Walking the Path to Freedom
Learn how the Eightfold Path offers a clear, practical guide to ending suffering and living with wisdom, compassion, and peace.
Issue #33:
Good day and welcome back to The Zen Journal. Today, we turn our attention to the Fourth & Final Noble Truth, the path that leads to the end of suffering. Be sure to read the first, second & third Noble Truths if you have yet to do so.
The Eightfold Path is like a map, a clear guide that shows us how to walk away from suffering toward a life of peace, balance, and freedom. It consists of eight practices:
Right View (or Right Understanding)
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
These eight elements are grouped into three broader categories that work together:
The Wisdom Path (Paññā): Right View and Right Intention
The Ethical Conduct Path (Sīla): Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood
The Mental Discipline Path (Samādhi): Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration
You might sometimes see these paths labeled as Sīla, Samādhi, and Paññā, depending on the tradition. The order doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that they support one another, helping us live in a state of deeper peace and connection with the world.
Let's look more closely at each part:
Right View (Right Understanding) means recognizing reality as it is. Life includes suffering, suffering has a cause (attachment), there is an end to suffering (through letting go), and there is a way to that end: The Eightfold Path itself.
Right Intention asks us to take full responsibility for our actions and motivations. It means being honest with ourselves about why we do what we do, without rationalizing selfish behavior.
Right Speech reminds us to be mindful of the power of our words. We commit to speaking truthfully and kindly, avoiding lying, gossiping, stirring up conflict, or manipulating others through our language.
Right Action guides us to choose deeds that are compassionate and ethical. We aim to do the ‘right thing’, avoiding actions driven by greed, hatred, or confusion.
Right Livelihood teaches us to earn a living in a way that respects and honors the dignity and divine spark in all beings. It means not exploiting others, not dealing in harm, and not building a life based on deceit.
Right Effort is the consistent practice of nurturing wholesome qualities and gently letting go of unwholesome ones. We stay committed to our practice without forcing or rushing it.
Right Mindfulness invites us to be awake and aware not just during formal meditation but throughout the entire day. It’s about remembering the sacredness in ourselves and in every being we meet.
Right Concentration is the practice of focused attention. It teaches us to be present with whatever we are doing, rather than being scattered, distracted, or half-hearted.
Together, these practices form the road that leads us out of suffering and into a life of greater freedom, compassion, and wisdom.
As I mentioned before, this newsletter is organized around a broader framework inspired by Dharma. I began with Humility as the first pillar. The next quarter will begin with Sincerity, the third with Effort, and the final one with Gratitude.
Between these cardinal points, I weave in the Eightfold Path, starting with the Wisdom path, moving through Ethical Conduct, and ending with Mental Discipline or Meditation.
Today marks the completion of our reflections on the Four Noble Truths. But truly, it’s just the beginning of the journey. Living these truths is a lifelong path of deepening peace and joy.
I look forward to continuing this journey with you. Please feel free to share your thoughts, reflections, or questions as I dive deeper into these teachings.
I love how you framed the Eightfold Path not as a ladder to climb but as a circle to walk—more labyrinth than staircase.
Right View isn’t about becoming a philosophical know-it-all. It’s realizing, usually the hard way, that clinging to a flaming sword only gets you burned. Right Intention? That’s just the holy art of not bullshitting yourself.
And let’s be honest: Right Livelihood is getting harder when so many jobs demand you spiritually dismember yourself for a paycheck.
But here’s the grace in all this—none of these steps require perfection. Just presence. Just courage. Just enough humility to realize that liberation isn’t an escape route... it’s a homecoming.
Bow to you, Urban Monk. This path may be old, but it still knows the way.