Is the eight-fold path a sneaky way to introduce many other laws into Buddhism?

Buddhism starts with the Four Noble Truths --


All existence is suffering.


Suffering is caused by desire.


There is a way out of the suffering.





Now, here's my problem. The fourth noble truth is that there is an eight-fold way!


That seems like a disreputable way to add extra stuff into the canon.|||Q- Is the eight-fold path a sneaky way to introduce many other laws into Buddhism?





A-No, the Noble Eightfold Path (= Threefold Training = Sati-Practice) is the most straightforward way to comprehend the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha's teachings are very deep to understand. Please read the introduction of the reference's article.





Buddhism is a religion found by the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago. He discovered the True Reality of Nature (Four Noble Truths) by himself and taught others about this truth. This can be compared with a scientist who uncovers any fact that already exists in the nature and tells people about it. His teachings are called Dhamma.





The ultimate truth is-- in this world, there are no animals, person, self, we, or others but only groups of natural elements that temporarily assemble together. The natural elements, which are referred to, are all of Body and Mind.





Because we don't know this reality (Ignorance), we think that we own these Body and Mind (Attachment, Clinging). We also believe that they are good and special. We therefore love them, guard them with zealous care, struggle to make them happy and escape any unhappiness (Craving). But the Body and Mind are subjected to the Three Marks of Existence (Being oppressed, Impermanence and Non-Self). They therefore do not follow our desires, hence the Suffering.





Once we are aware that Body and Mind are not ourselves and that they are themselves, Suffering, we stop craving for happiness and clinging to our Body and Mind as self (Detachment). We give them back to the earth. All sufferings will be eradicated and the Enlightenment (Nibbana or Nirvana) will be realized.





In order to comprehend the Noble Truths that seem to be unreal to an ordinary person, one has to study and to practice the Noble Eightfold Path (= Threefold Training = Sati-Practice). It is the most straightforward way to realize the true nature of Body and Mind. The Buddha did not ask his followers simply to have faith but encouraged them to put his teachings to the test and to accept what they could verify on their own.





Probably the shortest summary, the Buddha teaches on suffering and the way to end it.|||It depends upon which sect/discipline one practices. Therefore the terms of Four Noble Truths or eight-fold path may no be relevant in the scripture of other sects. But the common ideas, such as reincarnation, may apply to the other sects. Take the Ten Commandments as an example: a good Buddhist may not know about the them but the Buddhist teaching preaches similar moral values and rules.





On the other hand, your guess about reinterpretation of a given scripture is right on. Many Buddhist sects are the result of different reinterpretation of the original Buddhism.





Not part of Buddhism, Falun Gong was found in 1992 by Master Li Hongzhi in China. About 100 million followers like the practice in over 80 countries worldwide. Falun Gong is an ancient Buddhist practice for the body, mind, and spirit based upon the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Falun Gong consists of five sets of powerful exercises.





Falun Gong, Tibetans, other Buddhists, and Daoists have been persecuted in China. The most offensive human right violation is the organ harvesting from the Falun Gong practitioners in China. Can you kindly sign a petition to stop persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, please ?


http://cipfg.org/en/news/petition.html|||The laws of true religions is how one treats their fellow neighbors. With Buddhism and Hebrew Scripture it is the same. It is written somewhere that a man asked the Rabbi Hillel to teach him Torah standing on one leg. He did so saying, "Love the lord your god with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." If you read the New Testament, Yahshua says the same thing nearly word for word. The eight-fold way is much the same thing, the path of righteousness. No Laws, Guidelines.|||Buddhism has not introduced laws to anyone. Because if you break a law you will get punished. And Buddhist monks don't punish their followers. Buddhism has always given us the right to follow our own path. So if no one is forcing you to follow the eight fold path can you call it a law.





OK, look


eight fold path includes





1.Right view


To end suffering you need to end desire. So if you don't have the right view (if you don't believe in ending suffering?) will you ever be able to end it.





2. Right intention


If you don't want to end it will you be able to do so.





3. Right speech


we lie because we have desires. Desire to either harm someone or to gain respect, avoid loosing respect. abusive speech is because of desire to overpower someone. So with out right speech how are we going to stop desiring.





4. Right action


we kill , we steel because of desire.





5. Right livelihood


we choose livelihood like cheating people just to get rich. desire





6. Right effort


we need the effort to stop wrong speech, wrong actions to stop desire.





7. Right mindfulness


we need mindfulness so that we identify our desires and get rid of it.





8. Right concentration


How can we do anything right without concentration?





So you see the eight fold path is introduced to Buddhism because it is essential to stop suffering. Not to introduce laws,|||Buddhism does not introduce laws.


Buddhism tries to understand the existing laws (the laws of nature).


We are caught in these laws and there is no end in sight.


Eightfold way can lead us to the exit.


Buddhism will not disturb anyone who finds eight-fold way disreputable.|||The Four Noble Truths are formulated in the manner of traditional medical diagnostics. Problem-Cause-Cure-Treatment. So looking at them this way shows that the Eightfold Path is the treatment needed to reach the cure for the problem of suffering caused by craving.|||You wanted it to be easy?





If you only want four rules, I recommend that you study the Toltec. Easy to memorize and understand. Not so easy to live it.





No matter how you cut it, you have to have self-discipline.|||Buddhism is a fraud. It tells basic obvious things and yet so many people still follow it