Mindfulness and the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path

Abstract

As part of a growing movement towards honoring the foundations of mindfulness, this chapter provides clarification of the traditional perspective of mindfulness and how it is embedded within the context of the Buddha’s eightfold path. It begins by drawing attention to how the modern definitions of mindfulness have changed from the way it was explained by the Buddha in ancient times. It then describes the traditional understanding of mindfulness and how, from a Buddhist perspective, the power of this practice comes from its contextual connection to the Buddha’s eightfold path. A brief description of awakening and the Buddha’s four noble truths is then presented followed by a more detailed factor-by-factor explanation of the eightfold path.