Expert: Justin Choo - 5/20/2011

Question
Hello Mr. Choo,

I am currently taking a religion course and in need for help. I am writing a paper on Buddhism in respect to the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. I was wondering if you can answer some of the questions that I had about Biddhism. If you can, here are the questions that I have:

1) What does Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path mean to you?
2) How do you follow Buddha;s Noble Eightfold Path?
3) How would you explain the wheel of birth and rebirth? Does this mean that there is no end to one's life?
4) If you are a Buddhist, what made you become a Buddhist?
5) In your opinion, what is the most important thing in Buddhism?
6) How does a person reach Nirvana?
7) What do Buddhist monks do on a daily basis?
8) How does a person become a Buddhist monk?
9) What do you think people suffer on Earth? Is it truly because of greed?
10) How do Buddhist meditate?

I'm sorry for a really long list of questions. I was only going to ask a few, but as I was typing the questions, more questions came in mind. Thank you so much for your time. I hope I can hear from you soon. Once again, thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Bruce Pak

Answer
Hi Bruce Pak,

I think this is the first time I received someone from your country.  

Yes, indeed you have too many questions at one go, and they look like requiring long explanations.  I shall try to be very brief.

1) What does Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path mean to you?
It is often called the blueprint to contentment, peace and happiness.

2) How do you follow Buddha;s Noble Eightfold Path?
If you go through the sequence of the Path, you will find these logical steps.  First is (1)Right View.  When you have right view, you can then think rightly leading to (2)Right Thought.  With right thinking, you can then speak correctly, (3)Right Speech. Then you can act rightly (4)Right Action.  With all these fours in place you can start to work for a living in the right manner, (5)Right Livelihood.  Then you take charge with your life to reduce the negative traits and increase your positive traits, (6) Right Effort.  From then you can embark on the more spiritual path (7)Right Mindfulness to be mindful of all the above responsibilities.  Then you are ready to tame your mind to be a wiser person (8) Right Concentration.


3) How would you explain the wheel of birth and rebirth? Does this mean that there is no end to one's life?
Yes you are right.  Until the root of craving to exist is uprooted.

4) If you are a Buddhist, what made you become a Buddhist?
I was born into a Buddhist family, but I learned Buddhism through my own effort.

5) In your opinion, what is the most important thing in Buddhism?
The freedom to use my common sense and human intelligence to analyze the teachings of the Buddha.

6) How does a person reach Nirvana?
Complete eradication of greed, hatred and delusion of existence.

7) What do Buddhist monks do on a daily basis?
A wholesome Buddhist monk will concentrate on purification of his mind through meditation, and guide lay Buddhists by disseminating correctly, the Buddha's teachings.

8) How does a person become a Buddhist monk?
Different traditions have different procedures.  Basically, he has to leave the mundane life.

9) What do you think people suffer on Earth? Is it truly because of greed?
The Buddha reminded us that the world is such.  If we are in this world, we will have to suffer.  It is the very nature of this world.  And we are born here because of our three roots of evil, namely greed, hatred and delusion.

10) How do Buddhist meditate?
There are different types of Buddhist meditation, depending on the purpose.  But generally meditation means calming the mind by focusing on an object, like the in-breath and the out-breath.


Hope this is enough.  If you want more detailed explanation, you need to ask one question at a time.

Take care.

Justin Choo