Explore the Buddha’s Timeless Wisdom for a Wiser, More Mindful Life
2 Sessions | February 28 and March 14, 2027 | Live on Zoom | $108 | February 14
No previous study of Buddhism required. Beginners are warmly welcome.
Curious About Buddhism? You Can Begin Here.
How might Buddhist teachings help us understand ourselves, navigate life’s challenges, and relate to others with greater wisdom and compassion?
The Noble Eightfold Path offers a place to begin exploring these questions.
One of the Buddha’s foundational teachings, the Noble Eightfold Path offers practical guidance for cultivating wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental development. Its teachings remain relevant to the choices we make, the relationships we build, and the way we respond to the world around us.
In this welcoming introductory course, we will explore the eight dimensions of the path and consider how they can illuminate our everyday experience.
Whether you are encountering Buddhism for the first time or continuing your exploration, you are welcome. No previous study, meditation experience, or particular religious belief is required.
ABOUT THE COURSE
The Noble Eightfold Path is a central teaching of Buddhism and an essential part of the Buddha’s first turning of the Wheel of Dharma. It offers a practical path toward freedom from suffering and awakening.
We will explore its eight interconnected dimensions: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. These teachings fall within three interconnected areas of practice: wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental cultivation.
We will consider how our understanding shapes our choices, how our speech and actions affect others, and how mindfulness and meditation practices can transform our relationship with thoughts, emotions, and everyday challenges.
Through guided reading, discussion, and personal reflection, we will discover how these teachings work together to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and greater awareness. This course offers a meaningful foundation for understanding the Buddha’s path and exploring how its timeless teachings can enrich our lives and open us to the possibility of awakening.
WHAT YOU WILL GAIN
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand the Noble Eightfold Path and its place within the Buddha’s foundational teachings.
- How to practice the Noble Eightfold Path.
- Become familiar with its eight interconnected dimensions.
- Explore the relationship between wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental cultivation.
- Discover how the teachings can inform everyday decisions, relationships, and responses to difficulty.
- Establish a foundation for further study and Buddhist practice.
- Learn the basics of mindfulness meditation.
COURSE DETAILS AND READING
Format: Live online via Zoom
Dates: Sunday, February 28, and Sunday, March 14, 2027
Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern
Contribution: $108
Prerequisites: None. Beginners are warmly welcome.
Required reading: The Beginner’s Guide to Walking the Buddha’s Eightfold Path by Jean Smith. Click on image.
Please obtain your book well in advance and complete the assigned reading and first Reading Guide assignment before the first session on February 28.
As part of BFF’s nonprofit Amazon Affiliate Program, purchases made through our online store may provide a small commission to help cover operating costs and support our programs. Thank you for supporting the sangha.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This is a structured learning experience designed to support genuine engagement with the Buddha’s teachings. Students are warmly asked to:
- Complete the assigned reading and Reading Guide exercises before each session.
- Attend both online sessions.
- If located in Connecticut, participate in BFF’s Sunday Morning Meditation and Talk gatherings.
- If located outside Connecticut, connect with a local Buddhist group if one is available.
- Explore the teachings through reflection, meditation, and their application to daily life.
- The sangha, or community of practitioners, is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism.
- Learning and practicing alongside others can help us deepen our understanding and sustain our efforts.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Rev. G.R. Lewis, M.A., has served as Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut’s guiding teacher since 2001. A former student of the Venerable Thich Tri Hong and the esteemed late Dr. (Rev.) Taitetsu Unno, he has practiced Buddhism for over 30 years.
He brings scholarly depth, personal warmth, and lived experience to his teaching, helping students explore Buddhist wisdom in ways that are accessible, relevant, and meaningful. For his full biography, visit the Our Teachers page .
CONTINUE YOUR EXPLORATION
Buddhism offers many ways to begin learning and practicing. The Noble Eightfold Path is one of the Buddha’s foundational teachings, and exploring it can provide a valuable starting point for further study.
BFF offers an ongoing series of Buddhism 101 courses exploring Buddhist teachings and their relevance to modern life. Other courses include:
- Buddhism 101 Online Course: The Basics explores essential Buddhist teachings through Be a Lamp Upon Yourself.
- Buddhism 101: Discovering the Three Jewels explores the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as the heart of the Buddhist path.
- Buddhism 101: Walking the Bodhisattva Path explores the Six Paramitas and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion.
- Buddhism 101: The Art of Mindful Working and Living explores finding joy and meaning in each hour of the day.
- Buddhism 101: Breaking Habits, Finding Freedom explores mindfulness and the transformation of recurring habits.
Each course offers its own opportunity to explore Buddhist wisdom. You are welcome to continue learning with BFF at a pace that suits your interests and circumstances.
REGISTRATION, ASSIGNMENTS AND IMPORTANT POLICIES
Enrollment deadline: February 14, 2027
Early registration is encouraged to secure your place and allow time to obtain the book and complete the first assignment.
By registering, you confirm your agreement to BFF’s Refund Policy, Disclaimer of Responsibility, Code of Conduct, and Image Release Agreement as detailed on the registration ticket.
BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE
The Buddha’s teachings invite us to look more deeply at our experience and discover new ways of understanding ourselves and the world.
The Noble Eightfold Path offers a framework for exploring how wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental cultivation can shape the way we live.
You do not need to know Buddhism to begin discovering its wisdom.
Join us for Buddhism 101: Discovering the Noble Eightfold Path, and explore the Buddha’s timeless wisdom for a wiser, more mindful life.