Ordinate Desiring

Gautama Buddha Teaches “The Four Noble Truths" and "The Eightfold Path”

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha left us a clear and concise roadmap for living. His philosophy brought forth pearls of wisdom that challenged the conventional ways of being and living in his time. Nevertheless, the path he taught was one of spiritual transformation. Let’s take a look.

The first ‘sermon’ that Gautama delivered to the people after his enlightenment is called “Setting In Motion the Wheel of the Law” or “Turning the Wheel of Truth.” It is now known as the Four Noble Truths, which lead to the Eightfold Path, also known as the Middle Way. Gautama’s Middle Way leads to six conditions of consciousness:

Insight
Wisdom
Calmness
Higher knowledge
Enlightenment
Nirvana

This philosophy assists in the development of one’s Divinity, becoming one with your Higher Self. Following this path, may challenge some, but it is a surefooted path.

The Four Nobles Truths

The Four Nobles Truths follow a logical line of thought. Gautama discovered these truths while in enlightenment:

Life is suffering.
The cause of suffering is inordinate desire or craving.
Suffering will disappear when the craving that causes it is overcome.
To be freed of suffering follow the Eightfold Path as this path leads to soul liberation (nirvana).

The Eightfold Path outlines a series of actions for living your life in an exemplary way and freeing you from the suffering caused by inordinate desiring. This is the pathway to achieving nirvana which is a transcendent state of consciousness. It is characterized by neither suffering, inordinate desire, nor a sense of self. By following this path, you are released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. In this path we have a way to become one with your Real Self, your Higher Self. You are placing your soul into the hands of your Christ Self. (See Your Soul’s Journey on Earth.)

The Eightfold Path is about ‘Right’ Actions

Right Understanding, Right Viewpoint, Right Perspective: Recognizing that one is out of alignment with the cosmos and deciding to follow the Path back to integration with the Real Self.

Right Thought, Right Aspiration or Right Resolve: Having pure motives in the heart: right thought, right contemplation upon the laws of the universe, and the right resolve to accomplish one’s mission in life.

Right Speech: Using speech that is kind, open, truthful, and avoids harshness.

Right Action, Right Conduct: Being prompted by right motive, which necessitates that we reflect upon our behaviors. The five precepts for right behavior are: do not kill; do not steal; do not lie; do not be unchaste; do not drink intoxicants.

Right Livelihood: Choosing a profession that does not harm any living thing and not selecting an occupation that is not conducive to spiritual progress.

Right Effort: Exerting efforts to end existing evil, to prevent new evil, to make an effort to cause new virtue, and to make an effort to increase existing virtue.

Right Mindfulness: Being in control of one’s life and always being self-aware of what one is doing at any particular moment.

Right Concentration, Right Absorption: Achieving mental tranquility and the absence of distraction. Meditation and proper breathing are helpful steps to achieve these.

For more information on the Eightfold Path, click here to go the Summit Lighthouse Encyclopedia.