The Noble Eightfold Path To Face Suffering According To Buddhism

The noble eightfold path tells us about a revelation enunciated by the Buddha himself after two months meditating in solitude. In it, it is explained that life goes hand in hand with suffering, however this always has a cause that can be treated and alleviated in order to transcend and advance in peace. The way to achieve this requires that we put into practice eight very specific keys.

If there is one thing that Buddhism and psychology itself have in common, it is their purpose to alleviate suffering. Furthermore, if we delve into many of its practices, approaches and strategies, we will realize how these types of traditions, halfway between spirituality, philosophy and religion, have served as inspiration for many of the techniques used by modern psychology.

Furthermore, Dr. Alan Wallace, from the University of San Diego, published an interesting study in the journal American Psychological Associaton where he delved into the great benefits of joining both disciplines. In this way, by creating bridges between Buddhism and psychology, we promote mental balance and more positive emotional health. This is undoubtedly what could be seen in various clinics and in day-to-day psychological practice.

Thus, theories as useful as the noble eightfold path enunciated by Siddharta Gautama facilitate us, for example, to delve into various aspects related to suffering. It is a principle of personal growth, improvement and enlightenment of one’s own being that can be of great help to us. 

The noble eightfold path, what does it consist of?

The noble eightfold path is part of what is known as the four noble truths of suffering. After those two months of complete isolation and meditation, Buddha returned with the assurance that he had found enlightenment. In the first place, to access that knowledge, she had had to understand and overcome suffering. That very subtle veil, but always present between us, is possibly our eternal source of discomfort and unhappiness.

In this way, Buddha based a good part of the practice of his philosophy on transmitting to others the 4 truths of suffering.  According to this line of thought, once we can find the root of these internal torments, we will be in a position to heal and achieve enlightenment through the noble eightfold path: eight strategies to understand and practice daily.

Therefore, to start on this path of healing, the first step will be to delve into the four truths of suffering. They are as follows.

What do the four truths of suffering tell us?

Let’s go with them:

• All existence is suffering. As the Benares Sutra (that first recorded speech or teaching of the Buddha) tells us,  birth is suffering, old age is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, living with the undesirable is suffering, separating from the desirable is suffering, not getting what you want is suffering … Life itself often has this taste and that eternal sensation. Accepting it and understanding it will be the first key in our growth process.
• The origin of suffering is longing. In our day to day we live with many “poisons”, harmful dimensions that make the seed of pain grow. Those poisons that Buddha refers to are attachment, hatred, envy, the feeling of lack, ignorance …

• Suffering can be extinguished. The third truth tells us that we can all extinguish that pain in a very concrete way, namely by treating the cause.
• To extinguish the cause of suffering, one must practice the noble eightfold path. We pointed it out at the beginning, our discomforts can escape. Our concerns and unhappiness can disappear as long as we put into practice that principle enunciated by Buddha that requires applying 8 principles in our day to day.

The Inner Journey of the Noble Eightfold Path

The eight parts of the path to liberation are grouped into three very defining pillars of Buddhist practice itself. Likewise, and in some way, it is also quite related to many of those psychological perspectives based on humanism or positive approaches. Thus, those three dimensions that structure the noble eightfold path are correct conduct, mental discipline and wisdom.

Buddha spoke of this practice in all his discourses. He considered it essential in his philosophy, a legacy to pass on to his people and to humanity itself. Let us therefore see what this path consists of.

• The correct understanding. We must understand that everything in this life is fleeting and perishable. Things come and go, they have their course, their beginning and their end.
• Right thinking. Thoughts determine the quality of our life. If we strive to always carry them along the shore of hope, liberation, balance and the positive, we can deter suffering.
• Right speech, right word. The noble eightfold path emphasizes the need to make use of the truth, to address others without deception. It is not necessary to speak to speak or to fall in empty speeches, full of criticism or contempt.

• Correct action.  Let’s act without leaving emotions aside. Kindness brings balance, respect and humility gives us peace and internal (less suffering).
• Correct livelihoods. Your profession, your behavior, your largest or smallest actions must always be oriented to doing good.
• Right effort. In this world nothing is achieved without effort. Only when we invest all our energies and hopes in something will we feel fulfilled, complete and lucky.
• The right care. We must control our own mind, train it in attention, in that gaze that chooses what to focus on without losing its purpose and its humility.
• Correct concentration. The last step of the noble eightfold path refers, of course, to meditation. A calm mind relieves worries and quenches suffering. It is a way of liberating ourselves and reaching enlightenment.

To conclude, as we have seen this theory, lesson or principle of spiritual growth is highly inspiring. Taking it as a reference or as an exercise in reflection can be useful to improve our quality of life. It’s worth a try.