The Eightfold Path - Notes

The Eightfold Path, often represented as the Bhavachakra. The Wheel of the Dharma and it is visualized as a wheel with eight spokes. The Sanskrit for the Eightfold Path is the Aryastangikamarga. Arya means Noble or even Holy, Astangika means "Eight-Limbed", and Marga means "Path or Way". The "noble eight-limbed path" is one path, with eight aspects or "limbs".

All of the different limbs are interconnected; they are parts of the same path. They are not eight separate paths or stages, but a growth process with eight aspects. A helpful image is that of a stick of Brighton Rock, with the Bhavachakra symbol going through it. Imagine a "rock-making factory" (to get the sense of dynamics), if one aspect comes out more quickly or if there is more attention given to it (more "rock" mixture), then the whole will be distorted; it will grow to one side. The eight spokes need to be kept in balance.

This balance is the Middle Way, the balance between extremes, an unbalanced practice and the rock will not be straight and true, but will bend!

The eight limbs of the path are:

	Right Understanding	a better translation is...	Perfect Vision
	Right Awareness	a better translation is...	Perfect Emotion
	Right Speech	a better translation is...	Perfect Speech
	Right Action	a better translation is...	Perfect Action
	Right Livelihood	a better translation is...	Perfect Livelihood
	Right Effort	a better translation is...	Perfect Effort
	Right Thought	a better translation is...	Perfect Awareness
	Right Concentration or Perfect Samadhi	a better translation is...	Perfect Meditation

Most of the translations of the eightfold path used in the textbooks are not very helpful (and not very good!). As they are the translations used in the textbooks, and the examiners will probably expect to see them, it is probably best to use these terms. However, these don't help too much with trying to UNDERSTAND what on earth Buddhism is about. I have therefore put some better translations of the limbs in the diagram above. I will explain each of these limbs in the following sections. In the exam, use the usual translations of the words. If you wish, you can also give (and explain) the better translations as well. This will impress (and probably terrify!) the examiner!