What would the Eightfold Path mean if you were to follow it? What would change?


If I was to try and practice right speech, I think that I would run into a bit of difficulty. It's not as if I swear or say innapropriate things a lot, but I'm sure that my behavior would be deemed extremely in-proper to Buddhist monks. I think that it would be pretty embarassing to be in the precense of such religious Buddhists; they would most likely judge me.

In class today we began discussing Buddhism and read the Legend of the Buddha's Life. I don't find the overall concept of Buddhism to be as difficult as Hinduism, but it definitely has a few ideas or central practices that are unlike anything I've ever heard before. Siddhartha leaves his pleasure palace in order to find an alternative to death.

In this story Krishna instructs Arjuna to fight, even though it is against his brother. He also explains Karma Yoga. In the passage, Karma Yoga must be action for duty, without the hope of eventual reward of any kind. Krishna wants Hindus to worth without attachment, and to be even-tempered in success and failure. Also this may not sound extremely difficult, it is not easy to continue doing something without any rewards back. Personally, I would find it very hard to go to school and work hard, if it did not lead to graduation and the hope of going to a good college. But in Hinduism, they say that the reward at the end of the road will be realizing that you are already one with Brahman and achieving Moksha.