The Four Noble Truths and the

Eightfold Middle Path

The Buddha s teachings are primarily centralized in the Four Noble Truths and the
Eightfold
Middle Path. This is outlined in the next two chapters. The first part of the Pa
th is Right
Understanding. Right Understanding is the focus of this book because it is where
a
practitioner starts and ends. Right Understanding begins with faith, then knowle
dge, then
experience, and then wisdom. To begin on the Buddha s Middle Path one first needs
some faith
or some level of understanding that this is something worth pursuing. After that
one proceeds
on the Path, following and practicing the other components of the Eightfold Midd
le Path. As
one proceeds, one learns the Buddha s doctrines and concepts. After that one conti
nues with the
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concentration and mindfulness exercises of meditation, which results in first-ha
nd experience,
and then finally to the wisdom which enlightenment experiences provide. Thus, th
e
following summarizes the role of Right Understanding to the Eightfold Middle Pat
h of the
Buddha:
Right Understanding:
Faith in the teachings, that it is something worth pursuing.
Knowledge of the teachings and their compatibility to logic and science.
Experience of the teaching through meditation techniques.
Wisdom through enlightenment experiences.
The Eightfold Middle Path is a cyclical process where one starts with Right Unde
rstanding and
finishes with Right Understanding. During the whole process or Path, the other c
omponents are
just as important and practiced and experienced simultaneously. On the cover of
this
book is a circular representation of the Eightfold Middle Path.
The four parts of Right Understanding are very much related to the four evolutio
nary stages of
religion, discussed by Bhante Punnaji in the Foreword. You start with a faith in
the teachings,
which is similar to the devotion stage in the evolution of religion. The second
stage of religion is
discipline, which is similar to the knowledge you get in the second part of Righ
t Understanding.
The third stage of religion is tranquility, which is achieved through the experi
ence of meditation
techniques, the third part of Right Understanding. The final stage in religion a
nd Right
Understanding is wisdom and understanding from enlightenment experiences.