From Nancy’s Noble Eightfold Path Practice to the NBEF Practice Method

In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16.2.25), the Buddha stated that he did not have the thought, “I lead the monks” or “The monastic Saṅgha is guided by me.” The Buddha spent 45 years guiding practitioners, so why did he make such a statement at the very end?

I understand it as follows: Even after the Buddha’s Parinibbāna (final passing away), his teachings are conditioned phenomena (saṅkhata-dhamma) that will continue or fade away depending on causes and conditions. Since the Buddha had fully realized impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā), he made it clear that not even his teachings could be considered “his own.”

“Nancy’s Noble Eightfold Path Practice” is a systematically established method based on my reflection on various meditation techniques over the past 40 years. It is a system that anyone can try, and of course, it remains fully aligned with the Noble Eightfold Path. But some may wonder: Why attach the name “Nancy” to the Eightfold Path?

The reason for this unique naming is that, to the best of my knowledge, this practice method is one of a kind and is not currently being taught by anyone else. By attaching my name to it, I aim to underscore its distinctiveness and inspire practitioners to explore it.

Since 2022, over the past three years, Nancy’s Noble Eightfold Path Practice has gained some recognition through books, YouTube, blogs (Band), social media (X), lectures, and meditation guidance. Additionally, the NBEF Ārya Saṅgha has been established, further solidifying its credibility.

NBEF operates as a nonprofit Buddhist educational foundation in the United States, adhering to secular legal structures. However, just like any conditioned phenomenon (saṅkhata-dhamma), NBEF is not owned by me or any individual or group; it will continue or cease depending on causes and conditions all on its own. Therefore, as initially planned, this practice method will be introduced simply as the “NBEF Practice Method” without my name attached to it.

That being said, clear information about who founded this practice, why, and how it was developed is necessary to avoid confusion in the future. The Buddha ensured that his core teachings—the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and Dependent Origination—were preserved as his teachings, the true Dhamma (Saddhamma), which has been passed down for 2,600 years.