Week Six – Eightfold Path – Concentration

The Eightfold Path is the Buddha’s framework for developing understanding leading to the cessation of stress. It is a path that develops heightened wisdom, heightened virtue and heightened concentration, or heightened Samadhi.

Samadhi is a mind state of non-distraction. Jhana meditation within the framework of The Eightfold Path develops non-distraction from the effects of clinging, craving, desire and aversion.

I will use concentration to describe Samadhi as it is more accepted in this context.

Heightened wisdom is developed within the framework of The Eightfold Path with Right View and Right Intention. Initially, mundane wisdom inspires the mind to understand the validity and authenticity of The Four Noble Truths. This is a turning point in the ongoing distraction of unhappiness and stress. 

A mind that has developed the mundane understanding that its view has been confused and distracted by its own clinging and craving can now develop wisdom and Right View. This same mind can begin the process of abandoning all causes of confusion and distraction, all causes of stress and unhappiness.

From Right View, Right Intention develops. Right Intention is being mindful of abandoning all causes of stress. Being mindful of the intention to abandon craving and clinging leads to the development of the virtuous factors of the path. 

Being mindful of, and abandoning, all that is not Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood, develops useful mindfulness of craving and clinging. Being mindful to maintain Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood develops the ability to diminish and finally abandon craving and clinging.

As clinging begins to diminish, a practice of developing heightened concentration becomes effective. Right Effort is the first of the three factors of heightened concentration.

Right Effort

Right Effort is generating the skillful desire, actions and diligence to:

• Avoid inappropriate thoughts, words and deeds that have yet arisen.
• Abandon inappropriate thoughts, words and deeds that have arisen.
• Develop appropriate thoughts, words and deeds that have yet arisen.
• Maintain appropriate thoughts, words and deeds for continual development of non-confusion and skillful qualities that have arisen. 

Right View emphasizes the importance of abandoning non-virtuous acts. Being mindful of Right View brings understanding that it is by strong attachment to the ego-personality that non-virtuous acts occur. As current non-virtuous behavior is abandoned, virtuous behavior can be further developed. Through mindful awareness of what is to be developed and what is to be abandoned, appropriate thoughts, words and deeds are now the foundation for continued Right Effort.

This is a specific application of mindfulness that is developed and maintained in the Dhamma. Being mindful of what is to be abandoned and what is to be developed is the essence of Right Mindfulness.

Right Effort is one factor (of eight) in developing the path of liberation and freedom from the confusion of stress. It is part of a cohesive method of understanding The Four Noble Truths. Dhamma practice begins at the point of accepting the First Noble Truth, the Truth of Unhappiness and Stress. From this initial Right View, acceptance of the necessity to change views becomes apparent to continue The Eightfold Path. 

Right Intention follows to bring to mind the resistance to changing views that conditioned thinking maintains. It takes a mindful determination to overcome the effects of the confusion and distraction that the ego-personality has developed.

Right Effort will develop the qualities needed for liberation from stress and unhappiness. Engaging in Dhamma practice should not lead to harsh judgments on past behavior. With the perspective of Right View, Right Effort is an intentional change in the way one’s thoughts, words and deeds affect development of understanding. Right Effort is the mindful turning point from conditioned reaction to the people and events of life to being mindfully and dispassionately present with what is occurring. Right Effort develops a mindful and skillful presence arising from developing wisdom.

A mindful and dispassionate quality of mind is not aloof disengagement from the people and events of life. Dispassionate mindfulness is being fully present with whatever arises without discriminating thought, including clinging, avoidance, or aversion.

The Eightfold Path is not a sequential training, beginning at Right View and ending at Right Meditation. The foundation of understanding begins with Right View and progresses through the next seven factors. As understanding develops, all eight factors of the path are integrated as Dhamma practice.

The Eightfold Path is a cohesive practice of developing heightened wisdom, virtue and concentration. Right Effort also refers to the practical engagement of the remaining two concentration factors of the path.

Right Effort is developing a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Buddha. The implication here is that wrong effort is being distracted by teachings that create confusion and further the establishment of ego-based views.

You are engaged in Right Effort in your study of the Dhamma. Right Effort is the mindful effort to develop the Eightfold Path.

“One efforts to abandon wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong, action, wrong livelihood, wrong mindfulness and wrong meditation and develop Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Mindfulness, and Right Meditation. This is one’s Right Effort.” [1]

Right Effort also refers to organizing one’s life for Dhamma practice. Organizing time for meditation practice and quiet time is Right Effort. Engaging in a meditation practice that develops tranquility and insight is Right Effort. Right Effort is effort spent understanding and developing The Four Noble Truths.

Developing the path leading to the cessation of dukkha is Right Effort. Congratulations for your Right Effort!

The Buddha describes Right Effort succinctly:

“Abandon what is unskillful (craving and clinging) and develop what is skillful (The Eightfold Path). If it were not possible to abandon what is unskillful and develop what is skillful, I would not teach this. If it were harmful to abandon what is unskillful and develop what is skillful, I would not teach this. Apply your efforts to develop what is skillful.” [2]

The focus of thoughts determine experience. Thoughts preoccupied with clinging, craving and aversion will lead to more confusion and stress. Thoughts concentrated on mindfulness of the Dhamma will bring liberation and freedom. 

Distracted thoughts focused on fleeting desires, achievements, and acquisitions can only lead to more confusion and stress. Thought and actions that create additional self-identities, even altruistic self-identities, can only lead to more confusion and stress. Thoughts that establish and reinforce the ego-personality in any manner in any realm can only lead to more confusion and stress for the ego-personality. 

Mindfulness in the context of The Four Noble Truths is to abandon the distraction of stress arising from clinging and remain focused on The Eightfold Path. Mindfulness of the entire Eightfold Path develops understanding that will end the confusion and suffering of the ego-personality.

There are many useful applications of the mindfulness. Some applications of mindfulness techniques have greatly enhanced the health field in dealing with pain and stress. There is no need to abandon any mindfulness technique for specific health issues as long as they do not reinforce the ego-personality.

It is not skillful to equate the mindfulness of the Dhamma with modern applications of mindfulness. The generally stated purpose of modern mindfulness techniques is to manage mental and physical pain and stress. Mindfulness techniques when applied in this context are often successful in achieving this purpose.

The mindfulness of the Dhamma is to develop an understanding of The Four Noble Truths. Understanding The Four Noble Truths brings to an end confusion and suffering arising from clinging to an ego-personality.

 Right Mindfulness

Mindfulness is to recollect or to hold in mind.

• Be mindful to abandon wrong view and enter and remain in Right View
• Be mindful to abandon wrong intention and enter and remain in Right Intention
• Be mindful to abandon wrong speech and enter and remain in Right Speech
• Be mindful to abandon wrong action and enter and remain in Right Action
• Be mindful to abandon wrong livelihood and enter and remain in Right Livelihood
• Be Mindful to abandon wrong effort and enter and remain in Right Effort
• Be mindful to abandon wrong mindfulness and enter and remain in Right Mindfulness
• Be Mindful to abandon wrong meditation and enter and remain in Right Meditation

 The following section on mindfulness was presented in week two. It is presented again here to bring mindfulness into the context of the entire Eightfold Path.

In the Satipatthana Sutta the Buddha teaches the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. A practice of mindfulness without this foundation can often lead to confusion and distraction on the path of liberation and freedom. Right Mindfulness is the seventh factor of The Eightfold Path. It is part of a practice of transcending stress and unhappiness, rather than simply reducing or managing stress.

Mindfulness used to manage the stress of modern life in the phenomenal world can and does bring great benefit to human health. Mindfulness with the intention to manage or reduce stress does not have the same intention, known as Right Intention or Right Resolve, as what the Buddha taught. Holding in mind Right Intention determines the ensuing result of any action or activity. 

Right Intention is explained in week four.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness is taught to bring immediate mindfulness of what is occurring during Jhana meditation. Mindfulness is the quality of mind that supports developing lasting peace and happiness. Practicing mindfulness within the framework of The Four Noble Truths is straightforward, accessible and easily understood and practiced. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are: 

1. Being mindful of the breath in the body
2. Being mindful of feelings arising from the six-sense base. (explained below)
3. Being mindful of thoughts arising from the six-sense base.
4. Being mindful of the present quality of mind (explained  below)

 The six-sense base are your five physical senses and conscious thought. It is through the six-sense base that self-referential contact and self-identification (attachment) with phenomenon is established. The six-sense base is explained in additional detail in week eight.

The first foundation of mindfulness, being mindful of the breath in the body, is the same mindfulness practiced in Jhana meditation. In Jhana meditation, you begin to quiet your mind by putting aside thoughts as thoughts arise and becoming mindful of your breathing, preferably the sensation of breathing through the nose.

You are using mindfulness of your breath in the body to cease being distracted by your thoughts and to begin developing concentration. This is the essence of mindfulness. Mind in a distracted state is focused outside the physical body. You must understand where your mind is focused in order to free yourself of a mind distracted by clinging, craving, aversion, and discursive and compulsive thinking.

Being mindful of what is occurring in relation to The Eightfold Path through holding in mind your breath in the body is the foundation of developing understanding of The Four Noble Truths.

Being mindful of your breath in your body interrupts outer-focused clinging conditioned thinking and begins to quiet your mind with directed inner mindfulness.

The second foundation of mindfulness, being mindful of feelings, becomes possible once your mind has quieted enough to be able to hold in mind your breath in you body for a few moments. Once a tranquil mind state has been achieved and mindfulness of the breath is maintained, notice any feelings, emotional or physical, that arise. If you become mindful of an emotion such as frustration, anger, fear, resentment, etcetera, simply recognize that a feeling has arisen, and, while maintaining mindfulness of your breath, put aside any thoughts in reference to the feeling.

You may want to begin to blame yourself or others to justify the feeling. Put these thoughts aside. You may be drawn to analyze the feeling in some other way. You may ask yourself where did the feeling come from, what circumstances took place to bring a rise to the feeling? Put these thoughts aside. It is enough to recognize the feeling for what it is while maintaining mindfulness of your breath. With mindfulness of your breath let go of the feeling. Let go of the judgment attached to the emotion. An emotion is a reaction to an event, judging an event in some way. The reaction caused by judgment further intensifies the feeling and further conditions your conditioned mind.

Notice that it is a reaction to an external event that was perceived through one or more of your six senses that initiated the feeling. It is at the point of contact with the external experience that a personal, self-referential, attachment is made. By developing mindfulness of this process you will gain insight and understanding of the subtle but pervasive and continual establishment of a self that is prone to confusion and suffering. This is the ongoing process of “I-making” also known as conceit.

Recognition of the initiation of I-making develops the ability to bring continued I-making to cessation.

Mindfulness is a dispassionate focused awareness on whatever is arising in the present moment without being distracted by any judgments or discriminating thoughts. Being mindful of feelings as feelings arise allows the feeling to dissipate and allows a deeper tranquility to develop.

If a physical sensation arises such as pain or discomfort in some area of your body, remain mindful of the sensation of breathing. Note the physical sensation and the immediate self-identification. Again, do not judge the physical sensation in any way. Do not wish that you are not having the experience of discomfort. Simply note the experience while maintaining mindfulness of your breath. 

Being mindful of physical sensations without further judgment often will minimize the sensation.  Returning your mindfulness to your breath interrupts your reaction to physical and emotional feelings.

This is the second foundation of mindfulness: being mindful that through the five physical senses and consciousness, feelings arise within. Being mindful of feelings, being ardent and aware of feelings as feelings arise, begins to de-condition conditioned mind by interrupting the discursive and self-perpetuating judgment and analysis of feelings.

Simply and dispassionately be mindful of feelings as feelings arise while maintaining mindfulness of the breath.

The third foundation of mindfulness is being mindful of your thinking process. With dispassionate mindfulness notice how your thoughts evaluate impermanent qualities of your mind. Notice if your mind is agitated or peaceful. Notice if your mind is constricted or spacious. Dispassionately notice your thoughts attached to the quality of your mind, often driven by feelings. This begins to develop insight into how your thoughts have created confusion and suffering. With insight you can begin to incline your mind towards release from clinging conditioned mind.

Remember that Jhana meditation is primarily used to develop unwavering concentration. This entire process of noting feelings and thoughts is done with dispassionate mindfulness. Feelings arise that take your attention. Note that a feeling has your attention and return your mindfulness to your breathing. When you find that you are distracted by discriminating thoughts related to the changing quality of your mind simply note the quality of your mind and return your mindfulness to your breath.

Mindfulness is holding in mind. Being mindful that thoughts are flowing develops your innate ability to control thoughts. Being mindful of thoughts is recognizing that thinking is taking place. Unless concentration is developed, thoughts tend to feed themselves from conditioned thought patterns. This is discursive thinking and is an aspect of clinging mind. Through mindful awareness it becomes clear that thoughts are an ongoing judgement of feelings and mental states. Left unchecked this can lead to ever intensifying emotions that can result in depression and anxiety, or other mental disease.

Being mindful of thoughts without attachment, dispassionately remaining ardent and aware of thinking while maintaining mindfulness of the breath in the body will interrupt discursive thinking, allowing your mind to quiet and allowing your mind to remain at peace. As mindfulness and concentration develops, the afflictions caused by discursive thinking subside and a mind of equanimity, a non-reactive mind, is maintained.

The fourth foundation of mindfulness is being mindful of the present (but impermanent) quality of your mind. Is your present quality of mind inclined towards craving, clinging, and the continuation of stress? Is your present quality of mind inclined towards developing wisdom and release from craving and clinging?

This is a broader type of mindfulness that notices the quality of your mind that has developed from defining yourself through self-referential experiences driven by feelings and conditioned thinking.  Notice when your mind seeks further sensual stimulation. Notice when your mind is distracted by ill-will. Notice when your mind is dull or restless or anxious or distracted by uncertainty.

This is developing mindfulness of The Five Hindrances. The Five Hindrances are explained in week ten.

Remember that this is a dispassionate “noticing” that develops an understanding of your clinging conditioned mind. When any of these qualities are noted return your mindfulness to your breath.

As concentration deepens and mindfulness broadens notice the development of the qualities of Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, serenity, and equanimity. 

Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration are three factors of the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is explained beginning in week four.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness is also known as “The Four Frames of Reference.” You are developing mindfulness (and concentration) in the context of the Four Noble Truths.

What this means is that as you continue to develop concentration and mindfulness you begin to integrate the Four Noble Truths more deeply into your life. You will begin to understand stress and how the quality of your mind is either inclined towards continuing stress or developing release from craving, clinging and the cessation of stress.

Through a true practice of mindfulness within the framework of The Eightfold Path, you gain the ability to understand that the state of your mind, the mental quality of your mind in the present moment is dependent on, and caused by, your previous mind-states. At first simply being mindful of whatever quality your mind is experiencing is enough. As mindfulness of breath, feeling, and thought develops, and understanding and awareness of the quality of mind develops, you gain the ability to put away greed & distress with reference to the world. This is called Right Mindfulness.

With Right Mindfulness you gain an understanding of mind as the vehicle of perception. Right Mindfulness is recognizing and abandoning craving and clinging arising from ignorance. Having put aside all afflictions, this is the mind of equanimity, a mind fully engaged in the phenomenal world without discriminating or discursive thinking, a mind completely free of reaction.

As noted previously, Right Mindfulness is the seventh factor of The Eightfold Path and directly precedes the teaching on Right Meditation in order to emphasize the necessity to develop right mindfulness. Right Mindfulness is the foundation for an authentic and effective meditation practice, all within the Right Understanding of The Four Noble Truths.

Mindfulness truly is the foundation of all of the teachings of the Buddha. By practicing mindfulness within the context of The Four Noble Truths, you can free yourself of the stress and suffering caused by mindlessness. Mindfulness within the context of The Four Noble Truths will develop an awakened mind, a mind of pure equanimity.

The Buddha concluded his teaching on The Four Foundations of (Right) Mindfulness with a promise: “‘This is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow & lamentation, for the disappearance of pain & distress, for the attainment of the right method, & for the realization of Unbinding — in other words, the four frames of reference.’ Thus was it said, and in reference to this was it said.” [1]

Right Mindfulness is a refined mindfulness that supports refined thinking and deepening concentration. 

 Right Meditation

The final factor of The Eightfold Path is Right Meditation. It is important here to remember that the purpose of The Eightfold Path is to understand unhappiness and stress and abandon clinging, craving, desire and aversion. To that end the Buddha taught a very simple and very profound and effective meditation practice. 

Prior to settling on Jhana meditation, the Buddha studied with the foremost meditation teachers of his time. He was taught and practiced the most advanced meditation techniques. He found them all lacking in developing a tranquil mind that would support gaining insight into impermanence, stress and the ego-self. 

The Buddha found them all ineffective in developing Samadhi, a non-distracted quality of mind.

Right Meditation will quickly develop two conditions that are essential to achieving the understanding of stress and the cessation of stress. These two conditions are Shamatha and Vipassana. Shamatha means serenity or tranquility, a quiet mind. A quiet and non-reactive mind is a mind resting in equanimity. Vipassana means insight. This is not an analytical type of insight but a dispassionate mindfulness of the true nature of stress, impermanence and the ego-personality within the framework of the Eightfold Path and in the context of The Four Noble Truths.

What you think, what is generated in your mind, is what you will experience. This is why quieting your mind and gaining insight into thoughts and thought constructs is so effective in developing understanding and wisdom.

Awareness into the confusing, impermanent, and delusional nature of your conditioned mind is the “insight” gained in vipassana. Always preceded by shamatha, a tranquil mind, you are able to be mindful of your conditioned thinking and put your conditioned thinking aside. Nothing else needs to be done or should be done with these fragments of conditioned thinking.

Conditioned thinking causes wrong perception or wrong view, which causes an unskillful reaction. This reaction creates further conditioned thinking. By using the insight gained by Jhana you are able to recognize and let go of reaction and interrupt the cycle of discursive thinking.

No further analysis of your reactive thoughts or feelings is necessary, or even effective in breaking this pattern. Analysis of conditioned thinking during meditation can often strengthen reactive thinking. 

Using any meditation practice to change the ego-self or seek pleasant mind states or mystical experiences will create more conditioned thinking. One can spend eternity in this pursuit, constantly creating the perception of change and understanding and never realizing a peaceful and non-distracted mind. 

The purpose of Jhana meditation is to put aside all conditioned mind states. Within the framework of The Eightfold Path, Jhana meditation will develop Samadhi and profound and useful insight.

A mind easily distracted will be unable to recognize conditioned mind states. Conditioned mind arises and is reinforced by discriminating thoughts of craving and clinging to what brings pleasure, and aversion to disappointment, pain and suffering.

Jhana meditation quickly develops the concentration necessary to recognize discursive and delusional thinking. Recognition of discursive and delusional thinking allows for the possibility of putting aside the cause of the stress and confusion that would otherwise continue to generate endless conditioned mind states.

Samadhi is a fundamental quality of mind that is essential to developing understanding of The Four Noble Truths. Developing understanding of The Four Noble Truths brings lasting peace and happiness. Samadhi means unwavering concentration. Samadhi is a non-distracted quality of mind that is developed through The Eightfold Path.

The Buddha identified the most basic human difficulty as dukkha. Dukkha is a pervasive and continually reoccurring phenomenon arising from ignorance and initiated by craving and clinging. 

Due to a belief and attachment to an ego-personality a distracted mind will constantly seek experiences that bring sense-pleasures and constantly avoid that which diminishes pleasure or brings disappointment and unhappiness. Not-Self or the ego-personality craves constant sensory stimulation. Often even momentary interruption to sensory stimulation brings an unsettled quality of mind known as boredom. Much of life is spent in activity simply to avoid boredom.

A significant difficulty in beginning a Jhana meditation practice is boredom. Boredom is your ego-personality’s need for constant sensory fulfillment not being fulfilled. When boredom arises in your mind simply acknowledge that boredom has arisen and return your mindfulness to your breath. This directly interrupts your conditioned mind’s need for constant stimulation.

This need for constant stimulation is the distraction of dukkha. The Buddha understood that the continual reestablishment of the ego-personality in every thought maintains stress and unhappiness.  The preoccupation with dukkha prevents lasting peace and happiness.

The Buddha considered carefully how he could teach this understanding. He taught The Four Noble Truths as a way to develop wisdom and understanding. 

To reiterate, the purpose of Jhana meditation within the framework of the Eightfold Path is to put aside the distraction of dukkha and develop Samadhi, a non-distracted quality of mind and insight into impermanence, not-self, and stress.

The Buddha taught Samadhi in numerous Suttas, always describing the result of Samadhi. What is clear in all these teachings is the quality of mind the Buddha describes. These are qualities of an awakened mind fully present in the phenomenal world.

From the Anguttara Nikaya 5:27 (Samadhi Sutta) the Buddha teaches:

“Wise & mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration. When, wise & mindful, one has developed immeasurable concentration, five realizations arise right within oneself. Which five?

“The realization arises within oneself that ‘This concentration is blissful in the present and will result in bliss in the future.

“The realization arises within oneself that ‘This concentration is noble & not connected with the baits of the flesh.’

“The realization arises within oneself that ‘This concentration is not obtained by base people.

“The realization arises within oneself that ‘This concentration is peaceful, exquisite, the acquiring of serenity, the attainment of unity, not kept in place by the fabrications of forceful restraint.

“The realization arises within oneself that ‘I enter into this concentration mindfully, and mindfully I emerge from it.

“Wise & mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration. When, wise & mindful, one has developed immeasurable concentration, these five realizations arise within oneself.”

Mindfulness as it relates to an awakened mind is described here. One enters into Samadhi with mindfulness AND emerges from Samadhi with mindfulness. This means that deep concentration is developed with Right Mindfulness and that Right Mindfulness remains during the day-to-day mundane activities of life.

This last answers the question of what becomes of the ego-personality upon awakening. The ego-personality, or Not-Self, is let go of, often called unbinding. A now fully-awakened human being remains mindful moment-by-moment, free of the distraction of dukkha.

In the Anguttara Nikaya 4:41 (Samadhi Sutta), in response to a question by Punnaka regarding how to arrive “at the far shore” of awakening the Buddha again spoke of developing a non-distracted quality of mind:

“Friends, these are the four developments of concentration. Which four? There is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here & now.

“There is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the attainment of knowledge & vision.

“There is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to mindfulness & alertness.

“There is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the ending of stress and unhappiness.

“And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here & now? One remains ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding in the here & now.”

Here again the Buddha is describing the quality of an awakened mind, a mind settled in equanimity abiding with mindfulness of life as life occurs and within the context of The Four Noble Truths. By putting aside the cause of the distraction of dukkha one develops lasting peace and happiness.

In the Samyutta Nikaya 22:5 (Samadhi Sutta) the Buddha teaches those assembled:

“Friends, develop concentration. A concentrated mind discerns in line with what has come into being. And what does he discern in line with what has come into being? The origination & disappearance of feeling, the origination & disappearance of perception, origination & disappearance of fabrications, the origination & disappearance of consciousness.

“In short the origination & disappearance of the ego-personality.”

Insight is recognizing conditioned thinking and the impermanence of all things including thoughts. Being mindful of the breath brings tranquility which allows for recognition of distraction and discursive thinking. Mindfulness is the ability to dispassionately hold in mind the present moment, to hold Right View and to remain in a non-distracted mind state.

Your ego-self, what the Buddha teaches is anatta, not a self, seeks constant distraction in order to maintain itself in every object, view, and idea that arises. A well-concentrated mind resting in dispassionate mindfulness seeks nothing and remains free of distraction driven by the needs of an ego-personality.

Establishing and maintaining Jhana meditation within the framework of The Eightfold Path will develop lasting happiness and peace.

Jhana meditation is a simple method with profound and transformative results. It is a method that anyone can integrate into their lives. Within the framework of The Eightfold Path, Jhana meditation will develop the insight necessary to put aside all delusional and discursive thinking.

The Eightfold Path is the framework for putting aside the distractions caused by desire. It is the distraction and confusion arising from clinging that perpetuates dukkha and blocks awakening.

This simple though profound practice of developing heightened wisdom, heightened virtue and heightened concentration is the most precious teaching of the world’s most insightful thinker.

“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of dukkha: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right meditation.”

The wisdom of The Eightfold Path, beginning with Right View and Right Intention, supported by virtuous behavior, develops heightened Samadhi. A non-distracted mind is a mind at peace. A mind at peace, free of the constant need to maintain an ego-personality abides in lasting happiness.

Right Meditation is informed and supported by the other seven factors of The Eightfold Path. Samadhi is the quality of mindfulness that rests in the understanding of The Four Noble Truths.

This Week’s Dhamma Study

• Continue with your meditation practice in the morning and early evening. If you feel comfortable with adding a few minutes to your practice do so. Five to ten minutes of meditation each session should be comfortable now.
• In meditation, remain mindful of your breathing as you dispassionately notice feelings and thoughts arise and dissipate. When you notice that you are caught up in your own thoughts and have lost awareness of your breath, put aside the focus on your thoughts and place your awareness on your breathing. Continue to be aware of your mind from a dispassionate observational view, a mind-state of choiceless awareness always mindful of your breath.
• Continue to develop wisdom by noticing your attachments to the people and events of your life, including yourself. Continue to generate the Right Intention to let go of all attachments and all impermanent views.
• In your day-to-day life notice when you are engaged in Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood and when you are not. Develop the strong intention to abandon all wrong speech, action and livelihood. As concentration deepens, non-virtuous thoughts, words and deeds become apparent.
• Continue to develop Right Effort. Put aside time for a regular meditation practice and maintain a priority to your practice. There will always be life events distracting away from practice. Very rarely will these events be more immediate or important than putting aside some time twice a day for a period of meditation. Bring mindfulness into all areas of your life by staying focused in the present moment.
• Keep a journal of any persistent thoughts and your awareness of the impermanence of all thoughts. Avoid being analytical. This is a dispassionate observance of thoughts and feelings as they arise and pass away. Take note of developing a more mindful presence in your life. Notice when you are fully present with another. Notice when you are not as distracted or reactive.
• Write a paragraph or two regarding your Dhamma practice and write down any questions or insights into incorporating Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Meditation into your life. 
• To submit your writing, please use this form: Contact – Cross River Meditation
• Responses are generally within 24 to 48 hours.
• Continue your Dhamma study with week seven.
• Always be gentle with yourself and enjoy your practice!

[1] MN 117  Mahā Cattārīsaka Sutta | The Great Forty | dhammatalks.org
[2] AN 2:19  Kusal’akusala Sutta | Skillful & Unskillful | dhammatalks.org