The Supernormal Eightfold Way
The Buddha had spoken of two ways of helping a blind man cross the road. One method is to hold his hand and guide the way. In such a case the blind man does not know where we are taking him. He must have blind faith in us. The other method is that of a surgeon who performs an operation on the blind man’s eye to make him see for himself. This way the blind faith is eliminated. The Buddha declared that his method of teaching meditation is similar to the method of the surgeon. This is why the teaching of the Buddha is not based on blind faith but on clear comprehension. This marvellous method of the Buddha has eight steps. It is called the Supernormal Eightfold Way, commonly translated as the Noble Eightfold Path. This is the method we follow. It is called supernormal because the aim of the Buddha was not to get people to believe in him blindly and obey him, but his aim was to transform normal people with worries and anxieties to a supernormal level of happiness. This aim of the Buddha is the counterpart of the modern psychotherapist’s aim, which is to bring abnormal suffering to a normal level of unhappiness. How The Buddha’s supernormal aim is realized, however, will be made clear in due course, because that is the main purpose of this booklet.