The Noble Eightfold Path is a comprehensive path leading to the end of suffering. All the steps are interrelated and dependent on one another. The eight steps can be classified into 3 streams of practice; (a) morality, (b) mental development and (c) wisdom.
(1) Right Understanding (Wisdom)
(2) Right Thought (Wisdom)
(3) Right Speech (Morality)
(4) Right Action (Morality)
(5) Right Livelihood (Morality)
(6) Right Effort (Mental Development)
(7) Right Mindfulness (Mental Development)
(8) Right Concentration (Mental Development)
The Noble Eightfold path encompass to treatment of both the body and the mind. We have to first purify our physical being so that it will be easier to purify our minds. We purify our minds so that it will be easier to develop right understanding. The first 2 steps, right understanding and right thought, refer to application of the mind. Through them, ignorance, attachment and aversion can be eliminated. However, it is common to see morality being emphasized in the initial practice as morality is easier to grasp and is also the basis of all positive attributes.
Noble Eightfold Path – Wisdom
In Buddhism, faith is preliminary; the core of Buddhism is wisdom. Wisdom is the right understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. This goal is attained when our knowledge of Buddhism is transformed from book learning into actual living. This is attained by first through the cultivation of good conduct, and then through cultivation of proper mental development.
Two steps of the Noble Eightfold Path are included in the wisdom group.
(1) Right Understanding – Means seeing things as they really are. The means of acquiring right understanding are through (a) observation and study, (b) examination of observations and (c) meditation on the examinations.
(2) Right Thought - Means avoiding attachments and aversion. Thought has an immense influence in our behavior. The Buddha said that if we act and speak with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.
Noble Eightfold Path – Morality
Good conduct is the basis of all positive qualities. Morality covers 3 parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. Namely,
(1) Right Speech – Speech is a powerful mechanism that has often been under estimated. Right speech means the control and use of speech in beneficial ways through the respect for truth and respect for the well-being of others. Right speech also means avoiding lying, slandering, harsh speech and idle talks.
(2) Right Action – Means the respect for lives, properties and respect for personal relationships. These include the avoidance of killing, stealing, robbing and sexual misconducts.
(3) Right Livelihood – Means earning a living in a manner that does not violate basic moral values and caused harm to others. 5 kinds of livelihood are discouraged for Buddhists; these include trading in (a) animals for slaughter (b) slaves, (c) arms, (d) poisons and (e) intoxicants.
Noble Eightfold Path – Mental Development
The Buddha said that the mind is the source of all things and that all things are created by the mind. The mind is the key to changing the nature of experiences.
(1) Right Effort – Cultivating an appropriate level of motivation in our pursuit of the Dharma.
(2) Right Mindfulness – Watching the body and mind and be aware of what one is doing.
(3) Right Concentration – The focus of the mind single-pointedly on an object.
It is important that the aspect of mental development be cultivated with the guidance of a trained teacher. However, mental development without wisdom is not enough.

About the Author:
Linus Leong is a Buddhist. He contributes this article to Schools of Buddhism, an online educational resource for Buddhism.

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Buddhism is more than an Eastern religion: it is a healthy longevity promoter.

Buddhism focuses on the balanced interaction between the mind and the body as a prerequisite for healthy longevity; disease is a result of their imbalance and disharmony. The Buddhist approach to health and wellness is its emphasis on spiritual strength of the mind to overcome illness and disease. Concurring with Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who believed in the innate healing power in humans, Buddha also believed that you could seek cure through a drastic change in lifestyle and healthy attitudes towards the real meaning of life and existence.

Healing begins with the mind first, not the body. The reason is that disease originates from the disharmony of the mind and the spirit, leading to their imbalance with the physical body, resulting in disease. Optimal health for longevity is achieved when the mind and the body are functioning and interacting together as one entity.

One of the most damaging factors to the mind is stress. Nowadays, stress comes in many forms. Stress adversely affects your physical, mental, and spiritual health. In the Buddhist world, there is no stress, and you create your own stress through your ego-self, which is essentially your "no-self" because it simply does not exist, except in your own mind. Buddhism focuses on "emptiness" ' which is not self-denial, but rather the wisdom of knowing the impermanence of materials things and therefore the abandonment of the futile pursuit of these elusive and evasive goals in life. With enlightenment, you will change your perception of what you really are, and more importantly, the insignificance of your attachment to all materials things, including success and love of money. Buddha said, "Craving is the fountainhead of all human miseries." Once your craving ceases, your stress dissipates, and you are filled with composure, which constitutes wellness in your body and mind.

Even if there are remnants of stress, they can be dispelled through Buddhist meditation. According to Buddha, everyone has a "light" within him or her. To find that "light", you need to practice meditation. Through meditation, you are awakened to self-knowledge, which opens the door to ultimate wisdom: you see who you are, and what is important to you in life. In other words, you begin to see the realities of things around you; you begin to prioritize your life; and you begin to perceive the true meaning of your existence.

Natural healing of the mind, body, and spirit begins with a healthy love relationship in which Buddhist compassion and loving kindness naturally thrive. In Chinese, the word "compassion" means "removing suffering and giving happiness." From Buddha's view, true compassion has the power to root out the cause of misery in people's lives and direct them to the true cause of happiness.

Loving kindness, closely connected with compassion, is also a prominent feature of the Buddhist way of live. Compassion and loving kindness complement each other. Extending good will, care and consideration to all beings is critical to mental and spiritual health of an individual.

If you are truly committed to altruistic compassion and loving kindness, you will be armed with inner strength to face any health adversity in your life, thereby instrumental in inspiring hope in others, and by doing so, helping relieve their own suffering. Aging and illness simply provide an opportunity for you to inspire others through your own example.

Healing is a natural blend of science and philosophy of living. Buddhism certainly plays a pivotal role in the philosophy of living for healthy longevity.

About the Author:
Stephen Lau is a researcher, writing synopses of medical research for scientists. His publications include "NO MIRACLE CURES" a book on healing and wellness. He has also created several websites on health and healing.
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.zenhealthylifestyle.com
http://www.chinesenaturalhealing.com
http://www.rethinkyourdepression.com

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ArticlesBase.com - Buddhism and Healthy Longevity

There are several different types of Buddhism, but Zen is probably one of the most known around the world. The practice is fundamentally geared around meditation. But Zen Buddhism practices do extend beyond that.

Rinzai and Soto are the two largest sects of Zen Buddhism in Japan, and Soto is the most common one outside. Their focus is, of course, on the practice of meditation. Actually, the word itself, Zen, comes from the word in Sanskrit for meditation. Zen Buddhists believe that enlightenment is only achieved by focusing your mind internally and that meditation is the best tool for doing this.

When you meditate according to the Soto style, you face the wall. You sit in this position and let yourself be aware of your thoughts without holding onto them. In the Rinzai tradition, you sit facing the center of the room. This style focuses more on the breath.

Everything you do during the day can be turned into zazen, the name for Zen Buddhist meditation techniques. By focusing your complete attention on each activity at time, and only that activity, it becomes zazen. However, one should still meditate every day, at least for 5 minutes. Regular daily practice is of the utmost importance.

For a practicing monk, much more time will be spent in meditation. Many minutes of meditating, perhaps 40 or 50, will be broken up by walking meditation. This gives the legs a chance to get relief. Sesshins are often offered for lay students which may be from one to seven days in length, sometimes more. The students will meditate for hours each day, as well as attend talks, and do some silent work to help out.

Chanting is not a primary Zen practice, but it is included in the daily activities of many temples. A few main sutras will be chanted, such as the Lotus and the Heart sutras, as well as some mantras. There will usually be altars that have representations of Buddhas. At home, the altar is frequently used to talk to and honor the ancestors.

Meditation on Koans is primarily used by the Rinzai branch of Zen. These are phrases or anecdotes that the practitioner must meditate on to find the hidden meaning. Without a higher level of understanding, it is impossible to know the meaning of the Koan.

All Zen Buddhism practices have as their goal Satori, or enlightenment. When you reach Satori, you will no longer need to be reincarnated into this world, which is viewed as a place of suffering. Although meditation is the most important part of the practice, adding other techniques can help you achieve that goal.

In today's stress filled society, Zen meditation techniques might be just what you need to manage your life more effectively. Learn more about how meditation can calm and focus your mind by visiting Meditation Techniques.

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