The Path to Happiness: Discovering the Noble Eightfold Path

Are you feeling trapped in the cycle of modern life, struggling with dissatisfaction? Join us as we explore the urgent conversation around mental well-being and the profound insights from the Noble Eightfold Path, a guiding principle in Buddhist philosophy aimed at ending suffering and fostering happiness. 

In this episode, we delve into the staggering statistics surrounding depression, revealing how millions worldwide are grappling with their emotional health. With compassion, Fabio emphasizes that acknowledging our suffering is the first step towards finding purpose and happiness. He introduces the principles of the Eightfold Path, illustrating how they serve as essential tools to help navigate through our struggles and lead fulfilling lives.

Each principle, from right view to right concentration, is carefully unpacked, connecting the dots between ethical living, mindful awareness, and the pursuit of joy. Listeners will find practical advice woven throughout, including relatable anecdotes and grounding techniques that encourage immediate application. Fabio’s friendly and engaging storytelling brings a warmth to the content, making the teachings more accessible and relatable.

This engaging discussion not only serves as a roadmap for personal growth but also inspires deeper reflection on one’s own journey. How can happiness be prioritized? What steps can be taken to align actions with true purpose? These questions linger, inviting listeners to deepen their engagement with the material.

Embark on this enlightening journey with us—don’t forget to subscribe, share your thoughts, and connect with others as we navigate the path toward happiness together.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Today's Theme
• 7:31 Understanding the Crisis of Global Depression
• 50:43 Exploring the Noble Eightfold Path
• 2:13:58 The Power of Right View in Reducing Suffering
• 5:44:00 Deep Dive into the Pillars: From Right Speech to Right Livelihood
• 18:39:10 Key Takeaways: Happiness as the Foundation for Success

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I am looking at this website right now. So the name of the website, guys, is worldpopulationreviewcom. And did you know that an estimated 251 to 310 million people worldwide suffer from depression? That's a huge number. It's a huge number. That's a huge number. It's a huge number, and it highlights how many people are strangling with their happiness.

Speaker 1: 0:32

Currently, the highest prevalence of depression is in Ukraine, of course and so sorry about it and the United States, which I'm not even surprised. We have also other countries, like Brazil and Portugal, along with Australia and New Zealand. People often believe that New Zealand is the happiest country in the world, but evidently that is not the case. And then we have Netherlands, where I live, and Italy, where I was born, where we manage quite well, despite the challenges. In Italy, I'm surprised because, honestly, italy faces some difficulties in terms of work and life balance, but evidently there is a strong mindset among its people that helps them manage pretty well, so I'm very happy about it. But anyway, what I was trying to say.

Speaker 1: 1:37

So the symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe situations and include a persistent feeling of sadness, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and a negative, down or pessimistic attitude down or pessimistic attitude. So these feelings, guys, unfortunately can lead to sadness. So my question is how can you be sure to overcome these feelings? How can you be confident that you will find your purpose in life and escape the matrix of modern existence that can cause so much suffering? Hi guys, my name is Fabio from Journey to Success, and Welcome.

Speaker 1: 2:33

Today we introduce the concept of the noble, hateful path and its importance in Buddhist philosophy, as it means to end suffering and escape the metaphorical matrix of this modern reality, as much as we can at least. But before going forward, please subscribe. So I know this is the right direction to lead you, to drive you, to guide you towards your journey to success. And let's get started. So yeah, according to the Buddha, the Noble Eightfold Path consists of eight concepts. Eight Seven of these concepts can be considered as pillars supporting the last one. So just imagine a temple with seven pillars, all right, each identified as right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort and right mindfulness. These seven pillars here support a large ceiling which represents the right concentration. Okay, so again, the first seven are considered essential I would say essential supports for achieving the right concentration. Now, before we discuss each pillar, let's consider how this ideology helps us reduce suffering, because that's what we're talking about today. Because that's what we're talking about today.

Speaker 1: 4:23

Many Buddhists believe that following the Eightfold Path can lead to an alignment, which is the realization of the truth about your life, with the discovery of your true purpose. Okay, also but that's a plus there is the fact that you can be reborn as a human again. So good actions with positive intentions can result in being born as a human, whereas bad actions, with negative intentions, may lead to rebirth as an animal or in a hell realm. But I mean, that's not the point of the episode, of course. The point is that the Eightfold Path can lead to your real purpose in life. That's what we are going to focus today. So what really concerns us is to be focused on clearing your suffering, to make space for what truly matters to you. This will help you discover your purpose and be more, let's say, targeted, you know, in your efforts.

Speaker 1: 5:39

Let's begin. Let's begin with the first pillar, of course. First pillar is the right view. In right view, we recognize the four noble truths. So the truth of suffering who exists in a state of dissatisfaction for one reason or another. Then we have the truth of the origin of suffering. So suffering and dissatisfaction arise from motivations and conditions that we experienced in our past. Then we have the truth of secession it is possible to reach a state in which suffering and dissatisfaction have ended. And then we have the fourth truth, the truth of the path. So it's a path we can follow that will lead us to complete the state of secession. So, in a few words yeah, once you acknowledge that you are suffering. So we're still talking about the first pillar. First of all, right view. Right view has four noble truths okay, okay. So once you acknowledge that you are suffering and recognize the reason behind it, of course, if you are willing to do your best to end this situation, then we arrive at the second pillar Right resolve. In this case, we develop the desire to be free from this entire sad cycle. That's our wish, our right to end the cycle. That's the only thing you have to know about this pillar.

Speaker 1: 7:29

Then we have the third pillar the right speech. The right speech is about avoiding negative talk. Remember, guys, we are all made of energy here and it is essential to channel our energy in a positive way. It means creating a supportive environment and focusing our time on moving forward to achieve our goals. But you can do that only if you get the right energy, the positive energy around you. In this context, our goal is happiness anyway. So without happiness, it becomes challenging to reach the dreams we desire. For example, if we find ourselves in a situation where others are speaking negatively about someone, we should be far from engaging that conversation and express that we don't want to take part in it. Okay, this is very, very important. The fourth pillar is right action. So again, we have the first pillar right view, with the fourth, nobles, okay. Then we have the second pillar right resolve. Third pillar is the right speech. And then we have the fourth pillar guys, right action, dizzy peasy. It's simply you have not to arm yourself or others, whether physically or mentally. Also, in this case, it is important, fundamental, to maintain a positive mindset as you, let's say, navigate, you know, through life and pursue the happiness you deserve.

Speaker 1: 9:26

Fifth pillar we have the right livelihood. It means living ethically. So if you buy bread and the baker gives you the wrong change I'm going to make this example yeah, be honest and return the correct amount in a way to live, you know, to live in an ethical way. If you are in Morocco and deal with an old man selling his handcrafted creations. Don't negotiate with him, as he may need the money more than you. I'm sharing these two examples because they happened to me all right. First, with the beggar, when I was young, anyway so long time ago, and I felt so guilty that I went back with the money and I say to them yeah, these are the money for you. I bought this three hours ago. I bought the bread three hours ago. And another example was in Morocco a few years ago. You know, in Morocco there is a tendency to negotiate in the market. We know it, they know it. It's kind of a game, yeah, however, I still remember that old man, his face and sadness, the disappointment when I negotiated with him, and I still remember that wasn't right.

Speaker 1: 10:56

You know when a thing is right and wrong. You have not to lie yourself. We know when a thing is right and wrong, you have not to lie to yourself. We know that we're human beings and we are smart animals. You know, guys, there are situations in life where doing the right thing doesn't cost anything. You actually get a smile and positive energy from it. You know, positive energy that you, you can use. You can use to achieve your happiness and abandon non-virtuous thoughts and actions.

Speaker 1: 11:49

Do you want to start a podcast? If so, take action now. What are you waiting for while you're still scrolling or listening to me, while your life remains on the same repetitive cycle? Do you wish to sell your delicious pastries, but you cannot find the money? Don't make assumptions. Instead of making assumptions, take the first step. It's okay to be scared, it's okay to be disappointed. You know it is okay to be scared. It's okay to be disappointed, you know it is okay to face disappointment, but many of you don't even try to take the first step. The first step is curiosity. That's the first step, and then it's just taking action, step by step.

Speaker 1: 13:30

Okay, seventh pillar right, mindfulness. Right, mindfulness is the final pillar that supports the right concentration. All right, it means being aware of your body, being aware of your feelings and maintaining a clear consciousness. Sometimes, guys, we lose track of what we are doing because of events in our lives sad events or even tragic. We know that, but during these times but during these times, unfortunately we may lose contact with reality. However, I have a helpful trick that my fiancé taught me once ago. This is going to be very helpful with you. So the name of the exercise is the 5-4-3-2-1. So, before starting this exercise, just pay attention to your breathing. All right. So slow, deep, long breaths can help you maintain a sense of calm or help you return to a calmer state. So, first of all, always use it when you are agitated or you are anxious about something. But in this particular case it's very important to breathe in and breathe out in a slow way. So once you find your breath, go through the following steps to help ground yourself. All right.

Speaker 1: 15:15

First step is acknowledge five things you see around you. Could be a pen, a spot, a weird spot, maybe, maybe I don't know, on the ceiling or somewhere. Let's say anything that surrounds you, you know. Number two acknowledge four things you can touch around. You could be your, your air, a pillow, the ground under your feet. You can touch around. You Could be your air, a pillow, the ground under your feet. Number three acknowledge three things you hear. This could be any external sound. If you can hear your belly grumbling, that also counts, okay. So focus on things you can hear.

Speaker 1: 16:12

Number four acknowledge two things you can smell. Maybe you're in your office and you're smelling a pencil, I don't know. Well, just make sure someone doesn't notice you while you do. Maybe, anyway, maybe you're in your bedroom and you smell a pillow. It's still weird, yeah, but it's a very good exercise to understand that you are here, you're alive and you're in this reality. Okay, okay, and anyway, also keeping still the two things you can smell. Another example if you're outside, you can smell anything. You can smell the petrol, you can smell nature itself. You can always find something to smell, to hear, to touch, to see especially. And then there is the last one, one as acknowledge one thing you can taste. So what does the inside of your mouth taste like? Maybe come, maybe coffee, maybe a sandwich from from lunch. So this exercise, guys, is especially beneficial for when you are stressed or anxious, but generally it helps maintain a sense of reality. So it's a very, very good exercise.

Speaker 1: 17:47

Now let's talk about the eighth pillar, the. The eighth pillar, so as we said before, is more a ceiling supported by the seven pillars. We mentioned before the name of the. Let's call it still eight pillar, the. The name of the eighth pillar is right concentration, okay. So when you find fulfillment in all seven pillars of life, what happens? Well, you naturally begin to feel happier, and the right concentration involves maintaining that happiness while respecting the seven pillars. All right, so it becomes a positive cycle. If you like it, you can also reach this concentration through practice like yoga and meditation, but of course, it's not fundamental. Okay, what else? What else? What else?

Speaker 1: 18:56

Um, it's important to understand that when your mind, consciousness and spirit are at peace, guys, you create more space to realize your dreams, to, to understand what are your dreams, or discover goals you may not have previously considered. For example, before right, I mentioned the idea of starting a podcast or a business. The truth is, if you're already happy, any goal can be fundamental to fulfilling your purpose. Happy, any goal can be fundamental to fulfilling your purpose. This could be something as significant as becoming a parent, or as simple as reading in a library while enjoying cozy music, you know, while working as a waiter for a company you love. I mean. The key takeaway of this episode, the key takeaway of this concept, is to prioritize happiness. So if you are not happy, guys, you will not achieve true fulfillment. It means you will not achieve your purpose in life.

Speaker 1: 20:10

Okay, now let's recap the main points a little bit. First, it is important to acknowledge the problem of suffering. Sadness affects millions worldwide and modern life can feel like a repetitive cycle trapping people in dissatisfaction. The key question is how can one break free and find purpose? So we introduced the Noble Eightfold Path. What is it, the Noble Eightfold Path? It is a Buddhist framework to end suffering and reach enlightenment, formed of eight principles with seven acting as pillars supporting the final goal. Right concentration. Okay, regardless of spiritual beliefs, these teachings help clear suffering and create space for personal growth. Guys, we then explain the Eightfold Path properly.

Speaker 1: 21:24

So the first aspect is Right View, which contains the Four Noble Truths Suffering exists, first truth. Second truth suffering has a cause. Number three suffering can end. And number four the good news, you know, is that there is a path to end suffering. So these four nobles are inside the first aspect. The first, uh, pillar, the right view, okay.

Speaker 1: 21:54

Number two right resolve. What it's about is committing to liberating yourself from suffering. The resolution, you know. Number three right speech. So avoiding negative talk. That's very important, avoiding negative talk and be focused more on a positive view and goal achievement. Number four right action. So, just in this case, acting ethically and not harming yourself or others, yourself or others. Number five right livelihood Earning and living in a way that aligns with moral values. Number six right effort, taking action instead of staying stuck in fear or hesitation.

Speaker 1: 22:52

Number seven is the right mindfulness. It is being present and aware, of course, using grounding technique to stay focused, like the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then at the end, we have right concentration. It's about achieving inner peace, making room for dreams and goals. All right, what is the core message here, guys? The core message is that happiness is the foundation of personal success. Without happiness, true fulfillment and purpose are impossible. Ok, so forget thought like oh, when I become rich, I'll be happy. No, no, no, no, no. Forget situations like ok, when I become the best begger in the world, I'll be happy, or when I open a business, I'll be happy. No, no, no, no. It doesn't work like that Too much easier. You have to be happy before. So the Eightfold Path provides a way to clear suffering, regain focus and create space for meaningful goals.

Speaker 1: 24:22

All right, now I would like to hear from you which of these pillars resonates with you the most. Have you ever practiced any of them in your daily life? Let me know in the comments and if you found this episode valuable, make sure to share, so we can continue this journey together. All right, also, don't forget to check out my other episodes on personal growth and success. Thank you so much for being here, as always, and see you next time, guys, stay focused, stay positive and keep moving forward on your journey to success. Cheers.