Have you ever wondered… about the Noble Eightfold Path? I have. I think it paves an ideal for how to approach and live life on a daily basis. It paints a picture of how to improve and peacefully empower your personal purpose. The path breaks down into eight parts or practices. You do not need to start them all at once. In fact, I sugjest focusing on only a few initially and then slowly add on more as new habits feel firm.
- Best View
- Best Resolve
- Best Speech
- Best Conduct
- Best Livelihood
- Best Effort
- Best Mindfulness
- Best Connection
[The person] who walks in the eightfold noble path with unswerving determination is sure to reach Nirvana.
-Buddha
Even as I write this post, the potential of the Noble Eightfold Path becomes clearer to me. We part ways with the parts of ourself that no longer pertain to or promote our pure purpose. We realign our being with something greater, holier, and more noble than we can imagine. It can feel scary, disorienting, or concerning, but that is often our ego talking and expressing discontent at slowly losing the control that it has enjoyed and exercised for far too long. As we exorcise those unfruitful facets, we face fortified faith forthwith.
All noble things are as difficult as they are rare.
-Baruch Spinoza
- How is your view – of yourself, of others, of the world? Do you see things through many assumptions and past limitations? Can you view things more objectively?
- What about your resolve? Are you committed to doing your best? Do you see projects through to the end? Can you refuse to give up without good reason?
- Why do you speak? Is it to spread or respectfully defend love? Can you avoid idle chatter? I know many will not like this idea, but why waste breath and energy?
- How is your conduct? Are you behaving in the best interest of all living beings?
- Livelihood relates to this same idea. In your profession, are you promoting peace and prosperity for all people and places? Does your job improve the world?
- Is your effort the best that it can be? Are you cutting corners and shirking duties to minimize effort? Do you feel proud of pouring forth your potential in what you do?
- What do you fill your mind with? Can you empty it as needed? Do you focus well?
- What are you connecting to? Do you feel a pull towards something greater beyond yourself? Can you feel the love and support for and from others around you? Are you able and driven to delve into delicate and dedicated devotion with the divine?
These are some of the ways that we can begin to live more nobly. We will not get it right overnight, but we can continue to whittle away at it day after day, carving the correct character into our core and essence. Then, when we begin to act nobly out of instinct due to its engrained nature because of all the work we put into becoming our best self, the feeling is unfathomable. It can also lead to some of the proudest moments of our lives.
To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization.
-Harriet Beecher Stowe
We have plenty of paper trails to follow towards nobility. Are we willing to listen to and learn from these pieces of wisdom in order to unlock our fullest and ultimate potential?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all.