The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of purification. The eight aspects of it are to be practiced simultaneously.

1. Right Speech

Right speech means to avoid all improper speech including lies, profane expressions, abusive language and ill-willed words. Right speech means to use sincere, friendly, gentle, pleasant, benevolent and useful language. Speaking lies is just like covering our nature with dust. It gives rise to karma, just as bad as that caused by unwholesome actions. If we use sincere language, our mind will be calm and free of false thoughts. To show our kindness and compassion to others, we should begin with right speech.

2. Right Behavior

Right behavior means to behave properly so as to ensure the purification of our karma in body, mouth and mind. Karma is the result of deeds, which have influencing effects upon our future. According to the Principle of Causation, good deeds bring good effects while bad actions produce bad effects. The effects will be brought into full play when the timing is ripe. In helping us to follow this path, the Buddha taught us the Five Precepts, namely, no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no false speech and no intoxicants.

3. Right Livelihood

Right livelihood means to pursue a proper career and lifestyle. The Buddha advised us not to engage in anything that goes against Tao. Tao is the utmost, right and perfect enlightenment. Tze Sze was a Confucius' grandson and a great Confucian himself. He defined Tao in his book of The Golden Mean and said, "What nature endows us with is called the conscience; to follow the conscience is called Tao." It is stressed that we should avoid careers that bring harm and misfortune to people, and subsequently pain and suffering.

4. Right Thought

Right thought means to focus on proper virtues and not creating any evil thought. Evil thought leads to evil behavior, which in turn brings out affliction and pain. When the mind is proper, evil does not come. Therefore, learning to keep track and control the mind is a top priority. The Buddha urged us to practice the Four Dwellings in Mindfulness:

   Contemplate the body as impure
   Contemplate the feeling as suffering
   Contemplate the mind as impermanent
   Contemplate the dharmas as having no self 

This is used to control our mind and avoid negative thoughts and actions.

5. Right Meditation

Right meditation means to have the mind dwell on one fixed state without any doubts. It is a state of mental concentration without any scatteredness. Right meditation is just like placing the mind's focus on the truth. The better the focus is adjusted, the clearer the truth can be seen. However, wisdom is needed to adjust the focus. The fruit of cultivation will be attained after practicing the seven paths with vigor. Right meditation is a process to utilize such accomplishments to help ourselves in attaining the wisdom we need. Once wisdom is realized, afflictions will vanish. Once the dust of afflictions are removed, our Buddha-nature can clearly be seen.

6. Right View

Right view means to have proper understanding of the Four Noble Truths. For this purpose, the Buddha gave us a set of principles for correct inferences. It is called the Three Noble Principles, which includes:

   (1) All things are impermanent
   (2) All states are without self
   (3) Nirvana is perfect serenity

7. Right Aspiration

Right aspiration means determination to make every endeavor to free our mind from producing greed, hatred and negative thought. Sincerity is needed to transcend the egoism or self-centeredness. Showing kindness and compassion to all sentient beings is essential to right aspiration. Essentially all sentient beings' happiness is our happiness, just as their pain is our pain. With these right aspirations as the guiding thoughts, we are therefore able to cultivate the mind.

8. Right Effort

Right effort means to make an honest and lifelong effort to practice the principles of precepts, concentration and wisdom. It is a continuous process of checking, cultivating, promoting and maintaining. In order to successfully overcome the three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance, we need a strong will. The Buddha knew well that it is not easy to be rid of these afflictions that keep us from cultivating a pure mind. That is why he emphasized the power of our will. He stressed that we have to vow to do the following:

   (1) To prevent any evil thoughts from starting
   (2) To discard evil thoughts already developed
   (3) To develop benevolent thoughts not yet arisen
   (4) To promote benevolent thoughts already arisen

In Buddhism, this is known as the Four Right Procedures.