The Noble Eightfold Path is the fourth Noble Truth, it is the means by which beings can attain nirvana and attain release from the cycle of birth and death. The Noble Eightfold Path was described as the Middle Way because it rejected the two extremes beliefs of the time. One was the belief that in order to gain salvation one had to undergo extreme self deprivation of strict asceticism to purify the soul. The other belief was that only the physical world was real and that one should simply "eat, drink and be merry" because death is the end of everything. Buddha realized that both extremes were flawed and instead chose a middle way.
The Noble Eightfold Path are:
1) Right Speech, 2) Right Action, 3) Right Livelihood, 4) Right Concentration, 5) Right Mindfulness, 6) Right Effort, 7) Right Though and 8) Right Understanding. Right speech, right action and right livelihood can be considered morality, or committing kind and positive action. Right speech is to avoid lies, gossip, hateful speech, etc. Right action is avoiding harmful such as stealing, hurting, killing, etc. and also harmful actions to oneself such as drinking, or taking drugs. Right livelihood means earning a living in a righteous way and not through the hurting of others such as selling weapons, selling drugs, etc. Right Concentration, right mindfulness and right effort can be considered as meditation. Just as a body can be trained through exercise, a mind can be trained through meditation. Concentration is the ability to focus, mindfulness is the ability to be aware, and effort is the ability to avoid evil and unwholesome states of mind. Right thought and right understanding can be considered wisdom. Right thought is to have the right mental attitudes and right understanding means to be able to see the world and human existence as it really is. The eightfold path is not to be considered as stages to accomplish one before moving onto the next, instead they are to be practiced together as they are all related to one another
It is clear by looking at the eightfold path, that it is not enough to just "be a good person" if you want to reach the goal of nirvana. If you practice right morality but you abstain from right wisdom, you will still reincarnate, albeit to a favorable existence, but still subject to the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death. Similarly if you practice right wisdom but fail to cultivate right morality, you will never extinguish the negative karma and will be subject to rebirth in a unfavorable existence. Finally without right meditation it will be difficult to train the mind to be able to combat the evils of lust and ignorance. Therefore, only by the diligent practice all the Noble Eightfold Path will one attain nirvana.
*Notes from A Dictionary of Buddhism by T.O. Ling (1972)
The Noble Eightfold Path are:
1) Right Speech, 2) Right Action, 3) Right Livelihood, 4) Right Concentration, 5) Right Mindfulness, 6) Right Effort, 7) Right Though and 8) Right Understanding. Right speech, right action and right livelihood can be considered morality, or committing kind and positive action. Right speech is to avoid lies, gossip, hateful speech, etc. Right action is avoiding harmful such as stealing, hurting, killing, etc. and also harmful actions to oneself such as drinking, or taking drugs. Right livelihood means earning a living in a righteous way and not through the hurting of others such as selling weapons, selling drugs, etc. Right Concentration, right mindfulness and right effort can be considered as meditation. Just as a body can be trained through exercise, a mind can be trained through meditation. Concentration is the ability to focus, mindfulness is the ability to be aware, and effort is the ability to avoid evil and unwholesome states of mind. Right thought and right understanding can be considered wisdom. Right thought is to have the right mental attitudes and right understanding means to be able to see the world and human existence as it really is. The eightfold path is not to be considered as stages to accomplish one before moving onto the next, instead they are to be practiced together as they are all related to one another
It is clear by looking at the eightfold path, that it is not enough to just "be a good person" if you want to reach the goal of nirvana. If you practice right morality but you abstain from right wisdom, you will still reincarnate, albeit to a favorable existence, but still subject to the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death. Similarly if you practice right wisdom but fail to cultivate right morality, you will never extinguish the negative karma and will be subject to rebirth in a unfavorable existence. Finally without right meditation it will be difficult to train the mind to be able to combat the evils of lust and ignorance. Therefore, only by the diligent practice all the Noble Eightfold Path will one attain nirvana.
*Notes from A Dictionary of Buddhism by T.O. Ling (1972)