The Buddha said that people should follow a ‘Middle Way’ to find Nibbana.  You should not be live a life of luxury where you over-eat and have too much of everything (an easy life).  But equally you should not live a life where you starve yourself and punish your body (a hard life).  People who do these things will not find Nibbana.  The secret is to follow a middle path between the two extremes.

The path which the Buddha taught about is called the Noble Eightfold Path.  It has this name because there are eight steps for people to follow.  All the steps begin with the word ‘right’.  This does not just mean that this is correct, it also means ‘best possible’.  

The first two steps go together.  Before they can begin the Noble Eightfold Path, people have to feel that the Buddha’s teaching is the way they need to live.

The first step is looking at life in the right way.  You will not reach Nibbana unless you think in the right way.  Having the right viewpoint means that you understand and accept the basic teachings of the Four Noble Truths.

Your mind is very powerful, so it needs to be used in the right way.  You should try to be unselfish, and care about other people, rather than just concentrating on yourself.

The next three steps show how Buddhists should behave when they have decided to follow the path.

You should be kind and helpful when you talk to people.  You should not gossip or tell lies.  This also includes not swearing, and any other ways in which you can hurt people with words.

This includes not killing things and not stealing.  It also means being faithful to your husband or wife, and not drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

Someone who wants to follow the Buddha should work to the best of their ability.  The job you do should be useful and not involve killing or hurting others.

The next three steps are the way followers train their mind so that they can enter Nibbana.

You should train yourself to avoid things which are evil, and work hard at the good things in life.

You should develop the right awareness of the things around you.  This means controlling your mind carefully so that you can be aware of the things which are happening around you and in your mind.

You should train your mind so that you can ‘let go’ and concentrate without your mind wandering.  This is done by meditation.  When you can do this, you will become a very calm and peaceful person.