The Noble Eightfold Path

“These eight things, friends, when developed and cultivated lead to Nibbāna,
have Nibbāna as their ultimate destination, have Nibbāna as their final goal!”

The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha on the Way. SN V (56)

http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/The_Noble_8-Fold_Way.htm

So just growing up doesn’t sound all that hard. Chances are you’ve already done at least some of that. I don’t think toddlers are the intended audience for this book, although if you’re a toddler out there reading this, welcome. More power to you.

But achieving enlightenment sounds kind of intimidating. You may be surrounded by people whom you think have more or less mastered the whole being an adult thingy, but never met anyone who was fully enlightened. Part of the problem is that people who are fully enlightened tend not to say that about themselves. They tend to be very modest. In fact, if someone tells you s/he is fully enlightened, tread with caution. Watch the person with care for a while and decide for yourself if you think that person’s conduct is consistent with her/his claims. As always, actions speak louder than words.

Even so, the Buddha was very clear. He once said flat out, if it were not possible to achieve the same level of realization he had achieved, he would not tell people to do so. He was, after all, the embodiment of compassion, and telling people to spend their lives in a fruitless quest is not very compassionate. To help us out, he gave us the Noble…