12/08/2022 “Right Thought as a Key to Happiness” with Walt Opie

We will discuss Right Thought, often called Right Intention, which is the second factor of the Noble Eightfold Path (after Right View). In one sutta, usually translated as “Two Kinds of Thought” (MN 19), the Buddha said that before his enlightenment he realized he could divide his thoughts into “two classes” as either: thoughts of sensual desire, ill and cruelty OR thoughts of renunciation, non-ill will and non-cruelty. He then saw that the first class of thought led to affliction for himself and others, while the other class did not. Pondering this helped lead him on to his eventual liberation. He concluded this discourse by telling his audience that “the safe and good path to be traveled joyfully has been reopened by me.”