The Fourth Reality :
Developing the Supernormal Eight-fold Way
The medial path
This is the medial path between expressing the emotions and suppressing or repressing the emotions. Every emotional arousal involves a disturbance of the body and mind. The body becomes tensed and uncomfortable while the mind is unhappy. It is to overcome this discomfort and unhappiness that we unconsciously begin to release the tension in action to obtain what is desired, to get rid of what is hated or to run away from what is feared. What the Buddha points out is that it is possible to learn to consciously relax the tension, instead of unconsciously releasing the tension in action. This is the medial way that eliminates the discomfort and unhappiness without suppression or repression. This avoids the two extremes of expression and suppression by means of the medial path of relaxation of body and calmness of mind.
This medial path begins with the proper understanding of the problem and its solution which is the Harmonious Perspective. Having understood the need for the elimination of emotions through the Harmonious Perspective one begins a reorientation of one’s life by changing the goal of life to tranquility of mind. This results in calmness of behaviour, expressed in speech, actions and life style. Having done so, one begins to purify the mind through the Harmonious Exercise, which ends in beginning to tread the Seven Steps to Awakening. This results in the paradigm shift that awakens one from the dream of existence. Thus the mind is liberated (vimutti) from all emotional disturbances and suffering, resulting in the imperturbable serenity, NIBBĀNA. This medial path, therefore, is the Supernormal Eightfold Way.