The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path

By: Sangharakshita

However little we may know about Buddhism, we know that it is a path. In this much-loved classic -- first given as eight lectures in London in 1968 and long studied under the title Vision and Transformation -- Sangharakshita transforms our understanding of the best known of all Buddhist teachings: the Noble Eightfold Path. He begins by setting aside the narrow, moralistic language of 'right' and 'wrong', recovering the fuller meaning of the Buddha's term samyak: whole, integral, complete, perfect. The eight stages, he shows, fall into two great movements. First comes the Path of Vision -- an initial flash of insight into the nature of existence, which may arise through tragedy, meditation, art, or a sudden mystical opening. Then comes the Path of Transformation, in which that vision descends into and reshapes every aspect of our being: our emotions, our speech and communication, our actions and livelihood, our effort, our awareness, and finally our whole consciousness. Clear, humane, and quietly humorous, drawing on Buddhist tradition and Western art and literature alike, this is at once an ideal introduction for newcomers and a book long-time practitioners return to for its depth. It opens the Foundation section of The Complete Works of Sangharakshita.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1915342813
• ISBN13: 9781915342812
• Release Date: June 2027
• Publisher: Windhorse Publications
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 2.0" x 5.1"