The Eightfold path is usually symbolized in Buddhism by the wheel with 8 spokes and a hole in the middle for the axle This is the one of the oldest symbols of the Buddhadharma in the world. In this symbol, the center of the teachings is about emptiness, or Nibbana – the unconditioned, ultimate ground of all being.  But we’ve wandered away from the center. Fortunately, the Buddha came and told us how to make the journey back – by following the 8 spokes back to our true nature, our true center.  Each spoke leads us back to the center.

Although it’s not explicitly taught in this way, I’d like to say clearly that the Path must affect our lives individually as well as communally.  How we are in our most secret places is of course to be attended to.  We can also be acutely aware of our effect on every being with whom we come into contact and of course, the community in which we live.  In our culture, we have learned Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration mostly divorced from, or at best only loosely contextualized with, engaged morality.  As mindfulness has grown more and more as part of the pop culture, people are taught meditation techniques and get some stress relief or calm as a result, but the ethical or lifestyle path factors—the elements that are very helpful in addressing stress-filled lives and that lay a foundation for steadier calmness—are not always taught.  This can result in isolation and the neglect of interpersonal and social maturity.  This is a Path that has the potential to impact the whole of our lives – individual, relational and communal.