INTRO TO the Noble Eightfold Path

Tammy Dyer is offering an 8-week course on the original and fundamental teaching of the Noble Eightfold Path, beginning September 14, a Monday at 6:30 p.m., and continuing each Monday through November 1.

When the Buddha delivered his first discourse, or sutta, it is said that he “set in motion the wheel of the Dhamma.” This wheel has been turning ever since, as millions of people over thousands of years have sought to practice some aspect of the path daily.

This eight-week course is one way for modern practitioners to come very close to the letter and spirit of the early teachings. It draws entirely on what we now call the Pali canon, a collection of some of the earliest records of the Buddha’s teachings. This teaching is central to all Buddhist traditions.

To the best of my ability, I will explain how the Eightfold Path encompasses nearly everything the Buddha taught. It is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths, widely understood as the framework within which the Buddha's teaching unfolds. These truths are:

  1. the fact of suffering

  2. the origin of suffering: craving

  3. the cessation of suffering

  4. the path leading to the cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path.

The eight classes I am offering will present an overview of all the factors of this so-called eightfold path: how they are presented in the old scriptures, and how we can apply and understand them in a way that is relevant to 21st-century life. 

You could say that the method of the Buddha is cultivating the Eightfold Path. I will attempt to present each step on the path in detail, show its relevance to our lives, and explain how understanding the different steps can make a difference in our relationships and in how we relate to ourselves. I hope to support your understanding of how this class can remind us of a different orientation we can cultivate. My intention in offering this class is to support your understanding of how we can cultivate a different orientation to life and to enhance your ability to live a flourishing life. By giving you tools and a greater understanding, this class will bring width and depth to the cultivation of meditation, wisdom, and compassion.

In a way, each step of the eightfold path will lead us to explore a particular dimension of our lives, helping us become more grounded, calmer, and more responsive in how we respond to situations.

You are welcome to join us on this journey of exploration to enrich our lives and benefit you, those in your life, and the environment around you. I am looking forward to exploring this teaching in a class that will include meditations, teachings, and discussion.

If you would like to participate in this course, please sign up below. Zoom will be available as an option, but I prefer that you attend in person if possible.