#6782

Eightfold Path

Jan 3, 2011

The truth is very simple. When one does correct things, the correct results appear. When one does wrong things, wrong results appear. If presently one’s situation, direction or work does not turn out well, that means that one did something wrong or made a mistake in the past and one is receiving the results of one’s actions now.

If things do not work out well now, instead of complaining, one should think that one was not clear enough in the past. One should have the mind that from today one will fix what one did wrong. One should find the cause of the effects that one is receiving today. Once one finds it, from that time on, one should try one’s best to eliminate the roots of the wrong results that one is experiencing now.

While one is striving hard to eliminate the cause, one should put one’s mind towards Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. One should make that direction sturdy and strong. The reason is that when one has the mind towards Buddha, that direction and path will help one to come out of ignorance. One should always appreciate the teaching of Buddha and take it preciously.

For example, if one is living according to the teaching of Buddha, which is the Eightfold Path, one can eliminate one’s past, present and future karma. At the same time, the mind of feeling guilty or being bothered will disappear. This will help one to go in the quietude, which is stillness. This will help to bring out the wisdom in one.

That is why we should keep our precepts every day and not do things that might hinder our minds or make our minds feel guilty. One should practice the correct meditation, so that one can realize the place of Buddha and eventually become a Buddha in the future.

In the Eightfold Path the first stage is the right view. One should first strive to have the right view. When one has the right view, one will know whether one’s actions, thinking and speech are correct or not. If one does not know or is not sure whether one’s view is right, one should first doubt about it. One should also try to understand and respect other people’s opinions. In there, one should try to see if one’s view is right or not.

What I am teaching you is not new. You heard about it before in either this or a past life. This daily teaching is simply to remind us so that we can be clear and live correctly in this and future lives. Believing this teaching is entirely the decision of the one who reads it. In addition, applying one’s own concept to this teaching is the choice of the reader himself or herself. © Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim