The Buddha’s Middle Way - Experiential Judgement in his Life and Teaching - Robert M. Ellis

The Buddha’s Middle Way - Experiential Judgement in his Life and Teaching - Robert M. Ellis

Interpreting the Eightfold Path

The Buddha’s Middle Way - Experiential Judgement in his Life and Teaching - Robert M. Ellis

Robert M. Ellis [+-]
Middle Way Society
Robert M. Ellis is author of a range of interdisciplinary books on Middle Way Philosophy, both within and beyond Buddhism. These have included The Buddha’s Middle Way: Experiential Judgement in His Life and Teaching (Equinox Publishing, 2019) and Archetypes in Religion and Beyond: A Practical Theory of Human Integration and Inspiration (Equinox Publishing, 2022). He is also founder of the Middle Way Society and of Tirylan House Retreat Centre in Wales.

Description

This section surveys the dependence of the practical path on the Middle Way, which is needed for its helpful interpretation. The Eightfold Path provides one possible way of describing the practice of integration, with all elements needing to be treated as incremental and interdependent. In the sphere of meditation, concentration and mindfulness need to be held in balance, without either being absolutised against the other, whilst right effort involves a further awareness to ‘tune the lute’. In ethical practice, the precepts need to be interpreted as part of the wider path and not absolutised as ends in themselves. This includes not repressing our awareness of others as persons. Thus the Middle Way is required to interpret Buddhist ethical injunctions. In relation to wisdom, right view and right aspiration are interdependent, and require combined intuitive, cognitive and emotive engagement with the Middle Way rather than just ‘knowledge’ of Buddhist doctrines.

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Citation

Ellis, Robert. Interpreting the Eightfold Path. The Buddha’s Middle Way - Experiential Judgement in his Life and Teaching. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 170-192 May 2019. ISBN 9781781798201. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=36786. Date accessed: 11 Dec 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.36786. May 2019

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