Table of Contents
MORE PRAISE FOR EIGHT MINDFUL STEPS TO HAPPINESS
Bhante has an engaging voice and a straightforward delivery thats hard not to like, especially when hes enlivening the Buddhas map to enlightenment, the eightfold path. Each chapter in Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness explains the purpose and practice of an aspect of right conduct, pointing out some potential pitfalls in our modern-day context.
Shambhala Sun
Mentally evolved, elegantly presented, and beautifully simple.Midwest Journal
Bhante Gunaratana delves into the Buddhas most profound teachings, the Eightfold path. Appreciated as a teachers teacher, he offers generous and specific advice (still in plain English) towards developing mindfulness. Combining meaningful examples of each noble truth with direct, specific suggestions for related practices, this book will be a boon to all who aspire to follow in the Buddhas path toward contentment.NAPRA ReView
Written in the same straightforward style as his classic work Mindfulness in Plain English. The result is this astoundingly clear and joyful guide to living life at the deepest level. Bhante uses a wonderful and richly varied storytelling style to illustrate his teachings. Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness will surely prove to be a trusted resource, reflecting the gentleness and compassion of one whose life has been dedicated to coming home to freedom.Inquiring Mind
A primer written in a direct and compelling manner. The author illustrates Buddhist principles with a timeless directness; his writing alleviates the obstacles between the Western consciousness and Eastern philosophy. [Full of] universal wisdom.
Foreword Magazine
The much-awaited sequel to Mindfulness in Plain English serves the reader just as well. The instructions, honed for contemporary Western ways, make this book another exceptional example of how profound a simple book can be.
Tricycle: The Buddhist Review
Publishers Acknowledgment
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous help of the Hershey Family Foundation in sponsoring the publication of this book.
Acknowledgments
THIS BOOK would not have seen the light if not for the initiative of my friend Douglas Durham, who transcribed my talks and created the first draft of this book. I thank him for his hard work on this project.
I acknowledge the assistance of my student Samaneri Sudhamma (whose name means good Dhamma) for helping with revisions to bring out the good Dhamma of this book.
I must also express my great appreciation to my editors, Brenda Rosen and John LeRoy, and to my indexer, Carol Roehr.
Finally, I thank all my students residing at the Bhavana Society, who patiently endured my long absences while I worked on this book. May you all share in the merit of this little book as it reaches many thousands of people who seek happiness.
List of Abbreviations
IN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE WORKS, CITATIONS from the Pali Canon are typically referenced to the page numbers they appear on in the Pali-language edition from the Pali Text Society (PTS), Oxford. (You can find these citations in the various English translations using page number references that are inserted throughout the translated text.) Where possible in this book a more straightforward form of citation has been adopted for your convenience. The various genres of texts are organized differently, however, thus no one approach will work with all the books in the Pali Canon.
A | Aguttara Nikya, or Gradual Sayings, available through the Pali Text Society (PTS), Oxford. (Example: A I (Threes). VII. 65 refers to volume 1, The Book of Threes, chapter 7, story number 65.) |
D | Dgha Nikya, or The Long Discourses of the Buddha, available through Wisdom Publications, Boston. (Example: D 22 refers to Sutta number 22.) |
Dh | Dhammapada, or Word of the Doctrine, available in translation through many publishers, including PTS. (Example: Dh 5 refers to verse number 5.) |
DhA | Dhammapada Ahakath, or the Dhammapada Commentary, available through PTS as Buddhist Legends. (Example: DhA 124 refers to part 124 of the Commentary, which analyzes Dhammapada verse 124.) |
J | Jtaka, or Jataka Stories, available through PTS. (Example: J 26 refers to story number 26.) |
M | Majjhima Nikya, or The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, available through Wisdom Publications, Boston. (Example: M 80 refers to Sutta number 80.) |
MA | Majjhima Nikya Ahakath, or Commentary to the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, not available in English. (Example: MA i 225 refers to volume 1, page 225 of the Pali edition.) |
Mhvs | Mahvasa, or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon, available through PTS. (Example: Mhvs V refers to chapter 5.) |
Miln | Milindapaho, or The Questions of King Milinda, available through PTS. (Example: Miln 335 [V], refers to the page number 335 of the PTS book in Pali; reference to chapter 5 is added to assist in locating the verse.) |
S | Sayutta Nikya, or The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, available through Wisdom Publications. (Example: S I.7.1 [2] refers to part 1, chapter 7, subchapter 1, story number 2.) |
Sn | Sutta Nipta, or the Group of Discourses II, available through PTS. (Example: Sn 657 refers to verse number 657.) |
Thag | Theragatha, or Poems of Early Buddhist Monks, available through PTS. (Example: Thag 303 refers to verse number 303.) |
Thig | Thergath, or Poems of Early Buddhist Nuns, available through PTS. (Example: Thig 213 refers to verse number 213.) |
Ud | Udna, or Verses of Uplift, available through PTS. (Example: Ud VI.2 refers to chapter 6, story number 2.) |
V | Vinaya, or Book of the Discipline, available through PTS. (Example: V ii 292 refers to volume 2, page 292 of the Pali edition.) |
Vsm | Visuddhimagga, or The Path of Purification, available through the Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka. (Example: Vsm I [55] refers to chapter 1, paragraph number 55.) |
Introduction
SOON AFTER Mindfulness in Plain English was published, several of my friends and students asked me to write a book about the Buddhas path to happiness in the same straightforward style. This book is my response.
Mindfulness in Plain English was a meditation manual, a guide for students in the practice of mindfulness meditation. Yet mindfulness is only part of the Buddhas teachings. Mindfulness can much improve our lives, but the Buddha offered more. He gave us a complete guide to happiness, which he summed up in eight steps. Even a little effort to incorporate these eight steps into your life will yield happiness. Strong effort will transform you and bring you the happiest and most exalted states achievable.