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The Noble Eightfold Path
This book contains the texts of two talks, one by Dr Annie Besant and the other by C. W. Leadbeater, on the Fourth Noble Truth of the Buddha's the Noble Eightfold Path. The talks are clear and simple, pointing out the logical sequence in the steps on the Eightfold Path and above all stressing, by means of easily understandable examples, how they can be applied to daily life. In such application lies the Noble Eightfold Path.
Paperback
First published December 1, 2002
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About the author
Annie Besant
2,151 books151 followersNoted British reformer Annie Wood Besant vigorously supported socialism, birth control, trade unionism, and rights of women; the cause of independence interested her through her involvement with the theosophical society, and she moved and founded the home rule league in 1916 and served as president of the Indian national congress in 1917.
This prominent activist and orator wrote of Irish.
She, aged 20 years in 1867, married Frank Besant but separated over religious differences.
Once free of Frank Besant and exposed to new currents of thought, she began to question her long-held religious beliefs and the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the way of the churches in lives of people. In particular, she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith.
She quickly wrote a column for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the national secular society, to earn a small weekly wage. The society stood for a secular state and an end to the special status of Christianity and allowed her to act of its public speakers. Very popular public lectures entertained in Queen Victorian times. People quickly greatly demanded Besant, a brilliant speaker. Using the railway, she crisscrossed the country, spoke on all of the most important issues of the day, and always demanded improvement and freedom.
For many years, Besant befriended Charles Bradlaugh, leader of the national secular society. Bradlaugh, a former soldier, long separated from his wife; Besant lived with him and his daughters, and they worked together on many issues. He, an atheist and a republican, also tried to get elected as member of Parliament for Northampton.
She then prominently spoke for the national secular society, wrote, and closely befriended Charles Bradlaugh. In 1877, people prosecuted her and Bradlaugh for publishing a book of campaigner Charles Knowlton.
Besant and Bradlaugh, household names in 1877, then published a book of the American campaigner Charles Knowlton. It claimed that never happy working-class families ably decided not want of children. It suggested ways to limit the size of their families.
The scandal made them famous, and people elected Bradlaugh as member of Parliament for Northampton in 1880.
Actions included the bloody Sunday demonstration and the match girls strike of London of 1888. She led speakers for the Fabian society and the social democratic federation of Marxists. She topped the poll and won election to the school board of London for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even despite few qualified female voters at that time.
In 1890, Besant met Helena Blavatsky, and over the next few years, secular matters waned. She joined as a member and a prominent lecturer on the subject. As part of her related work, she traveled. In 1898, she helped to establish the central Hindu college.
In 1902, she established le Droit Humain, the first overseas lodge of the international order of co-freemasonry. Over the next few years, she established lodges in many parts of the empire. In 1907, she led at international headquarters in Adyar, Madras (Chennai).
She also joined politics. When World War I broke in 1914, she helped to launch to campaign for democracy and dominion status within the empire. This led to her election in late 1917. After the war, she continued to campaign.
In 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad (Sind) national collegiate board in Mumbai.
She fought, starting with freedom of thought, Fabians, and workers as a leading member of the national secular society alongside Charles Bradlaugh.
She continued to campaign until her death.
This prominent activist and orator wrote of Irish.
She, aged 20 years in 1867, married Frank Besant but separated over religious differences.
Once free of Frank Besant and exposed to new currents of thought, she began to question her long-held religious beliefs and the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the way of the churches in lives of people. In particular, she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith.
She quickly wrote a column for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the national secular society, to earn a small weekly wage. The society stood for a secular state and an end to the special status of Christianity and allowed her to act of its public speakers. Very popular public lectures entertained in Queen Victorian times. People quickly greatly demanded Besant, a brilliant speaker. Using the railway, she crisscrossed the country, spoke on all of the most important issues of the day, and always demanded improvement and freedom.
For many years, Besant befriended Charles Bradlaugh, leader of the national secular society. Bradlaugh, a former soldier, long separated from his wife; Besant lived with him and his daughters, and they worked together on many issues. He, an atheist and a republican, also tried to get elected as member of Parliament for Northampton.
She then prominently spoke for the national secular society, wrote, and closely befriended Charles Bradlaugh. In 1877, people prosecuted her and Bradlaugh for publishing a book of campaigner Charles Knowlton.
Besant and Bradlaugh, household names in 1877, then published a book of the American campaigner Charles Knowlton. It claimed that never happy working-class families ably decided not want of children. It suggested ways to limit the size of their families.
The scandal made them famous, and people elected Bradlaugh as member of Parliament for Northampton in 1880.
Actions included the bloody Sunday demonstration and the match girls strike of London of 1888. She led speakers for the Fabian society and the social democratic federation of Marxists. She topped the poll and won election to the school board of London for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even despite few qualified female voters at that time.
In 1890, Besant met Helena Blavatsky, and over the next few years, secular matters waned. She joined as a member and a prominent lecturer on the subject. As part of her related work, she traveled. In 1898, she helped to establish the central Hindu college.
In 1902, she established le Droit Humain, the first overseas lodge of the international order of co-freemasonry. Over the next few years, she established lodges in many parts of the empire. In 1907, she led at international headquarters in Adyar, Madras (Chennai).
She also joined politics. When World War I broke in 1914, she helped to launch to campaign for democracy and dominion status within the empire. This led to her election in late 1917. After the war, she continued to campaign.
In 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad (Sind) national collegiate board in Mumbai.
She fought, starting with freedom of thought, Fabians, and workers as a leading member of the national secular society alongside Charles Bradlaugh.
She continued to campaign until her death.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 30, 2015
Annie Besant has expounded the 8-fold path in a way you can apply it to your day to day life. I have always had difficulty in understanding the 8-fold path from standard Buddhist books as they usually dwell into religious matters. But Annie Besant presents the principles bereft of religious inclination. She provides appropriate examples to drive the point clearly.
Till I read this small work, I had limited understanding of Right Livelihood and no idea about how I could use Right Memory in my life. While Right Livelihood is usually said to exclude jobs like slaughterhouse, weaponry, dealing in intoxicants or illegal jobs, Annie Besant call as wrong livelihood those which lead to ruined homes, desperate men, broken hearted women, starving children. Today, when demands of our job or our greed turn us into workaholics, we end up ruining family relationships and neglecting children. When we work neglecting our other responsibilities, this insight is very valuable.
Right Memory: Forget the wrong done to you as soon as it is committed but treasure the kindness done to you for the rest of your life in gratitude. Forget all negatives that hurts you, pains you, gives you sorrow, seems wrong to you. Remember the positives like joy, goodness, kind thoughts etc. This is the key to happy living. Have positive and pleasant memories and thoughts, and don't brood over the negatives.
The second part by Charles W. Leadbeater, goes into Buddhist religious practices. I couldn't read it. Won't remove any star for Leadbeater, Annie Besant deserves full 5/5
Both the talks are available online on anandgholap website. Wish I had studied Annie Besant's talk in school when all my textbook had just 8 points in a chapter on Buddha without any explanation.
Till I read this small work, I had limited understanding of Right Livelihood and no idea about how I could use Right Memory in my life. While Right Livelihood is usually said to exclude jobs like slaughterhouse, weaponry, dealing in intoxicants or illegal jobs, Annie Besant call as wrong livelihood those which lead to ruined homes, desperate men, broken hearted women, starving children. Today, when demands of our job or our greed turn us into workaholics, we end up ruining family relationships and neglecting children. When we work neglecting our other responsibilities, this insight is very valuable.
Right Memory: Forget the wrong done to you as soon as it is committed but treasure the kindness done to you for the rest of your life in gratitude. Forget all negatives that hurts you, pains you, gives you sorrow, seems wrong to you. Remember the positives like joy, goodness, kind thoughts etc. This is the key to happy living. Have positive and pleasant memories and thoughts, and don't brood over the negatives.
The second part by Charles W. Leadbeater, goes into Buddhist religious practices. I couldn't read it. Won't remove any star for Leadbeater, Annie Besant deserves full 5/5
Both the talks are available online on anandgholap website. Wish I had studied Annie Besant's talk in school when all my textbook had just 8 points in a chapter on Buddha without any explanation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review