The fourth noble truth is the path leading toward cessation known as the eightfold noble path. while this path and its eight aspects seem easy to understand, they are extremely rich and encompassing. The path includes the threefold practice of precepts (sila), meditative concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (prajna). It also includes many other practices, such as the five methods of stilling the mind11, and the four foundations of mindfulness for developing insight.12

In conjunction with the Four Noble Truths there are also the very detailed practices known as the sixteen aspects of the Four Noble Truths.13 These aspects can be used as objects of meditation, beginning awareness of the breath (calming), and proceeding to the development of meditative awareness (insight). All these methods lead to path of 'seeing' (awakening to) the nature of reality.

Summary

We have talked about numerous things from the turning of the Dharma Wheel, to engaging the path, to attaining arhatship through cessation. So far we have only given a brief summary of the Four Noble Truths. Nevertheless, by the time I finished talking about the three turnings you should have all become aryas like the five monks. (Laughter) But in case there are some of you who have not attained enlightenment, and if today's talk sounded pretty enticing, please come back next Sunday, and we will talk in more detail about the Four Noble Truths. I hope to describe the Fou0r Noble Truths as a group and reveal their different levels, layer after layer, of their subtle implications. If I say the levels get deeper and deeper, I might scare you off, so I will just say I will just try to make them clearer and clearer.