The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering Reviews

• 
  Jo

  I read this book for a class, and our teacher told us that Bhikkhu Bodhi is one of the greatest living translators of the Buddha's teachings from the original Pali. That explains why the 120 pages of text are some of the most exquisitely precisely written I've ever read, illuminating the Buddha's philosophy with powerful clarity. Superb.
• 
  Ulf Wolf

  If you were to call this book a Buddhism Primer you would in a sense be correct. But this book is so much more than that. Although short and compact, Bhikkhu Bodhi makes every line sing, every word count.
  
  I read this book some year ago, just as I set out on the Buddhist path, and found it very informative. Now, after ten or so years of study, reflection, and meditation I have read it again, and now (with a little less dust in my eyes) this book really sings. Bhikkhu Bodhi is both extremely insightful and erudite (he is a respected and renowned Pali scholar after all), and the way he now (reading with better eyes) outlines the path summarizes it so eloquently, and still in such depth, that I’d consider this book as a sole companion on that often-posited desert island.
  
  Also, keep a dictionary handy, Bhikkhu Bodhi writes extremely well, and he will us unfamiliar words if it is the correct and best word to use. I looked many of them up, and he is always spot on. Sometimes his sentences explode with meaning.
  
  Very highly recommended.
  
• 
  Leo Walsh

  A superb introduction to core Buddhist doctrines from the most notable contemporary translator of the Pali Cannon. Because of this, I had expected it to be dry. It wasn't. Instead, Bodhi is a fabulous communicator. Better still, Bodhi's deep commitment to the Buddha's actual words makes gives this exposition of core ideas a depth that introductory teachings often lack. My only objection is that it was too short.
• 
  Marta

  Clunky and impenetrable; nevertheless does offer a brief review of the Noble Eightfold Path. Not sure who the audience is. For a beginner, this is incomprehensible. For an advanced student of buddhism, it does not elaborate much on anything, rather it compiles list after list of terms, many poorly translated. Boddhi tries to cram everything into a slim volume with very little explanation. The result is both too much and too little. On top of that, the language is atrocious: repetitive, overcomplicated, tortured. The only reason I am giving it two stars is because it sparked interesting discussions in my sangha reading group - albeit I suspect that has more to do with the quality of the people, and not the book.
• 
  Wt

  The Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths constitute the heart of the Buddha's teaching. In this book, Bhikku Bodhi clarifies how the Noble Eightfold Path and the 4 Noble Truths contain each other to form the Doctrine and the Discipline (dhamma-vinaya). The 4 Noble Truths give the Doctrine, the Noble Eightfold Path the Discipline to be followed. To realize one is to realize the other. Bhikku Bodhi also clarifies how the Noble Eightfold Path is related to the Three-fold training (in morality or sila, concentration or samadhi, and wisdom or panna). Then he discusses each path factor in detail. Finally, he talks about how the Noble Eightfold Path, known also as the mundane path because it takes as its object of contemplation the conditioned world, gives rise to the 4 supramundane paths and fruits that constitute the 4 stages of Nibhaana.
  
  Now don't be put off if you don't understand right now all these terms and schema (8, 4, 3 and so on). They are just different ways of presenting a reality that is inside you, right in your face, that confronts you every second in your existence, and that you can know through looking at your own everyday experiences. The Noble Eightfold Path is all about looking at your reality so that you can see it for what it really is, and not what you hope or suppose it to be. The thing is, we don't usually look at our realities carefully and properly, and because of this all manner of problems arise that cause us suffering. Therefore, the very first factor of the Eightfold Path is Right View. Once we correct our view of reality, everything follows. The path arises naturally once we get our views right.
  
  Our thought becomes right, our speech becomes right. Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration follow. So to understand and achieve the Noble Eightfold Path, we must first understand what is right from what is wrong. This rightness is not a moral rightness with judgement meted out by some God, it is a rightness that has to be determined in terms of suffering - i.e. what causes us to suffer is wrong, what leads to the cessation of our suffering is right. Now, who wants suffering, right? Yeah, bad pun, but to avoid suffering, we gotta get the right right, right in the beginning. Bhikku Bodhi explains what is right in terms of these 8 path factors.
  
  Reading this book will help you to see more clearly into the heart of your own experience, and to gain freedom from its dis-satisfactoriness. As the author points out, while the dhamma and the vinaya must be comprehended through the the direct seeing of reality in our own experiences, study of the dhamma and vinaya is also important as it can give rise to this direct seeing, guide the understanding of this revelation, and help further develop and perfect this direct apprehension, which is essentially an insight into the Truth of all life; a liberating wisdom.
  
  This is a path that, in the Buddha's own words, runs contrary to the way of the world. This might sound difficult, daunting or unnatural to people, yet if they truly investigate their own reality (according to ways as suggested in the path), they will find that it is their wrong conceptions of reality that makes their life difficult, daunting and unnatural. Actually, the Noble Eightfold Path is the easy, pleasant and natural path to realize and to tread, and it leads to an easy, pleasant and natural abiding in the world. Anyone who wants to live a happy life free from anger, pain, frustration, dissatisfaction and suffering, and possess the ability to create happiness not only for oneself but also for others, now and always, this life and beyond, will do well to develop the Noble Eightfold Path. It is not hard to do, we just have to investigate our own reality and experiences to see the inherent dis-satisfactory side of it. Once the dis-satisfactory nature of experience (dukkha) is seen in one's own experience, the Path arises automatically, and can be developed naturally until it culminates in the fruit of complete liberation.
  
  So, not only students of the dhamma and Buddhist meditators, but basically all seekers of happiness will find this book very useful.
• 
  Ahmad A.

  Bhikkhu Bodhi does a great job at distilling the complete teachings of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path with a good amount of details. The book contains a fractal summary of the path that aids in remembering it. I especially liked the chapters on Right View, Right Intention and the Development of Wisdom as they put things into perspective and explained the seemingly circular and interconnected nature of the teachings. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a good grasp of the Eightfold Path, the heart of the Buddha's teaching.
• 
  Monica

  The two concepts that most have heard about Buddhism are the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path. All Buddhists know what these are and would be able to tell you that the four noble truths refer to the reality of suffering, how suffering arises, how it can cease, and the path towards the cessation of suffering - which is the noble 8 full path.
  
  The teaching of Buddha is so sublime that it may not be so easy to explain this to an average person. This is not because the teachings are so convoluted, but primarily because our perspectives are hindered and obscured by our wrong beliefs that happiness related to the 6 senses last (the 6th sense is our mind and thoughts), that it should be pursued (craving), and about the permanence of our conscious and self-identity. This little booklet is so well written that I will need to read it again to fully appreciate how Bhikkhu Bodhi fleshes out all the connections in the whole schema of things.
  
  As a Buddhist scholar monk who has translated many Pali scriptures, Bhikkhu Bodhi is very precise and careful in his choice of words and use of language. Only this way, we can learn to appreciate how sublime the teaching of Buddha is.
  
  As I said, I will really need to read this again and again to fully appreciate it. I highly recommend this book, although it would not be something easy for a newcomer to Buddhism to read because of what you can call the technicalities of the multifaceted aspects of the single doctrine that Buddha taught.
• 
  Rachel

  This one was very hard for me to get through (as you can see from my reading dates, it took me over four months). It's a very dense, Buddhist philosophy book that a book club I belong to chose. I had joked to my partner that there should be noble 8 fold path trading cards, but after having struggled through this book I don't think it's such a bad idea. Cards of some sort would have helped with my understanding and retention of this material. I guess I should have taken notes. Despite the length of time it took me get through it, I do think this book has a good message that's competently and concisely presented.
• 
  Jokoloyo

  The content is great, but as a casual beginner in learning Buddhism, the explanation is very dry. I don't mean I demand this book as a pleasure reading, but if you want to read this book, be prepared with the dryness.
  
  This book is not intended for popular "self-help" book that could sell in general book market. This book is for people who want to know more about the basics of Buddhism.
• 
  RodrigoBorgia

  When kamma is explained, it's not excessively clear: a notion so important and yet so widely misunderstood would deserve more space, in my opinion. Otherwise, a pretty good compendium for Theravada practitioners.
• 
  Mack Hayden

  While I'd still probably recommend some more user-friendly, entertaining books as introductions to someone completely new to Buddhism, this is hands down the best one I've come across for just breaking down just what each aspect of the Eightfold Path entails philosophically and pragmatically. As I'm a secular fan of Buddhism rather than a practicing Buddhist myself, there were certainly some metaphysical claims in here I would, bare minimum, say I'm far from certain of myself. But regardless, I finished it feeling like I finally had a clear understanding of just what each of the eight components was and how they fit into the wider picture of the Buddha's message. I can't say I did before reading this.
• 
  Vince

  Concise, clear summary of the essential path of the Buddha. It comes from a reasonably orthodox Theravada Buddhist perspective, but with eyes open to the complexities of modern Western lifestyles.
• 
  Bogdan Alexa

  It is extraordinary. Highly recommend!
• 
  Tim

  Dry is the word that comes to mind.
  
  Clear and concise, says the blurb. Well, concise, sure. Clear is more questionable - if you have questions about the assertions made herein (and elsewhere in the Buddhist tradition), this is not where you will find them addressed.
  
  I bought it out of curiosity about the notion of "right speech" (one of the folds of the noble 8x path), but to be honest (and not slanderous, harsh, idle or false), the Wikipedia entry on the noble eightfold path - my starting point - was possibly slightly less concise but more importantly was at least as clear.
  
  It took me a long time to slog along this schematic outline of the path and I don't feel all that much enlightened, or satisfied (though I have now had it drummed into me that the notion of satisfaction is illusory).
  
  I'd say this book is of limited value to readers seeking a felt understanding of Buddhism, but could be useful as a quick reference for some of the apparently numerous conceptual schemata of Buddhism - as in the eightfold path, the ten defilements, the four sublime states, etc. etc. (Incidentally, this numbering fixation itself seems to me a marked and intriguing feature of Buddhism. If anyone can point me at any thematic discussions of this, I'd be impermanently grateful.)
  
  
• 
  Balaji Ramasubramanian

  Scholar monk Bhikkhu Bodhi had an American education and ordained in the Theravada order in Sri Lanka. Many of his translations and works on the Pali Canon as well as the classes on YouTube are gifts to the world for posterity. But this little volume is by no means negligible. A small and humble, inviting book on the Noble Eightfold Path as formulated in the Pali Canon, this book does great justice to the Dhamma.
  
  Remember however that this is not a meant for reading in a train journey or by your breakfast table. This is structured somewhat like a textbook, going from one topic to another in succession. It is not like Ajahn Thanissaro's treatises that do an in depth study, or like any of the essays that either of them have written. But it is a great place for any new person to start.
• 
  Anders

  Four stars because I still suffer...
• 
  Cheng Nie

  Jun 21, 2019
  
  This book was recommended to me by the teacher in the 10-day Vipassana course. I don't like the re-birth time of arguments in the book, other than that, everything is good.
  
  1. The Buddha calls this path (eightfold path) the middle way (中庸之道 in Chinese?) It steers clear of two extremes. One is the extreme of indulgence in sense pleasures, the attempt to extinguish dissatisfaction by gratifying desire. The other extreme is the practice of self-mortification, the attempt to gain liberation by afflicting the body.
  
  2.Renunciation is not a matter of compelling ourselves to give up things still inwardly cherished, but of changing our perspective on them so that they no longer bind us.
  
  3. The meditation begins with the development of lovingkindness towards oneself. The love (for others) are developed is not based on the relation (with those others) but on each person's common aspiration for happiness.
  
  4. The unwholesome thought is like a rotten peg lodged in the mind; the wholesome thought is like a new peg suitable to replace it. The actual contemplation functions as the hammer used to drive out the old peg with the new one.
  
  5. A paragraph reminds me of my grandpa who did a lot of slanderous speech. Slanderous speech is speech intended to create enmity and division, oto alienate one person or group from another. The motive behind is generally aversion, resentment of a rival's success or virtue, the intention to tear down others by verbal denigrations.
  
  6. One way to counter the sexual desire is to contemplate the impermanent body. They'll have to die one day.
  
• 
  Santana Navarrette

  Of the books on classical (Theravādin) Buddhism that I've read so far, this book by Bhikkhu Bodhi is certainly the most enlightening.
  
  The vague and enigmatic teachings of the Sutta Pitaka are crystallized into poignant disambiguations that sing with serene lyricism and shine with illuminating insight.
  
  In this book, the famous eightfold path of Buddhism is utilized as a schematic foundation for dissecting and applying all of the most important concepts and themes of classical (Theravādin) Buddhist philosophy and practice. From the Four Noble Truths, to dependent origination, impermanence, dukkha, selflessness, the Jhanas of mindfulness, karma and rebirth (samsara), epistemological concerns regarding meditation vs. rational analysis, ontological concerns regarding philosophy of mind and the nature of reality, and so much more. For those wishing to incorporate meditation into their lives, this book also contains extremely detailed and practical overviews for engaging in multiple forms of Buddhist meditation, along with the philosophical and spiritual justifications and explanations to provide a strong foundation for beginning the practice of mindfulness.
  
  I definitely recommend this book to any serious student of Buddhist philosophy. Its elegant and penetrating exegesis is overwhelmingly potent, and you will absolutely walk away from this book with a deeper understanding of Buddhism.
• 
  Gustavo

  O ciclo do nascer, envelhecer, morrer e renascer é acompanhado de sofrimento. O desejo é a origem desse sofrimento. Ao cessar o desejo, o sofrimento será eliminado. O caminho para cessar o sofrimento é o caminho óctuplo.
  Dominar a mente, alcançar o estado de sabedoria, acabar com o sofrimento. Quem não quer?
  Oito condições levam a sabedoria e ao fim do sofrimento.
  O livro tem muitas ações práticas e bem especificas, algumas até curiosas como:
  Para eliminar o desejo sensual: Trazer à luz a natureza repulsiva do corpo. Meditar sobre: cabelos da cabeça; pelos do corpo; unhas; dentes; pele; carne ; tendões; ossos; medula; rins; coração; fígado; diafragma; baço; pulmões; intestino grosso; intestino; delgado; conteúdo do estômago; excremento; cérebro; bile; catarro; pus; sangue; suor; gordura; lágrimas; sebo; meleca; saliva; fluído sinovial; urina
  Para meditar sobre a impermanência: contemplar corpos desintegrando após a morte
  
  
• 
  Craig Shoemake

  Bhikkhu Bodhi's little treatise on the constituents of the fourth noble truth is a quick, by the numbers (and letters) summary of orthodox Theravadan opinion on the subject. As such it is a useful resource especially for beginners to the field, or for someone who is interested in "brushing up" on the fundamentals. Factually, it is guaranteed accurate, though this is not to say it is particularly thought provoking or insightful. I'll give a few examples of what I'm talking about.
  
  BB actually starts off with an intriguing conundrum: we ordinary people inevitably encounter suffering, and if we consider the nature of that suffering, we "seek a way to bring our disquietude to an end... But it is just then that we find ourselves facing a new difficulty. Once we come to recognize the need for a spiritual path we discover that spiritual teachings are by no means homogeneous and mutually compatible" (pp. 1-2).
  
  The problem then becomes trying to "decide which [teaching] is truly liberative, a real solution to our needs, and which is a sidetrack beset with hidden flaws."
  
  He then takes up the question of how to decide on a path (though we of course know what his ultimate answer will be), eventually concluding:
  
  "To sum up, we find three requirements for a teaching proposing to offer a true path to the end of suffering: first, it has to set forth a full and accurate picture of the range of suffering; second, it must present a correct analysis of the causes of suffering; and third, it must give us the means to eradicate the causes of suffering" (p. 5).
  
  But then Bhikkhu Bodhi cops out of the project he set up: "This is not the place to evaluate the various spiritual disciplines in terms of these criteria," he tells us. "Our concern is only with the Dhamma, the teaching of the Buddha..."
  
  To which I thought, "Well if that was the case, why did you lead me on this wild goose chase? Why didn't you just get to the point and not pretend you were going to philosophize about the serious challenge of how one goes about choosing a worldview for oneself?" In other words, BB acknowledges the challenge, but doesn't quite have the gumption (or perhaps the intellectual equipment) to really justify to us why we should bother picking up a book on the Buddha's teaching in the first place. Anyway, I find it irritating when a writer sets up an interesting problem but then refuses to try to solve it. An unsuccessful attempt is vastly more satisfying than no attempt at all.)
  
  Another example of this kind of irritating superficiality in BB's discussion concerns kamma (=karma in Sanskrit). He writes:
  
  "The most important feature of kamma is its capacity to produce results corresponding to the ethical quality of the action. An immanent universal law holds sway over volitional actions, bringing it about that these actions issue in retributive consequences, called vipaka, 'ripenings,' or phala, 'fruits'" (p.20).
  
  He then assures us that
  
  "the right view of kammic efficacy of action need not remain exclusively an article of belief... It can become a matter of direct seeing. Through the attainment of certain states of deep concentration it is possible to develop a special faculty called the "divine eye"... When this faculty is developed... one can then see for oneself, with immediate perception, how beings pass away and re-arise according to their kamma, how they meet happiness and suffering through the maturation of their good and evil deeds" (pp. 22-23).
  
  My immediate response to reading this was to think, Okay Bhikkhu Bodhi, have you developed the divine eye? For anyone for whom the answer to this question is "no"--and unless you are a psychic such will always be the answer--there is no recourse except to faith, which may be true or not. Clearly, this is not a practicable test of this central tenet, but the mere fact BB discusses kamma in this fashion indicates how bound he is by a traditional, non-scientific understanding of his own tradition.
  
  If you take the Buddha's teaching for what it is--as an applied psychology--kamma can be understood as simply conditioning, the shaping or molding of the mind by thoughts, words and actions. Whatever you think, say or do affects your state of consciousness and circumstances, and this is not a matter of faith but of direct observation here and now. This can be seen on gross levels or fine (e.g. working out makes you buff and depressed thoughts land you in the shrink's office); clearly our actions have consequences--they determine not only our characters but the course of our lives. Kamma is not magical and should not be considered as such; the word, after all, means "intentional action," and anyone can see the importance of both intentions and actions.
  
  Bhikkhu Bodhi is best known for his translations, and the above examples make it clear why. He is not a first rate thinker or communicator; whenever he engages in drawn out exposition (as in the case of a book in his own words), what he writes tends to read like a technical manual written by someone who reads technical manuals for a living. I suspect this is a personality thing, but it also comes from him being first and foremost a "man of the texts"--a translator and scholar as opposed to practitioner.
  
  This emerges too in the overall the feel of the book, and goes way beyond the quotes above. Though this short manual is fine for beginners interested in the basic "stuff" of Buddhism, there is little sense of living practice here. You don't get the stories a meditation teacher is likely to garner from sitting on the front cushion, nor do you get glib, funny anecdotes from the author's everyday life experience. Everything is distant, formal, abstract, leavened with stilted phrases and multi-syllabic words...such as "concomitant."
  
  
• 
  Ashley Haldane

  Very insightful and easy to understand. The length of the book doesn’t put you off either - the writer is able to concisely explain exactly what you need to know, without confusing the reader with unnecessary additional details. The back pages recap what is taught in the book, and makes it easy to navigate back to earlier parts if you need to revisit these.
  Thoroughly well written, although the writer has a way of using words that encapsulate exactly what he means - which means that you might need to keep a dictionary handy!
  However I felt that this was a great introductory book, and it would also be a good book to keep as a sort of ‘reference guide’ if you are interested in learning more about Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy.
  
  5/5 would recommend!
• 
  Paul

  Excellent and brief overview of the Eightfold Path, based solidly on what is in Buddhist scripture. If you're new to Buddhism, this little book gives a tremendous survey of the entire path by describing the eight factors of this core teaching. For my part, although I've been a Buddhist since 1987 and have studied the teachings a fair amount, I learned a lot by reading this book. The American monk Bikkhu Bodhi continues to perform great services to the English-speaking Buddhist world. Do yourself a favor and read his books!
• 
  Robert Epp

  A much loved gift from a neighbour. At first, the book sat on my shelf for three years, and when I finally found the time I was so engrossed in the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's understanding of the Buddha's teaching that I read it twice. I find myself turning to this inspiring work again, the exquisite prose and concise instructions are a delight. May all beings be free from suffering; may all beings be at peace.
• 
  Vili Kohonen

  Exceptional guide to the core of the path, especially the passage on Right Speech brilliant. This should probably be the second book one reads when interested in Buddhism, after an introduction such as
  What the Buddha Taught. Then, when some wisdom has been developed, it should be read again.