"In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times.

And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times?

Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration...

I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging & death."

-Nagara Sutta