So it's a new year, and I'm now trying to get back to regular business.  I'm not typically one for making resolutions, but I've decided on a sort of new years project, for lack of a better term.  In December, I taught Buddhism in our UU Religious Education classes.  Each Sunday we talked about a different aspect of Buddhism, but we spent a lot of time discussing the 8-fold path, what it is, how it works, etc.  I couldn't help but notice how, well, sane a path it is.  Like most religions, Buddhism has a code of conduct/ethical behaviour--the 8 fold path in this case.  It functions a lot like the 5 pillars in Islam, or the 10 Commandments in Christianity.  The 8 fold path really speaks to me, though, in a way that most other religio-ethical systems don't.  It has a nice balance between general principles and specific actions (not being too specific, like the 10 Commandments, or too general, like the Wiccan Rede), it can be followed reasonably by anyone who finds value in them (unlike the 5 pillars of Islam, which just don't make sense to follow if you're not a Muslim).  And whether or not I actually am a Buddhist (and I've always been just a bit "Buddish", as George Lucas says), I agree with the path.  I like the kind of actions encouraged by the path; I like the sort of ethical person one becomes by adhering to the path.  I'm really not a Buddhist for a number of specific reasons, not the least of which being I'm not currently striving to break myself (or others) out of the cycle of death and rebirth.  That's maybe a project for another lifetime.  Maybe I'll be a Buddist in a future life.  Right now, I'll work on being a good person, and the 8 fold path looks like the best road for me.

So, for those who are unfamiliar with the 8 fold path, here's a really oversimplified version of it.  This is actually the schema I used for my RE kids; but each part is deep--I think I will be doing much work to more fully understand each of them, and of course a full understanding of the 8 fold path is the work of lifetimes.  But I think this is a good starting point.  (BTW, it helps that my husband is in Phil. of Religion with a Buddhism emphasis.)  The 8 fold path is divided into three sections, Wisdom, Ethical Conduct, and Mental Development:

Wisdom

• Right View:  this is the willingness to see things as they really are
• Rigth Intention:  meaning to do the right thing, even if it doesn't work out.  And, not trivially, trying to figure out what the right thing is to do.

Ethical Conduct

• Right Speech:  (1)  tell the truth; (2) speak friendly, warmly, and gently; (3) only speak when necessary
• Right Action:  (1)  do not harm others; (2) act compassionately; (3) respect other's belongings; (4) keep sexual relationships harmless to others
• Right Livelihood:  You should earn your living in a peaceful and lawful way--(1) no selling weapons, (2) no meat production or butchering, (3) no dealing in living beings,(4) no selling drugs and alcohol

Mental Development

• Right Effort:  You must put your energy into good ways to act, not bad ways.  One should be active in abandoning bad actions, and active in doing good actions (note that this is not the same as habitual actions--the emphasis here is on conscious action)
• Right Mindfulness:  learn to be persistently attentive to one's mind and actions.  Do not act improperly due to inattentiveness or incautiousness
• Right Concentration: using the practice of samadhi (meditation?) to bring one's mental awareness to understanding the true dharma, or being, of things (this works in conjunction with right view).  

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but this all just seems like such a sane way to live.  Hard, no doubt.  But it's just so right.  So I'll start working on this; and since I've now told the entire LJ community about it, maybe I'll stick with it?  (Hm, one suspects that "speaking only when necessary" might be one of my problems.)