Sammā

Wise /
appropriate /
caring and careful /
right

We start by reflecting on the teachings and bringing our view into alignment with the reality that our actions have consequences, and that certain actions and mind states lead to suffering while others lead to flourishing.

Having understood what leads to suffering, we set an intention to be free from ill will, to be harmless, and to relinquish unnecessary and unhelpful habits that obstruct the path. Stephen will reinterpret this factor as "wise imagination" how imagination can help us progress on the path, especially in situations where creativity can help us find compassionate ways forward.

Christoph will explore what it means to abstain from killing beings, from taking what is not given, and from an inappropriate relationship to sensuality. This is also a responsibility to protect living beings, to be generous and supportive of others, to treat them with respect, and to cultivate circumspection towards sensual pleasure.

Similarly, Martine will explore the area of appropriate livelihood and how our practice relates to our working life. We'll see how our livelihood can be a source of wellbeing for ourselves and others, rather than a source of strife.

Through speech we can uplift people or we can very easily hurt them. On this path, we make a commitment to truthful, intentional, purposeful speech. We speak gently, not harshly or with the intention to create division. Christoph will widen this area of inquiry to include how we communicate in this interconnected age.

This is usually the third limb of the path but we will explore wise speech slightly later in the sequence than it traditionally appears.

Stephen will discuss the practice of appropriate effort, traditionally understood as preventing and abandoning unskillful mind states while cultivating those that are beneficial to ourselves and others. With the application of wise effort, gradually the mind comes to settle in deeper states of lovingkindness, collectedness, and awareness.

With the other factors of the eightfold path in place, we may notice mindfulness becoming stronger. We observe the movements of the mind, remember the teachings, and let go of unskillful mind states. As a result, we bring more wholesome qualities and mind states into being. Jake will share his reflections on practicing mindfulness effectively in meditation and in the midst of life.

Martine will reappraise the factor of "samādhi." We will see that our aim is to cultivate a gatheredness, collectedness, and composure that unifies the mind—both in meditation and while interacting in the world. In this way, the eightfold path supports a mind state that is calm and well-resourced. Just as the other stations of the path strengthen mindfulness and collectedness, this awareness and gatheredness supports every other factor of the path.