This truth presents the practical means to achieve the cessation of suffering. It is the Noble Eightfold Path, a comprehensive set of principles for ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom, designed to lead practitioners progressively towards Nirvana. It is referred to as the "Middle Path" because it avoids the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.

The Noble Eightfold Path (AriyaAṭṭhan˙gikaMagga) is the practical core of Buddhist practice, offering a systematic guide for ethical, mental, and intellectual development. It is usually categorized into three higher trainings: Wisdom (Pan~n~aˉ), Ethical Conduct (Sıˉla), and Mental Discipline (Samaˉdhi).

• Right Understanding (Sammā Diṭṭhi): This is the foundational understanding of the Four Noble Truths. It involves seeing things as they truly are, recognizing the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self nature of all phenomena. It's not just intellectual assent but a deep, intuitive comprehension that guides all other aspects of the path. It also includes understanding the principle of Dependent Origination (Paṭicca−samuppaˉda).
• Right Thought (Sammā Saṅkappa): This involves purifying one's thoughts and intentions. It means cultivating thoughts free from ill-will, aversion, sensuality, and cruelty, and instead fostering thoughts of renunciation, loving-kindness (Mettaˉ), compassion (Karuṇaˉ), and non-violence.

• Right Speech (Sammā Vācā): This involves abstaining from four types of unwholesome speech: lying, divisive speech (slander, gossip), harsh speech (abusive, angry words), and idle chatter (frivolous, meaningless talk). It means speaking truthfully, kindly, constructively, and at appropriate times, fostering harmony and understanding.
• Right Action (Sammā Kammanta): This involves abstaining from unwholesome physical actions: taking life (killing), taking what is not given (stealing), and sexual misconduct. It means engaging in actions that are benevolent, honest, and respectful of the well-being of all beings.
• Right Livelihood (Sammā Ājīva): This means earning one's living in a way that does not harm others. It involves avoiding professions that deal in weapons, living beings (slavery, prostitution), meat (butchery), intoxicants, or poisons.

• Right Effort (Sammā Vāyāma): This is the energetic exertion to cultivate wholesome states and prevent unwholesome ones. It involves: preventing unarisen unwholesome states from arising; abandoning unwholesome states that have arisen; developing wholesome states that have not yet arisen; and maintaining wholesome states that have arisen. It's a continuous, diligent application of energy.
• Right Mindfulness (Sammā Sati): This is the practice of maintaining continuous, clear, and alert awareness of the present moment. It involves being mindful of: the body (sensations, posture); feelings (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral); mind (thoughts, emotions, states of consciousness); and mental objects (ideas, concepts, doctrines).
• Right Concentration (Sammā Samādhi): This refers to the development of deep, focused attention and meditative absorption. Through practices like single-pointed concentration (e.g., on the breath), the mind becomes unified, tranquil, and stable, leading to states of meditative absorption (Jhaˉnas). This deep concentration provides the necessary mental clarity and stability for profound insight (Vipassanaˉ) into the nature of reality.

Nirvana (Nibbaˉna in Pali) is the ultimate and highest goal of Buddhist practice, representing the liberation from all forms of suffering and the cycle of repeated existence (saṃsaˉra). It is not a place, a heaven, or a state of annihilation, but rather the complete extinguishing of the "fires" of craving (Taṇhaˉ), aversion (Dvesha), and ignorance (Moha).