Transcript Spiritual Care and the Noble Eightfold Path

Spiritual Care and the Noble Eightfold Path:
An Exploration of Suffering (and Joy)
in the Chaplain/Patient Encounter
Larry Dawalt, M. Div., CT, CTSS
Senior Director of Spiritual & Grief Care
Services
704.375.0100
hpccr.org
Let me tell you about a journey
Source information: Last name, first initial. Article title. year.
(Journal/issue number): pages numbers.
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And then… there came this guy
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Two principles
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“The essence of the Buddha’s
teaching can be summed up in
two principles: the Four Noble
Truths and the Noble Eightfold
Path.
The first covers the side of
doctrine
The second covers the side of
discipline
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Doctrine and Disciple
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What one
believes…
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How one
disciplines
themselves to
actually live
that belief.
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When these match there is
congruence…and when they do
not…there is incongruence
Doctrine
Discipline
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Belief
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Behavior

Congruent-the quality or
state of agreeing or
corresponding.
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Incongruent- the quality
or state of not agreeing or
not corresponding.
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My conclusion…
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As a person reflects upon their
life, the degree to which their
behavior is congruent or
incongruent with their beliefs is a
significant source of spiritual joy
or spiritual pain.
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Let’s review… The Four Noble Truths
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The First Noble Truth: Dukkha
Life is full of suffering. Dukkha
usually is translated as suffering.
In life, we have illness, poverty,
disease, old age and death. We
cannot keep what we like and can
not avoid what we do not like. If
this is all we know we suffer.
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The Second Noble Truth: Samudaya
The Second Noble Truth states that there is an
origin of suffering and that the origin of suffering is
attachment to the three kinds of desire: desire for
sense pleasure, desire to become and desire to get
rid of. This is the statement of the Second Noble
Truth, the thesis, the pariyatti. This is what you
contemplate: the origin of suffering is attachment to
desire.
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The Third Noble Truth
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There is a state of mind free from
suffering. By stopping the
cravings, the suffering is stopped.
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The Fourth Noble Truth
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There is a way to end suffering.
To end suffering we must end our
cravings. The way to ending
cravings is the Eightfold Path
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The Noble Eightfold Path
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“The search for a spiritual path is
born out of suffering. It does not
start with lights and ecstasy, but
with the hard tacks of pain,
disappointment, and confusion…
it has to trigger an inner
realization.” – Bhikkhu Bodhi
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The Christian Path
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Primarily found in The Sermon on
the Mount
Interpretations are many…
Focus for many is on belief as
much if not more so than behavior
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The Buddhist Path
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One of the best summaries of The
Sayings of the Buddha is the
Dhammapada
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The path itself is best described
by use of the Noble Eightfold Path
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Right View
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Understanding suffering
Understanding its origin
Understanding its cessation
Understanding the way leading to
its cessation
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Right Intention
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Intention of renunciation
Intention of good will
Intention of harmlessness
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Right speech
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Abstaining from false speech
Abstaining from slanderous
speech
Abstaining from harsh speech
Abstaining from idle chatter
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Right action
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Abstaining from taking life
Abstaining from stealing
Abstaining from sexual
misconduct
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Right livelihood
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Giving up wrong livelihood, one
earns one’s living by right forms of
livelihood
One's job does not harm in any
way oneself or others; directly or
indirectly
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Right effort
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The effort to restrain defilements
The effort to abandon defilements
The effort to develop wholesome
states
The effort to maintain wholesome
states
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Right mindfulness
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Mindful contemplation of the body
Mindful contemplation of feeling
Mindful contemplation of the mind
Mindful contemplation of
phenomena
The mental ability to see things
for what they are with clear
consciousness
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Right concentration
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“Single pointedness of mind," or concentrating the
mind on a single sensation or thought-object to the
point of absorption.
…a state of consciousness that lies beyond
waking, dreaming, or deep sleep. It's a slowing
down of our mental activity through single-pointed
concentration.“
“Be still and know…”
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Two principles



“The essence of the Buddha’s
teaching can be summed up in
two principles: the Four Noble
Truths and the Noble Eightfold
Path.
The first covers the side of
doctrine
The second covers the side of
discipline
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Doctrine and Disciple

What one
believes…

How one
disciplines
themselves to
actually live
that belief.
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When these match there is
congruence…and when they do
not…there is incongruence
Doctrine
Discipline

Belief

Behavior

Congruent-the quality or
state of agreeing or
corresponding.

Incongruent- the quality
or state of not agreeing or
not corresponding.
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My conclusion…

As a person reflects upon their
life, the degree to which their
behavior is congruent or
incongruent with their beliefs is a
significant source of spiritual joy
or spiritual pain.
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The path in modern language
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Right view- understanding the
degree to which one was or was
not responsible for their
actions/behaviors/choices
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Right intention
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Understanding the degree to
which one did or did not carry out
their positive intentions or rather
‘planned on getting around to
doing good things’ but didn’t.
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Right speech
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Did one tell the truth without
slander
Did one speak with kindness
Did one hold their tongue at the
appropriate times
Did one gossip and belittle
Did one speak encouraging words
or yell and scream, etc.
Are there hurtful words one can’t
forget saying or hearing
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Right action
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“Thou shalt not kill”
“Thou shalt not steal”
To what degree did one maintain
appropriate sexual conduct
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Right livelihood
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How did one make a living and
was that way one that they
considered noble and rewarding
or one that harmed… or one they
wish they hadn’t chosen because
they really wanted to do
something else.
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Right effort
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Did one make the necessary
effort to overcome
Did one make the necessary
effort to abandon fetters
Did one work to develop good
habits
Did one work to maintain good
habits
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Right mindfulness
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To what extent did one maintain
awareness and presence to the
point of being mindful and not
missing out on things that were
right in front of them.
To what extent did one learn
gratitude as well as the principles
of impermanence and interbeing.
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Right concentration
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To what extent did one learn to
control and discipline the mind to
the point that they had some sort
of control over themselves to be
able to direct and focus the mind.
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Spiritual Joy/Spiritual Pain
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As we review
these areas
with our
patients, we
find that
behaviors
congruent with
beliefs
probably bring
spiritual joy.
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… and
behaviors that
are not
congruent with
beliefs may
bring spiritual
pain, regret,
sorrow, etc.
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… the bottom line
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We learn to help patients find and
celebrate their joys, and we learn
to sit with them through their
sorrows…
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Personal application
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“If a man hold himself dear, let
him watch himself carefully…”
the Dhammapada
“The highway of the upright avoids
evil; the one who guards their way
guards their life.”
Proverbs 16:17
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Very Basic Reading List
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“The Noble Eightfold Path” by Bhikkhu Bodhi
“For a Future to Be Possible,” “Living Buddha, Living
Christ,” “Understanding Our Mind” and “The Heart of
the Buddha’s Teaching” by Thich Nhat Hanh
“Without Buddha, I Could Not Be a Christian” by Paul F.
Knitter
“Buddhist Boot Camp” by Timber Hawkeye
“Wherever you go, There you are: Mindfulness
Meditation in Everyday Life” by Jon Kabat-Zinn
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