop!