The Eight-Fold Path is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths – the first of the Buddha’s teachings. All the teachings flow from this foundation. The Four Noble Truths are 1. The Noble Truth of the reality of Dukkha as part of conditioned existence. Dukkha is a multi-faceted word. Its literal meaning is “that which is difficult to bear”. It

21. Siddhartha leaves home One night, when everyone in the palace was asleep, Siddhartha asked Channa to prepare his horse, Kanthaka. In the meantime he went into the room where Yasodhara and their newborn boy Rahula slept. He was filled with loving-kindness towards them and promised himself that he would come back to see them. But first he had to

11. Siddhartha is found meditating Siddhartha thought deeply about what he saw around him. He learned that although he was happy, there was a lot of suffering in life. So he felt deep sympathy for all creatures. When the king and the maids noticed that the prince was not among the crowd, they went to look for him. They were

1. The Country where the buddha grew up The hero of our story is Prince Siddhartha, the Buddha-to-be, who lived more than 2,500 years ago. His father was the Rajah of the Sakya clan, King Suddhodana, and his mother was Qeen Maha Maya. They lived in India, in a city called Kapilavatthu, in the foothills of the Himalayas. 2. The

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Meditation is a process of letting go. Too often people try to control all the events of their lives. They think, they plan, and they rehearse even the most menial daily tasks. Even when people think talking to themselves is odd, they will have verbal and imagined conversations in their head throughout the day. In meditation, you seek to quiet

Practice mindfulness in your everyday life. Meditation doesn’t have to be limited to strictly defined practice sessions, you can also practice mindfulness throughout your day to day life. For example, in moments of stress, try to take a few seconds to focus solely on your breathing and empty your mind of any negative thoughts or emotions. You can also practice

Follow your breathing. The most basic and universal of all meditation techniques, breathing meditation is a great place to start your practice. Pick a spot above your navel and focus on that spot with your mind. Become aware of the rising and falling of your abdomen as you breathe in and out. Don’t make a conscious effort to change your

Choose a peaceful environment. Meditation should be practiced somewhere calming and peaceful. This will enable you to focus exclusively on the task at hand and avoid bombarding your mind with outside stimuli. Try to find a place where you will not be interrupted for the duration of your meditation – whether it lasts five minutes or half an hour. The