How can you acheive the eightfold path in buddhism?
There are “outer” and “inner” meanings to each of the steps in the Eightfold Path. For example, the outer meaning of Right Livelihood is to work in jobs that help people (nurse, teacher, etc.) and avoid jobs that harm people (soldier, gangster, etc.). However, as we all know, someone can work as a nurse or teacher and still harm many people. That leads to the inner meaning of Right Livelihood: to use any kind of job as a way of easing the suffering in the world. Even a soldier can attain this inner meaning (although I’m not sure about gangsters!). The same is true of each step of the path. We can comply with the outer meaning of Right Speech, for example, without responding beneficially to life’s many situations. For the Eightfold Path to come alive, we must penetrate its inner meaning. If we lack in wisdom and compassion, our best intentions will always go astray – and no “right livelihood” will prevent this. That’s why steady practice – meditation, chanting, bowing, study, etc. – is
