The Buddha's teachings center around two basic principles. One is the Four Noble Truths, in which the Buddha diagnoses the problem of suffering and indicates the treatment necessary to remedy this problem. The other is the Noble Eightfold Path, the practical discipline he prescribes to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying causes of suffering.

This book offers a concise and thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path. Bhikkhu Bodhi examines each factor of the path to determine what it implies in the way of practical training. In the concluding chapter, he shows how all factors of the path function in unison to bring about the realization of the goal of liberation.

From the preface by the author:

"The essence of the Buddha's teaching can be summed up in two principles: the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The first covers the side of doctrine, and the primary response its elicits is understanding; the second covers the side of discipline, in the broadest sense of that word, and the primary response it calls for is practice."