Buddhism in a Nutshell
The Noble Eigthfold Path


The Noble Eightfold Path is the path to mental cultivation that encompasses morality (sila), concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (panna).

1. Sila eradicates gross, active defilements.
2. Samadhi eradicates recurrent defilements of the mind.
3. Panna eradicates dormant defilements and imprints.

Below are the 8 fold path, with Right Understanding and Right Thoughts making up the cultivation of wisdom; Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood making up the cultivation of morality; and Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration making up the cultivation of concentration.


  1. Right Understanding
    • The Four Noble Truths
  2. Right Thoughts
    - Applied thoughts to the Four Noble Truths and to:
    • Unconditional Love (Metta)
    • Compassion (Karuna)
    • Renunciation
  3. Right Speech
    • No lying > Truthfulness
    • No harsh speech > Gentle speech
    • No slanders > Kind words and praises
    • No idle talks or gossips
  4. Right Actions
    • No killing
    • No stealing
    • No sexual misconducts
  5. Right Livelihood
    - No trade in:
    • Human
    • flesh/meat
    • Weapons
    • Poisons
    • Intoxicants
  6. Right Effort more
    - Applied sustained effort until task is completed. Effort directed towards:
    • Preventing the arising of unwholesome states that have not yet arisen
    • Removing unwholesome states that have already arisen
    • Encouraging the arising of wholesome states that have not yet arisen
    • Increasing wholesome states that have already arisen
  7. Right Mindfulness
    - Mindfulness on:
    • Body
    • Feelings
    • Mind
    • Dhamma
  8. Right Concentration
    - One-pointedness focus on a single object until jhana is attained.
    - Wise Attention and Unwise Attention

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