The Eightfold Path Explained

[Aloka]

Ajahn Amaro the abbot of Amaravati monastery UK discusses the Eightfold Path:

[philg]

Always good to hear such talks. His views about 'right' are useful, with the analogy of something balanced rather than 'right as opposed to wrong'. Above everything is the need to keep all aspects of the path in some kind of balance too. Why? Because of the 'medicinal' nature of the path. It can be seen as something for what ails you spiritually, to keep the unsatisfactory from spoiling your life. Personaqlly I wouldn't guarantee 'happiness' as the outcome, but I would be happy not to be dragged down by unsatisfaction with life. There is also the element of working with the mind. If you do stuff, your mind will change accordingly. You can't help it. Things like meditation and mindfulness work, but you need the rest of the path as protection for when it does. Which is the problem with using meditation techniques outside of Buddhism. They will do things to your mind, but what happens then?