The noble eightfold path is the way in which suffering is ended, its structure was laid out by Gautama. Another thing that separated this man from others was the fact that he contributed so much to Buddhist teachings. What makes me curious is the flexibility of the religion. I wonder if he was able to influence so many people to follow his practices because his status. I am sure many followed him because he was the son of a king. He is without a doubt a positive being, he sacrificed a life of riches and getting everything he wanted for a life of self discipline which resulted in a much greater and satisfying reward. For Siddartha that reward was his Enlightenment and Nirvana The noble eightfold path is composed of 8 different elements that Buddhists must focus on in order to free their mind. The elements are divided into three different categories: wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental development.
Under the wisdom category Buddhists must discover right view and right intention. Right view is the ability to see things for what they actually are. Right view is wisdom and enhanced intuition. Buddha was able to discover this by meeting with different people who were suffering. Right intention is commitment to developing ethical and mental self improvement. Right intention means that you cannot act or think violently or aggressively. It also deals with good will, which is similar to Christianity.
Under Ethical Conduct there were three elements: right speech, right action, and right livelihood. Right speech is described as a means of attaining moral discipline. This right was self explanatory; we must take into consideration all of the words that come out of our mouths. For example, Buddhists believe we must not lie, or speak deceitfully. We must not slander someone's name or speak maliciously. And we must speak friendly and warm.
Right Action is the second ethical principle and it refers to basically doing the right thing. Suicide is especially frowned upon. Other ways to act accordingly are to harm anyone and intentionally do something that will alter someone else's life in a negative way. Also you must not act filled with lust because it is said to cloud the mind. If you are following the Right Action then you must act kind to others. Right Livelihood deals with the method in which one earns wealth. It suggests that we must earn our wealth the righteous way, rather than falling into temptation and taking shortcuts and earning illegal money.
The last three elements fall under the subject of Mental Development, they are: Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Mental energy is what drives right effort, I believe this to be very similar to effort to be very similar to right of action. Effort is about becoming kind and acting with self discipline and honesty. Right Mindfulness is once again intuition and the ability to see thing as they really are. It is the ability to penetrate impression and view them without obscurity. The eight and last principal was Right Concentration. Right Concentration is the ability to meditate and focus energy on to one specific object. The Buddhist focused specifically on wholesome concentration.
My definition of religion is a belief system that governs an individual's life or culture. Webster defines religious as "relating or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity." With that said, I will conclude that Siddartha was faithfully devoted to practicing Buddhism, it governed his life to the extent that it changed his reality, his nature, and the way he views life. Buddhism is without a doubt a religion, it is a belief system that anyone can practice and dedicate their lives to.
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