Ancient Wisdom for Difficult Times: The Eighth Step of the Eightfold Path

Hello wonderful Open Heart Project,

So far in our exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path, we have been laying a foundation for how we see, how we act, and how we meet our lives. We began with Right View and Right Intention, then moved into Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, and most recently, Right Mindfulness, returning to the placement of attention and the synchronization of mind and body.

Now we come to the final step: Right Samadhi, often translated as concentration or absorption.

What does this mean? It is not about forcing the mind to focus or becoming good at meditation. It is about learning to place your attention on something and, when it wanders, bringing it back. From there, it becomes the ability to stay with what you are doing, to follow it through, and to let your attention fully land in the experience.

There is also something more here. As attention steadies, it can extend beyond ourselves, into real connection with others, and even further into a loosening of the sense that there is a separate “me” at the center of everything.

Please have a listen. I truly hope this exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path has been useful to you. Let me know what you think. I always love hearing from you.

Warmly,
Susan

categorized in: dharma, open heart project