Episode 112 - Right Intention Part 2 - Good Will
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Release Date: 08/28/2021
Episode 118 - Right Action
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In this episode we take a deep dive into what Buddha meant by Right Action or conduct. Right Action is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, which lays out the gradual path to enlightenment. Right action means a abstains from non-virtuous actions of body, principally: Killing Stealing Sexual misconduct Abandoning taking life This refers not just to killing human beings, but to refrain from intentionally killing any living, specifically sentient beings means humans, animals and insects. The positive aspect of abandoning killing is having compassion and kindness toward all living...
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Right Speech - Episode 117
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
This episode explores Right Speech, as part of a series on the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path. In the context of the spiritual path, Right Speech is more than just an ethical discipline of behavior. Right Speech is a vital part of purifying our mind so that we can attain spiritual realizations and deeper levels of wisdom. Almost everyone in our modern society engages in some type of unskillful speech. Yet, our speech is so powerful to affect others. If our speech comes from loving-kindness, we can be a mirror that shows someone their beautiful qualities. Conversely, our words can do great...
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Episode 116 - Right Effort
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
This episode focuses on Right Effort, one part of the Noble Eightfold Path. Buddha repeatedly taught the importance of effort, for realizing the rest of the eightfold spiritual path depends on effort. In this context effort means energy directed toward cultivating the mind. The path begins with an impure mind and a wish to change; the liberated mind is the culmination of the path.what comes between is unrelenting effort. Here we focus on the four powers of effort, which teaches us how to make positive change unstoppable. Time and again the Buddha has stressed the need for effort,...
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Episode 115 - Right View
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In this episode, we explore Right View connoting the realization of emptiness. Right View is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, laid out by Buddha as the gradual path to enlightenment. All eight parts of the path are practiced concurrently as we move along our spiritual journey. The eight parts are not sequential or practiced one-at-a-time, but you could say that the realization of emptiness is what directly leads to enlightenment. All the other parts are absolutely necessary to prepare and purify the mind until it can realize the true nature of reality, emptiness. Emptiness describes how...
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Episode 114 - Karma Bandits
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
This episode is dedicated to Right View, one part of The Noble Eightfold Path. Right View has two parts to it: a mundane right view and a superior right view (emptiness).Today we look at mundane right view which adopts the understanding and belief in karma. It is specifically, “right view of the ownership of action” (kammassakata sammaditthi). What does it mean to live mindfully in accordance with the of karma? “All created things are suffering.” Seeing this with insight, One becomes disenchanted with suffering. This is the path to purity. (278)* —Buddha, The...
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Episode 113 - Right Intention Part - 3: Harmlessness
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In this last of a three episode series on Right Intention, one of the Noble Eightfold Path, we look at how to practice the aspect of harmlessness. Right intention has three parts: Renunciation, Loving-kindness, and Harmlessness. Buddhist Teacher, JoAnn Fox, also shares a meditation and daily mindfulness practice to help us cultivate harmlessness. What is harmlessness in Buddhism Harmlessness is a mind that opposes the wish to harm. It is also a path we cultivate gradually to its highest fruition—becoming harmless toward all living beings. It is compassion that helps us develop...
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Episode 112 - Right Intention Part 2 - Good Will
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In this episode, we look at one aspect of Right Intention—loving-kindness. Buddhist Teacher, JoAn Fox, teaches how to practice loving-kindness in daily life, as well as a way to cultivate it through meditation. She teaches and guides the metta meditation, a powerful method to increase our loving-kindness, redirect our love from our usual self-focus, and gradually extend it to all living beings. What is Right Intention from the Noble Eightfold Path Right Intention is one of the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha’s guide to the gradual path to enlightenment. Right intention...
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Episode 111 - Right Intention Part 1
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
This episode begins a series in which we take a deep dive into the practice of each part of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path is Buddha’s guide to a gradual path to happiness and, if one chose to take it all the way, to enlightenment. In this episode we look at Right Intention. Right intention has three parts: Loving-kindness, Harmlessness, and Renunciation. We begin with the practice of renunciation. What is renunciation? Renunciation is not giving up pleasures, shaving our head, or giving away all our material possessions. Lama Yeshe explained, “If a...
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Episode 110 - Two Paths Before You
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Buddhism, one could say, is the gradual path to happiness. The essence of all the teachings of Buddha can be summed up by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Noble Truths reveal Buddha’s realization that life is pervaded by suffering, the cause of suffering are the toxins in the mind like attachment, aversion and ignorance, and that there is a solution to all suffering. The Eightfold Path is contained within the Fourth Noble Truth and is the guide on how exactly to gradually end our sufferings and reveal an authentic, stable happiness from within. Buddha reveals in the...
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Episode 110 - Two Paths Before You
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Buddhism, one could say, is the gradual path to happiness. The essence of all the teachings of Buddha can be summed up by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Noble Truths reveal Buddha’s realization that life is pervaded by suffering, the cause of suffering are the toxins in the mind like attachment, aversion and ignorance, and that there is a solution to all suffering. The Eightfold Path is contained within the Fourth Noble Truth and is the guide on how exactly to gradually end our sufferings and reveal an authentic, stable happiness from within. Buddha reveals in the...
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In this episode, we look at one aspect of Right Intention—loving-kindness. Buddhist Teacher, JoAn Fox, teaches how to practice loving-kindness in daily life, as well as a way to cultivate it through meditation. She teaches and guides the metta meditation, a powerful method to increase our loving-kindness, redirect our love from our usual self-focus, and gradually extend it to all living beings.
What is Right Intention from the Noble Eightfold Path
Right Intention is one of the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha’s guide to the gradual path to enlightenment. Right intention has three intentions to cultivate: renunciation, loving kindness, and harmlessness. These oppose attachment, ill will, and harmfulness.
When Buddha was meditating in the forest before attaining enlightenment, he noticed his thoughts fell into one of two categories. One category consisted of negative karmic thoughts and were motivated by either attachment, ill will, or harmfulness. The other category of thoughts were characterized by the intentions of renunciation, loving-kindness, or harmlessness. When a negative karmic way of thinking arose, Buddha would redirect his intention with its opponent. For example, when he was feeling ill will or anger, he would try to develop the intention of metta. The Pali word metta has been translated as love, good will, or loving-kindness.
What is loving-kindness in Buddhism?
Loving-kindness is characterized by the wish that another be happy. This wish is accompanied by a feeling of warmth and affection. Think of the love a mother has for her child, it is a warm feeling that wishes her child to always be happy, healthy, and safe. She wishes this whether her child is with her or is all grown up and living far away. It is less self-focused than the love we usually feel for others. Metta is selfless in a similar way, but more profound, pure, and universal in nature.
It is said that metta needs to be cultivated through meditation; otherwise our experiences of metta are more spontaneous and less stable. The metta prayer used in metta meditations varies between traditions, but it is really just the true utterance of loving kindness. A common metta prayer is this: “May you be happy.” “May you be healthy.” “May you be safe.” “May you be peaceful.” Metta is intended to be cultivated and purified until it is not conditional upon others’ relationship to us. Generally, we reserve our “love” for a very few in this world, perhaps only our family. Metta, by contrast, is unconditional and meant to be extended to all living beings. All beings are to be loved and we become a being of love. This is our only and highest duty.
The best of paths is the Eightfold [Path];
The best of truths, the Four [Noble Truths].
—Buddha, The Dhammapada
References and Links
Bodhi, Bhikku. The Noble Eightfold Path. Buddhist Publication Society, 1999, pp. 33-36. BuddhaNet. http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/noble8path6.pdf
Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011, pp. 72 (Link)