A. It means the eight right ways to attain enlightenment; Right understanding, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness and Right concentration.
People are prone to feel overwhelmed by the number. However, we should not think that each of them is separate from each other and that we should acquire each of them. In fact, they are all one, and each of them is a gate to enlightenment. If we can open one of them and pass through it, that is, if we can perform any one of them exactly, the rest of them are done spontaneously without extra effort.
Student: “What is right action?”
Master: “An action that can’t be spoken.”
Student: “What is right speech?”
Master: “It is speech that cannot be acted upon.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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