Page 126 - The Buddha‘s Noble Eightfold Path

not for the mentally crippled or the spiritually bed-ridden.

Buddhism is for people who are prepared to make an effort,
who are prepared to try. Of course you may fail. You may fail ten

times, twenty times, even a hundred times — but that doesn't
matter so much. The important thing is that you should make
the effort, that you should try. Buddhism ' is not for those who

are only prepared to sit back comfortably in their armchairs and
read all about the efforts of other people. You know the sort of

thing: you take The Life of Milarepa and you ensconce yourself
by the side of the fire with perhaps a cup of tea and a plate of
muffins, or a box of chocolates, and you munch your muffins or

you nibble your chocolates, and you're all warm and cosy, and
you read all about the austerities of Milarepa, and you think,

'How fine!' and 'How wonderful!' Buddhism is not like that. It's
not just reading about other people's efforts, but being
prepared to make at least a minimum of effort ourselves. For a

long time a wrong image of Buddhism prevailed in Buddhist
circles in this country. The impression was that Buddhism was

intended primarily for old ladies — and when I say old ladies I
am not being disrespectful to our female senior citizens. When I
say 'old ladies' I mean old ladies of both sexes and all ages. Far

from being meant for people of this description, Buddhism is a
very demanding and exacting sort of Path, and as such is for the

young and vigorous — either for those who are physically and
mentally young, or at least those who are mentally and
spiritually young, whatever their age and whatever the state of

their bodies may be.

Perfect Effort is twofold. There is a general Perfect Effort, and a

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