Eightfold way (Buddhism)

These are the characteristics attained with the path of bhavana (meditation), the correct: views or understanding, realization or thought, speech, aims of action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, meditative stabilization or concentration. These states of mind are not so much a series of steps as the harmonious flowing of all the teachings of Buddhism towards its goal. The first two constitute wisdom (panna), the next three faith or ethical conduct (sila), and the final three mental discipline (samadhi). From the viewpoint of order with respect to time, it might be said that the sila phase comes first, followed by the samadhi phase and finally the panna phase. There are four stages: shrota-apanna (stream enterer); sakridagamin (the once-returner); anagamin (the non-returner); arhat. The way is divided into two paths through the four stages: lokiya (ordinary), that of the noble one who is still on the way; lokuttara (transcendent), that of the noble one who has already reached a certain level of holiness. The latter leads to full, harmonious balance, transcendence of normal understanding and direct knowledge of the unconditioned truth.

Following the way leads to a gradual relinquishing of the individual's hold on the chain of causation. In effect, this is the reversing of the twelve links of conditioned genesis: cessation of ignorance leads to cessation of volition; this leads to cessation of consciousness, which leads to cessation of mental and physical phenomena, and so on, to cessation of repeated becoming. As a result of this, decay, death and suffering cease.

One of the sections of yogic paths or harmonies with enlightenment defined in Buddhist teaching. Sometimes referred to as the fourth of the four noble truths leading to the cessation of suffering. Among the prerequisites for enlightenment – bodhi pakshika dharma – of which there are 37 grouped in seven areas, this is the last of the seven areas.