As I continue to seek new knowledge about who I am, I am amazed at how much information I have failed to come in contact with, let alone grasp at this point in my life. My journey to JothiVita has changed me in so many wonderful ways, but the most profound of those changes is my renewed curiosity to learn about things that never seemed important in the past.

To this day I do not practice any formal or organized theology, but instead I discover new ways to find my spirituality, the spirituality that has always been, but never fully revealed. Recently I began to explore the teachings of Buddha and was surprised by how much of what I heard I already knew. Because so many of the Buddha’s teachings have been incorporated into the spiritual works of many others who I have studied, it felt comfortable and familiar to me.

The more specific learning’s I took away from my study were; the 4 Noble Truths and the title of this blog, The Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is the journey we follow after accepting and living the 4 Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path is illustrated as a wheel and not a segment with a beginning and an end. While teaching the 4 Noble Truths, the Buddha explained the nature of suffering, the cause of suffering, and the means to be liberated from suffering through the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path is described through these parameters:

1. Right View

2. Right Intention

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

The Eightfold Path is divided into three main sections: wisdom, ethical conduct and mental discipline.

1. Wisdom: Right View is not about believing in doctrine, but in perceiving the true nature of ourselves and the world around us. Right Intention refers to the energy and commitment one needs to be fully engaged in Buddhist practice.

2. Ethical Conduct: Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood are the ethical conduct path. This calls us to take care in our speech, our actions, and our daily lives to do no harm to others and to cultivate wholesomeness in ourselves.

3. Mental Discipline: Through Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration we develop the mental discipline to cut through delusion. Many schools of Buddhism encourage seekers to meditate to achieve clarity and focus of mind.

There are thousands of writings on these topics prepared by leaders and scholars far beyond my ken, but I always like to distill the complex to the simple.

Wisdom is all about “checking in” with yourself. The motivation and drive to change is harvested exclusively from within and cannot be imposed upon you.

Ethical Conduct is all about self-awareness and the understanding of how personal choice impacts you and those around you.

Mental Discipline is all about living the Spiritual Laws of Success, especially those laws that discuss Giving, Intention/Desire and Detachment.

I plan to continue to study and write about this remarkable interconnectedness between Buddhism and the many other Spiritual practices I have come in contact with. This entire blog was inspired by our most recent Conscious Movie Night showing, “The Buddha”. We encourage you to take time to visit with us at JothiVita and to participate in the wonderful gatherings and discussions we engage in during these Community Social events.

JothiVita is Hollywood, Florida’s first Ayurvedic center offering a complete range of services from traditional treatments based on India’s ancient healing system: Ayurveda.

The word Jothi (or Jyoti), which in Sanskrit means “light”, represents the Eastern philosophy that constitutes the foundation of our services. It is also the name of its founder: Luz. The word Vita, which in Latin means “life”, stands for the broad meaning of Ayurveda. Together, these words summarize our mission: bringing the light of this ancient knowledge into your life.

At JothiVita, we are committed to your personal wellbeing and through our services we strive to increase your awareness to the many natural resources that can help balance your lifestyle in pursuit of good health, happiness and bliss.