Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path

by Henepola Gunaratana

From the best-selling author of Mindfulness in Plain English !

In his classic and engaging style, Bhante Gunaratana delves deeply into the noble eightfold path, the Buddha’s most profound teaching on bringing an end to suffering.

With easy-to-understand and specific advice, Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness offers skillful ways to handle anger, find right livelihood, cultivate loving-friendliness, and overcome the mental hindrances that prevent happiness.

Whether you are an experienced meditator or someone who’s only just beginning, this gentle and down-to-earth guide will help you bring the heart of the Buddha’s teachings into every aspect of your life.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Meditation, Religion, Self Help

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 2001

About the author

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is the founding abbot of the Bhavana Society. Born in rural Sri Lanka, he has been a monk since age 12 and took full ordination at age 20 in 1947. He came to the United States in 1968. “Bhante G” (as he is fondly called by his students) has written a number of books, including the now-classic meditation manual Mindfulness In Plain English and its companion Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness. Bhante G regularly leads retreats on vipassana, mindfulness, metta (Loving-friendliness), concentration, and other topics both at the Bhavana Society and elsewhere.

Bhante Gunaratana is an internationally recognized author and meditation teacher. Prior to coming to the United States, he spent five years doing in missionary work with the Harijanas (Untouchables) of India and ten years in Malaysia. He has taught in a number of settings, including American University of Washington DC where he served as Buddhist chaplain and the Buddhist Vihara of Washington DC, where he served as president. Bhante G has a strong scholarly background and livelong commitment to dhamma.

In 1985 Bhante G co-founded the Bhavana Society and became its abbot. He wanted to teach meditation in an environment allowing for longer retreats and intense practice free from the trappings of a city vihara. He continues to teach in the direct, compassionate style that characterizes his books and articles. Bhante G conveys a well-rounded approach to Buddhist Dhamma, touching on all aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path. He emphasizes metta bhavana (the cultivation of loving-friendliness) as a basis for samma-samadhi, or right concentration. As a teacher, he is known for his emphasis both on samadhi and on metta as part of spiritual training.

In 1996, Bhante G received the title of Chief Sangha Nayaka Thera for North America. This acknowledged his status as highest-ranking monk of his sect in the United States and Canada. In 2003, his autobiography, Journey to Mindfulness, was published. In 2005, the Sri Henepola Gunaratana Scholarship Trust was founded under his guidance. This trust provides educations for poverty stricken children in rural Sri Lanka.

Bhante G continues to write articles, lead retreats, and teach at the Bhavana Society and all over the world.

Reviews

[Gregg Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book by mistake. Ever have that happen? The book I wanted to buy was Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante as well. I was shopping online and each book had the leaf you see on the cover so I clicked on the wrong book. At first I was very disappointed and wanted to sue somebody. (Okay, I wasn't that disappointed.) But I was disappointed.

But as I delved into Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness my disappointment disappeared in a hurry. This is a great book. It's a great book for you Buddhists out there, and it's a great book for spiritual seekers of all kinds, and it's a great book for anybody who wants to improve their life.

Born in Sri Lanka, Bhante (I'm on first name terms with him—nah, just kidding, I'm just not going to type Bhante Henepola Gunaratana over and over!) is an ordained Buddhist monk. He is the real deal. And the amazing thing is this book is written in the most plain-spoken English. His writing style might even be called "folksy." It's easy to understand (hey, I'm a golfer—if I get it, anybody can), insightful and all-around helpful.

Now I know you can just get that 'Clap along if you know what happiness is to you,' song, but Bhante offers a much more realistic path, and who doesn't want to be happier? (That's rhetorical.) So yes, the book is about finding happiness and indeed the eight steps set out to demonstrate how.

Remember the "folksy" tone I mentioned? Well, in places there is a folksy wisdom. Will Rogers-esque even. Like the following.

There's an old story about a man who wanted to cover the whole earth with leather so he could walk more comfortably. He would have found it much easier to make a pair of sandals. Similarly, instead of trying to control the world to make yourself happy, work to reduce your psychic irritants.

Psychic irritants. I don't know about you, but I have sure had my share of those lately.

The eight steps are based on Buddha's Eightfold Path. They are:
skillful understanding, skillful thinking, skillful speech, skillful action, skillful livelihood, skillful effort, skillful mindfulness, and skillful concentration. And remember these are the eight "mindful" steps to happiness, so a focus is on consciousness, awareness and insight, and insight as particularly gleaned from meditation.

A big focus is on living in the now and not fighting reality. Bhante writes:

Pain sensations are usually manageable. Dissatisfaction with "what is" is more profound and harder to overcome.

This is serious Buddhism now. Bhante may write with comfortable ease, but he is still a deeply committed Buddhist. Some of his teaching (remember I'm a golfer) is a little hard to grasp, (eg. the whole notion of "non-self"), but most of it is truly a pristine window into the world of mindfulness.

He talks about everything under the sun. Dealing with anger. Being compassionate. There's an excellent passage on dealing with fear. And it's all against the backdrop of mindfulness.

This book is about improving your life. About concrete results. He writes:

As our practice of mindfulness meditation deepens, we may develop so much calm and patience that a previously unacceptable situation becomes no problem...

I've recently been reeling from some very unfair treatment by a major ebook distributor. And when I plead my case with them, all I get is form letter responses, including a saccharine: "I can understand your disappointment..." But Bhante tells a story of a monk who goes to a rich man's house for seven straight years in hopes of receiving alms and receives nothing, until one day the mistress of the house comes out and yells at him to go away, that they have nothing to give him. The next day the monk returns and tells the rich man that he received something from the house, and so the rich man checks and finds that the monk was given nothing. The rich man accuses the monk of being a liar and a trickster. The monk replies:

"Sir, I came to your beautiful house for seven years and received nothing. But yesterday, one kind lady came out and said, 'Go away. We have nothing to give you.' That was what I received from your house."

The end of the story is the owner is embarrassed by his stinginess, and the monk is rewarded for his determination, his skillful effort to maintain his patience, and his positive state of mind.

The story really helped me deal with the injustice I've been feeling about my situation with the ebook distributor. Concrete help.

Lastly, Bhante is 100% for people, and that comes through. Oh, I don't agree with all his teaching, but I am so impressed with Bhante the man. He believes the eight steps to happiness will genuinely help people, and so he spreads the word with a skillfully mindful zeal.

[Magnus Lidbom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The contents of this book are well and truly grounded in a dogma based view of Buddhist teachings. Rebirth is a fact, enlightenment is absolute and permanent, the Buddha's words cannot be wrong, etc etc ad nauseam. While much of what is taught is likely beneficial in isolation, as a whole the book functions as propagandizing for torrential levels of self-delusion and blind faith. What a disappointment after the excellent "Mindfulness in plain english".

There is little to set this book apart from the others I've read on the eightfold path except for it's consistent selling of delusion as fact through "logic" that is obviously false as soon as you let go of the delusion that it is reasonable to prove the veracity of one teaching by assuming the veracity of another teaching or by assuming that the Buddha was infallible and that the current teachings are his verbatim words. Both assumptions are of course complete hogwash.

Perhaps the most directly harmful thing in the book is that it hammers in the idea that we should go looking for suffering in every moment. That mindfulness is about observing our suffering and that we will always, always find it until we reach Nibbana (And, as described in this book, there is no rational reason to believe that such a thing exists.). Well you know what happens when you set your mind to finding something? That's right. Seek and you will find. If you make the mission of your mindfulness to find suffering you will have plenty of suffering to find. This teaching flies in the face of everything I've read about psychology and all of my personal experience. Please don't do this. Please don't equate progressing on the path to happiness with a constant hunt for your own ubiquitous suffering. If you do that, ubiquitous suffering is indeed most likely what you will find.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical Buddha's teachings were transmitted orally for several centuries after his death until sects were formed and his talks were written down on palm leaves. Organizing information into lists was a very important mnemonic.

One of the most important of these lists is "The Noble Eight Fold Path". This list contains eight areas of endeavors that a Buddhist strives for in his/her life and these eight "action items" also key into the entirety of the historical Buddha's teachings. This list is typically translated as:

1. Right View
2. Right Intent
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

The author of this book, a lifelong Buddhist monk chose "Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness".

The whole point of the eight fold path is happiness.

Theravada is the oldest surviving sect of Buddhism. It is the author's sect and the sect from which "vipassana meditation" and "minfulness" comes from. It has a reputation for being unintentionally grim. My guess is that was the motivation behind the title of the book. To remind people that it is about striving for happiness.

However, the happiness that is sought by Buddhists is a happiness that is immune to the vicissitudes of life. Given that, the vicissitudes of life are focused on in order to understand their nature and in order to avoid the suffering that comes with them.

The book starts off "Right View"( that these vicissitudes exist for everyone ) and a bit of the grim tone that Theravada Buddhism is known for. Other people might not find the tone as grim as I did. Regardless, I learned a lot of things from this book. I was also surprised to learn a lot of practical tips both for every day life and for meditation.

In that respect the book was a success, as it was the intent of the author to show the reader how to apply Buddhist teachings to every day life.

The author's first successful book had the title "Mindfulness In Plain English". I feel that a more accurate title for this book would have been "The Noble Eight Fold Path In Plain English".

The author succeeded in conveying practical Buddhism in ordinary, every day, easy to understand language.

[Princessjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my Buddhist reading stack up, it has been interesting to see how different authors present the same basic teachings through the lenses of their differing personality.

Compared to Jack Kornfield, Bhante Gunaratana is down-to-earth, kindly but no-nonsense teacher who says, Do this thus and so, practice, practice, don't get distracted by the fluffy joy and bliss that are merely side-effects and attachment, follow the precepts, work hard, concentrate, and you will eventually reach enlightenment.

I hear you; I will try.

[Erik B.K.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed to read. Also a must read for those who finally realize they can no longer go on living like they do and suffering.

[Steve Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the text book for living life according to the Buddha's prescription. Very helpful and a kind of manual for daily life. It is an important adjunct to my own daily practice, I read a chapter at least once a week. It's necessary for me to continually be reminded of the aiming point.It makes accessible some of the more esoteric aspects of the Eightfold path. The path to the end of suffering as set out as the last of the four noble truths. Re reading it constantly brings to the fore the realisation of just how big a task living according to this prescription can be while at the same time providing reassurance that it is possible for any of us.

[Viet Hung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Những ai đã đọc qua những tác phẩm khác của Sư Bhante G. (mà chủ yếu tập trung vào việc hướng dẫn hành thiền theo ngôn ngữ đơn giản nhất) sẽ tiếp tục tìm thấy ở cuốn này một kho kiến thức vô cùng quý báu. Đây là một cuốn sách bắt buộc phải có trong tủ sách của bất cứ thiền sinh Vipassana nào.

[Paul Botterill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good informative introduction to Buddhism

[Kaushik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvellous exposition of the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path - in simple language, and in a way that is understandable to a lay person, free of the self-importance and high handedness of spiritual literature.

The Buddha's path has been given for us to discover on our own, and follow for a happier life, and maybe even eventual enlightenment. You might agree or not agree, but the path provides you a framework of ethical living and self-development at par with the Stoics, the Epicureans and other famous philosophical schools of thought.

Definitely recommended for everyone seriously interested in practising Buddhism.

[Scott Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live right. Feel right.

[JE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have created and published a mindmap containing the high-level ideas in the book if anyone is interested or need some repetition. :)

https://www.mindmeister.com/916384603

[Ajay]

Classic Bhante G stuff! Very clear, although this does have a bit more emphasis on morality compared to `Mindfulness in plain english`(MIPA). If you're practising seated meditations based on the MIPA book and have doubts, this book is highly recommended. As mentioned, if observing your breath is all that you do in the name of meditation, you don't gain much. You need wisdom / understanding which this book explains a lot.

Questions that might arise are answered in subsequent pages or sometimes a bit indirectly. For some reason I found it a bit long for ~250 pages. Like `Mindfulness in plain english` I plan to re-read it again sometime!

[Julie Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindfulness. Cultivating and maintaining wholesome mental states. ❤️

[Ruby Grad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bhante Gunaratana takes us clearly through each factor of the Eightfold Path and shows how, when each is developed, we can become enlightened. He also manages to include and clearly describe many other important teachings, such as the fetters, the hindrances, the precepts, etc.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars
some good lessons and takeaways! But I think it was really repetitive at some points

[Makini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. I read it daily as part of a meditation practice.

[Chung Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading the author's other book on mindful meditation. If you have read that book and was captured by the simple, straightforwardness style of it, you'll probably like the writing style of this book too.

This book delves into the eight steps to happiness and the author tries to explain in a simple, direct manner of each step. If you're curious about Buddha's teaching of the eight skills to happiness, this might be a good book to start. This book is not meant to be a very complicated philosophical discourse, but rather, a practical, simple manual with suggestions on specific actions you can take in practicing the eight steps.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a few weeks to review the many books on Buddhism and finally decide on this one. I bought it in audible format for my drive into work. Great choice indeed. The narrator was perfect. I enjoyed the format, stories and clarity it provided. I stumbled a bit in the final few chapters but realize I’m just not quite there in my spiritual journey. It will most definitely be a staple in my yearly book re-reads or re-listens. Highly recommend it.

[Matthew Kern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gunaratana is good at simplifying the complexities and communicating Eastern ideas to Western minds. This book, while not as engaging as "Mindfulness in Plain English" is a thorough review of the path, the 8 steps toward enlightenment.

I read it over the course of a couple months - putting it down for a while, picking it up, but rarely reading for an extended period of time. I liked that approach. It let me swig the contents and ponder on it. As a relative novice to Buddhist teachings, I do still get overwhelmed with the eightfold path. Each of the eight steps has seemingly infinite depth (and misunderstandings).

These were my key takeaways with some supporting quotes:

* Happiness is found in “not” (refraining)
“happiness is wiping out all negative states of mind — all desire, all hatred, all ignorance.”
“When we do not cling, our mind is always at peace.”
* Being resentful is your own problem
“If you are resentful, that is your own shortcoming, no matter what your partner did. Are you clinging to something? Attachment and genuine love are far apart.”
* Skillful Speech is truthful, uplifting, gentle, and moderate
“Skillful Speech, the Buddha told us, has four qualities: It is always truthful. It is uplifting, not malicious or unkind. It is gentle, not crude or harsh. It is moderate, not useless or meaningless.
* “belief in the existence of a permanent self or soul” is a fetter.

[Tra-Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some useful ideas for me, and one VERY important meditation concept that wasn't in Mindfulness in Plain English (the distinction between concentration and mindfulness during vipassana meditation), but I'm much more interested in the "try and see" focus of that other book than sets of principles and such. If these things are really universal truths, I will find out for myself.

I understand that these concepts are meant to be tools up until you get far down the path, that even though they are nonessential to enlightenment they can ease suffering for the present and help you identify your experiences at different stages. And it was useful, but there are other Buddhist writings and speakers that I've found a lot more meaty (like the talks of S.N. Goenka and Thanissaro Bhikkhu).

From another perspective, as an introduction to the eightfold path, I personally found that its style and organization made it hard to remember the steps and concepts, which all sort of got muddled in my mind into a messy ball of "compassion impermanence doubt something something."

Four stars anyway because it was still legit, clear writing for the purpose of being a more contented and kind person, without bullshit.

[Eren Somcag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just explained simply and beautifully. It does not bring any metaphysical claims unless the subject becomes too metaphysical in itself and brings everyday examples to the subject. In this regard you can read the book as a psychological “self-training” book. Or simply decide walk the path laid by Buddha and explained in modern terms by the writer.
The only problem I had with the book is in its explanation with the “selfless” nature of the phenomena. This is not the first book I read on Buddhism/Buddha but the subject still eludes me. Take this criticism with a grain of salt since it is equally possible that I may hear the subject directly from Buddha, not get enlightened and gave the Buddha himself 4-star.

[Ondřej Plachý · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves you well if you really want to KNOW and follow the rules of Buddha's path 100%. It is useful in its honesty and difficulty, but I find it too eager to implement everything without questioning it. And that is where I slightly disagree.

Modern world needs modern interpretations and those interpretations should be as far from the "church" interpretation as possible.

On the other hand it reads well and helps you to maintain your mindfullness by stressing certain points of the path. For me that is the real benefit - I become more aware (and that's what counts).

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little set of pointers and descriptions around the idea of weaving in the practice of mindfulness (sati) into each of the eightfold path steps of the classical Buddhist eight-fold path. All of HG's books are approachable for both beginners and more advanced practitioners, and there's always some practical takeaway that can be immediately put into action, besides the conceptual ideas presented about how the eightfold path works and all fits together. A good addition to your Buddhism library or as a part of his other books.

[Andrew McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkably clear and practical. Only recommended for someone who has already committed to a meditation path (in a Buddhist or secular tradition is probably easiest) and studied and practiced with introductory materials already (e.g., the 4 Noble Truths). As Bhante G says at the end, this isn't a book just for reading. It requires active effort and practice and is best worked on with others on the path.

[Osama Odtallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely mind-altering book.

The ideas might seem simple and naive on the surface, but they are truly radical and challenging. They go against our normal patterns of thought, and practicing them illuminates the pitfalls of our regular behavior.

To get the full benefits one should practice the ideas in the book rigorously, but just casually putting some of it's ideas into practice as you read will be very helpful.

[Bill Guinee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good information, but too much good information. It suffers from the Buddhist problem of endless lists: hindrances, objects of mind, etc., and it delivers so much data that one doesn't know where to begin. Perhaps if each chapter was an entire book that one could spend a year working on, it would be more useful.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent treatment of the essential teachings of Buddhism, couched in terms of self help spirituality - at least insofar as it refers to the noble eightfold path as 8 steps (see the 12 steps). That's really the only concession to self-help-speak. Otherwise it's pure Theravada Buddhism from a wise old monk.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pragmatic and beautiful book that teaches any lay practitioner to follow the Buddha's Eightfold Path in day-to-day life. Filled with practical examples and few off-topic parables (that some Buddhists are extremely prone to), Bhante G rocks the house with this one.

[Will Graham Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly articulated overview of Buddhist philosophy and practice. Nothing terribly new for me. I liked the summaries at the end of each chapter. Some of his points about meditation are less clear, direct, or strict than Vipassana.

[David Drinkwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly helpful look on how we think about reality and happiness. There are a lot of assumptions here in why you're reading it (seeking enlightenment), but there's something here for anyone if you just take the parts you need.