Your Experience of the Eightfold Path

topic posted Fri, November 6, 2009 - 6:37 PM by  Aron
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Hello.

What have your experiences with the eightfold path been?
What do they mean to you?

The Right View,
The Right Intentions,
The Right Speech,
The Right Action,
The Right Livelihood,
The Right Effort,
The Right Mindfulness,
The Right Concentration.

You are experiencing. What is that?
posted by:
Aron
Washington
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  • Re: Your Experience of the Eightfold Path

    Mon, November 9, 2009 - 4:59 PM
    I think it's important to keep the clear distinction between Buddhism and Yoga. The same applies to other philosophies, such as Vedanta, that are often confused with Yoga. The Eightfold path is a Buddhist teaching, and while Yoga philosophy has some things in common with Buddhist philosophy, Yoga is not Buddhism.

    That being said, welcome to the tribe, Aron. I'm glad you posted.

    The most obvious connections that I see between the Eightfold Path and Yoga, are those related to effort, mindfulness, and concentration. Some of the other teachings included in the Eightfold Path can also be found in the Yoga Sutras and elsewhere in Hindu literature. One of Buddha's great contributions was that he clarified them.
    • Re: Your Experience of the Eightfold Path

      Thu, November 12, 2009 - 8:01 AM
      >>Yoga is not Buddhism. <<

      While this is true, it is worth noting that both Yoga and Buddhism originated in India and later spread to other areas, primarily in Asia and often together. Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism, which incorporate elements of certain local traditions (Bon in Tibet, Taoism in China), also include systems of Yoga. For example:

      home.att.net/~nowyoga/pa...istyoga.html
      • Thanks for the link O.D. I'm interested in exploring the link between Yoga and Buddhism. I believe that Buddhism, especially early Buddhism, has much in common with Patanjali's Yoga, which really is much more about meditation and spiritual practice than it is about asana practice. But still I think it's important to maintain the distinction between the two.

        I've read other posts which say that much of Buddhist practice is Yoga practice, but without mentioning specifics. The article at the link seems to show that Yoga and Kundalini tantra was incorporated into Buddhist practice. I know for a fact that Kundalini practice was recorded in the Upanishads, and so is probably fair to say that Kundalini was a Vedic spiritual practice that was adopted by Buddhism, and doesn't have all that much to do with hatha yoga as it is practiced today. I'm sure there are scholars out there who are much better qualified to discuss this than I am.