The Foundations of Buddhism

Four Truths

items of the eightfold path is not so transparent. Effort (6),

mindfulness ( 7 ), and concentration (8) are in effect technicalterms

of Buddhist meditation practice whose expression in everyday

language is less obvious. In practice they relate to one's under-

lying state of mind or, perhaps better, emotional state. In other

words, the list of eight items suggests that there is a basic rela-

tionship between one's understanding, one's actions, and one's

underlying emotional state.

The eight items of the path are not, however, to be understood

simply as stages, each one being completed before moving on to

the next. In fact, when we look at the extensive treatment of the

eightfold path in Buddhist literature, it becomes apparent that

view, intention, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness,

and concentration are presented here as eight significant dimen-

sions of one's behaviour-mental, spoken, and bodily-that are

regarded as operating in dependence on one another and as
defining a complete way (miirga/magga) of living.^35 The eight
items are significant in that they focus on the manner in which
what one thinks, says, does, and feels can effect-and affect-
the unfolding of the path to the cessation of suffering. Ordinarily
these eight aspects of one's way of life may, at different times,

be either 'right' and 'appropriate' (samyak/sammii) or 'wrong'

and 'inappropriate' (mithyii/micchii); that is, they may either
be out of keeping with the nature of things, leading .one further

away from the cessation of suffering, or they may be in keeping

with the nature of things, bringing one closer to the cessation of

suffering. By means of Buddhist practice the eight dimensions

are gradually and collectively transformed and developed, until
they are established as 'right', such that-they constitute the 'noble'
(iiryalariya) eightfold path. Strictly, then, the noble eightfold
path represents the end of Buddhist practice; it is the way of

living achieved by Buddhist saints-the stream-attainers, once-

returners, non-returners, arhats, and bodhisattvas who have worked
on and gradually perfected view, intention, speech, conduct,

livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. For such as

these, having perfect view, intention, speech, action, livelihood,
endeavour, mindfulness, and concentration is not a matter of