I've been reviewing the Four Noble Truths, and we've reached the Fourth Noble Truth, which is the Eightfold Path. Bikkhu Bodhi said of the Path,
"We say that the path is the most important element in the Buddha's teaching because the path is what makes the Dhamma available to us as a living experience. Without the path the Dhamma would just be a shell, collection of doctrines without inner life. Without the path full deliverance from suffering would become a mere dream."
And the first part of the Eightfold Path, Right View or Right Understanding, calls for understanding all four of the Four Noble Truths. There's integration for you.
In the West, many of us are introduced to dharma through the mental discipline practices of mindfulness and meditation, and only later begin to appreciate the parts of the path dealing with wisdom and ethical conduct. I understand that in Asia, laypeople are most likely to focus on the ethical conduct part first. There's no "right" way to begin. What's important is to practice.
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