Walking the Eightfold Path

Alternate Sundays, 9:30 – 11:30 AM

The Buddha’s teachings are supremely profound and breathtaking in scope. But how are we to put them into action, here and now? The Buddha’s answer: Walk the Noble Eightfold Path.

This path embraces every facet of our lives and spiritual development. It guides our daily activities, our meditation, and our direct, immediate experience of insight. In short, the Eightfold Path is the bedrock of Buddhist practice. Or to put it the other way round, in the words of Ajahn Chah, “Our practice is to make this path arise within us.”

In this class series, we explore the path as a whole, and each of its eight factors. The point here is not just to learn about the path, but to probe its transformative potential. We ask ourselves, “What happens when I actually give this a try?”

The course is taught by Matthew Grad. He draws on both ancient and modern teachings to help us uncover the reach and power of the path. Classes include Matthew’s reflections, plus lively group discussions grounded in our direct experience. There will also be practical exercises to help us explore and experiment with walking the path for ourselves. So the course doesn’t just talk about the path. Rather, it serves as a hands-on workshop, and as a support for the deepening of our practice.

This course is for all of us, no matter how much or little we have studied and practiced the Dhamma so far. The pace will be relaxed, so we can thoroughly explore every facet of the path at our ease. This means the course will run at least six months, maybe a year. There’s no registration—just show up. And it’s fine to join us at any point, or merely drop by to test the waters. Newcomers are always welcome.

This class meets every other Sunday from 9:30 – 11:30 AM. Check the calendar for the exact days. If you have any questions, please contact Matthew here.