Six posts into this introduction to the Buddha’s Eightfold Path (as part of our broader attempt to hold Buddhism up as a mirror to help us better understand our own Christian faith), and some of the things we immediately think about Buddhism have barely been mentioned: meditation, enlightenment, and that wonderful 2010s buzzword, mindfulness. Well … Continue reading The Eightfold Path, Part 7: Right Mindfulness
Now that I’m firmly ensconced in middle age and have more than a little experience of the world, I think I can safely say that there are few gifts we can give someone than to see them — really see them, for who they are. And the more I read of the Scriptures, the more … Continue reading God Sees Us: A Reflection on Luke 19.1-10
We’ve all seen it: a new convert gets super excited and does everything their new faith has to offer only to burn out after a few weeks; or conversely the person who’s been on the outskirts of the community for years and decades but who hasn’t seen any change in their life of faith. This … Continue reading The Eightfold Path, Part 6: Right Effort
Last time, we looked at the fourth piece to the puzzle of a fulfilled life free from unhealthy attachments, according to the Buddha’s teaching: right action. Its focus is on avoiding actions that will negatively impact ourselves and others, and actively seeking actions that work to the freedom and benefit of all. We also saw … Continue reading The Eightfold Path, Part 5: Right Livelihood
So far in our journey through the Buddha’s Eightfold Path, we’ve looked at worldview, thoughts, and speech. It should come as no surprise that the fourth element of the path is action, completing the ‘thought, word, and deed’ triplet we all know so well. Once again I’ll introduce the idea within its Buddhist context before … Continue reading The Eightfold Path, Part 4: Right Conduct
Matthew Root 