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The Eightfold Path in Detail

MN 117, the Mahācattārīsaka Sutta — set 5, Advanced and Reference Texts

Reading time: about 12 min · 2,122 words

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Before you read

An analysis of the eightfold path with one structural idea running through it: every factor comes in two versions. There is a right view that still deals in merit and results, and a noble right view with no outflows left in it. The same split runs through attitude, speech, action, and livelihood.

The factors are also shown holding each other up rather than sitting in a list — right view leads, and right effort and right remembering run alongside every one of the others.

The title comes from the count at the end: twenty skillful sides and twenty unskillful, the Great Forty, which the text says nobody can roll back.

Translation

The Setting

So I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.

There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus."

"Bhante," they replied.

The Buddha said this:

Noble Right Unification of Mind With Its Supports

"Bhikkhus, I will teach you noble right unification of mind with its supports and its requisites. Listen carefully, attend well, and I will speak."

"Yes, bhante," the bhikkhus replied.

The Buddha said this:

"And what is noble right unification of mind with its supports and requisites, bhikkhus? It is this: right view, right attitude, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right remembering. The directness of mind furnished with these seven factors is called noble right unification of mind with supports, and also with requisites."

Right View

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first? They discern wrong view as 'wrong view' and right view as 'right view'; that is their right view.

"And what is wrong view?

"'There is no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There is no fruit or result of good and bad actions. There is no this world, no other world, no mother, no father, no beings who arise spontaneously, and no samaṇas or brahmins in the world who are rightly gone and rightly practicing and who have directly known and realized this world and the other world for themselves and make them known.'

"This is wrong view.

"And what is right view? Right view, I say, is twofold.

"There is right view with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And there is right view that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"And what is right view with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions?

"'There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There is fruit and result of good and bad actions. There is this world and the other world. There is mother and father. There are beings who arise spontaneously. And there are samaṇas and brahmins in the world who are rightly gone and rightly practicing and who have directly known and realized this world and the other world for themselves and make them known.'

"This is right view with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And what is right view that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path?

"That discernment, the faculty of discernment, the power of discernment, the awakening factor of discernment of qualities, and the right-view factor of the path in someone whose mind is noble and without outflows, who has the noble path and develops it, is called right view that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"They make effort to abandon wrong view and to take up right view; that is their right effort.

"Remembering, they abandon wrong view; remembering, they take up right view and live in it; that is their right remembering.

"These three qualities keep running and circling around right view, namely: right view, right effort, and right remembering.

Right Attitude

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first? They discern wrong attitude as 'wrong attitude' and right attitude as 'right attitude'; that is their right view.

"And what is wrong attitude?

"Attitude of sensuality, attitude of ill will, and attitude of harming.

"This is wrong attitude.

"And what is right attitude? Right attitude, I say, is twofold.

"There is right attitude with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And there is right attitude that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"And what is right attitude with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions?

"Attitude of renunciation, attitude of non-ill-will, and attitude of non-harming.

"This is right attitude with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And what is right attitude that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path?

"Whatever thinking, thought, attitude, placing, directing, and settling of mind there is in someone whose mind is noble and without outflows, who has the noble path and develops it, that verbal conditioning is right attitude that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"They make effort to abandon wrong attitude and to take up right attitude; that is their right effort.

"Remembering, they abandon wrong attitude; remembering, they take up right attitude and live in it; that is their right remembering.

"These three qualities keep running and circling around right attitude, namely: right view, right effort, and right remembering.

Speech, Action, and Livelihood

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first? They discern wrong speech as 'wrong speech' and right speech as 'right speech'; that is their right view.

"And what is wrong speech?

"False speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter.

"This is wrong speech.

"And what is right speech? Right speech, I say, is twofold.

"There is right speech with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And there is right speech that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"And what is right speech with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions?

"Abstaining from false speech, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from idle chatter.

"This is right speech with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And what is right speech that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path?

"That avoidance, abstaining, complete abstaining, and refraining from the four verbal misconducts in someone whose mind is noble and without outflows, who has the noble path and develops it, is right speech that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"They make effort to abandon wrong speech and to take up right speech; that is their right effort.

"Remembering, they abandon wrong speech; remembering, they take up right speech and live in it; that is their right remembering.

"These three qualities keep running and circling around right speech, namely: right view, right effort, and right remembering.

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first? They discern wrong action as 'wrong action' and right action as 'right action'; that is their right view.

"And what is wrong action?

"Killing living beings, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct.

"This is wrong action.

"And what is right action? Right action, I say, is twofold.

"There is right action with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And there is right action that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"And what is right action with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions?

"Abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct.

"This is right action with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And what is right action that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path?

"That avoidance, abstaining, complete abstaining, and refraining from the three bodily misconducts in someone whose mind is noble and without outflows, who has the noble path and develops it, is right action that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"They make effort to abandon wrong action and to take up right action; that is their right effort.

"Remembering, they abandon wrong action; remembering, they take up right action and live in it; that is their right remembering.

"These three qualities keep running and circling around right action, namely: right view, right effort, and right remembering.

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first? They discern wrong livelihood as 'wrong livelihood' and right livelihood as 'right livelihood'; that is their right view.

"And what is wrong livelihood?

"Deceiving, flattery, hinting, belittling, and chasing gain with gain.

"This is wrong livelihood.

"And what is right livelihood? Right livelihood, I say, is twofold.

"There is right livelihood with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And there is right livelihood that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"And what is right livelihood with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions?

"A noble disciple abandons wrong livelihood and earns a living by right livelihood.

"This is right livelihood with outflows, on the side of merit, ripening in acquisitions.

"And what is right livelihood that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path?

"That avoidance, abstaining, complete abstaining, and refraining from wrong livelihood in someone whose mind is noble and without outflows, who has the noble path and develops it, is right livelihood that is noble, without outflows, beyond-the-world, a factor of the path.

"They make effort to abandon wrong livelihood and to take up right livelihood; that is their right effort.

"Remembering, they abandon wrong livelihood; remembering, they take up right livelihood and live in it; that is their right remembering.

"These three qualities keep running and circling around right livelihood, namely: right view, right effort, and right remembering.

The Path Sequence

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first?

"For someone with right view, right attitude comes forth.

"For someone with right attitude, right speech comes forth.

"For someone with right speech, right action comes forth.

"For someone with right action, right livelihood comes forth.

"For someone with right livelihood, right effort comes forth.

"For someone with right effort, right remembering comes forth.

"For someone with right remembering, right unification of mind comes forth.

"For someone with right unification of mind, right knowledge comes forth.

"For someone with right knowledge, right release comes forth.

"So a trainee has eight factors, while an arahant has ten factors.

"And here too, through right knowledge, many bad, unwholesome qualities wear away, and development reaches fulfillment.

Twenty Skillful and Twenty Unskillful Sides

"In this case, bhikkhus, right view comes first.

"And how does right view come first?

"For someone with right view, wrong view is worn away.

"And the many bad, unwholesome qualities that arise because of wrong view are worn away.

"And through right view, many wholesome qualities come to fulfillment in development.

"The same pattern applies to right attitude, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right remembering, right unification of mind, right knowledge, and right release: the corresponding wrong factor is worn away, the many bad and unwholesome qualities that arise because of that wrong factor are worn away, and through the right factor many wholesome qualities come to fulfillment in development.

"So there are twenty on the wholesome side and twenty on the unwholesome side.

The Great Forty Cannot Be Rolled Back

"This dhamma exposition called 'The Great Forty' has been set rolling, and it cannot be rolled back by any samaṇa or brahmin, any god, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world.

"If any samaṇa or brahmin should imagine that this dhamma exposition called 'The Great Forty' ought to be criticized and rejected, then already in this very life ten legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism would come upon them.

"If they criticize right view, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong view.

"If they criticize right attitude, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong attitude.

"If they criticize right speech, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong speech.

"If they criticize right action, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong action.

"If they criticize right livelihood, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong livelihood.

"If they criticize right effort, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong effort.

"If they criticize right remembering, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong remembering.

"If they criticize right unification of mind, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong unification of mind.

"If they criticize right knowledge, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong knowledge.

"If they criticize right release, then they honor and praise samaṇas and brahmins of wrong release.

"If any samaṇa or brahmin should think that this dhamma exposition called 'The Great Forty' ought to be criticized and rejected, then already in this very life these ten legitimate grounds of rebuttal and criticism would come upon them.

"Even those samaṇas and brahmins who loudly and boldly proclaimed no-cause, no-action, and nothingness did not imagine that The Great Forty should be criticized or rejected.

"Why not?

"For fear of blame, attack, and reproach."

That is what the Buddha said. The bhikkhus were glad and welcomed what the Buddha had said.

Words used in this translation (25)
arahant
Someone who has completed the path and has nothing further to do. Left untranslated; "saint" and "perfected one" both mislead.
awakening factor
One of seven qualities developed and kept in balance on the way to waking up.
Bhante
A respectful way of addressing a senior monastic, roughly "venerable sir." Left untranslated because English has no natural equivalent.
bhikkhus
Buddhist monks -- those who have left household life to practise full time. The Buddha's usual way of addressing the assembly, roughly "friends" in force.
brahmin
Originally a member of ancient India's hereditary priestly class. These texts sometimes reuse the title for an ideal practitioner who has completed the path. Context shows whether caste or conduct is the point.
dhamma
Depending on the sentence, either the Buddha's teaching or simply a thing, quality, or state of affairs. These texts use one word for both, and each passage makes clear which it means.
discernment of qualities
This project's rendering of "dhammavicaya" -- sorting out what is actually going on in experience, and which qualities help and which do not. One of the seven awakening factors.
ill will
Hostility toward others or situations: pushing things away and wishing them harm. As one of the five hindrances, it pulls the mind off track.
noble disciple
Someone who has had the breakthrough into the path and so is no longer merely an ordinary person. It does not mean noble by birth, and does not require being a monastic.
outflows
This project's rendering of "āsavā" -- deep-running habits that keep seeping out and driving behaviour, classically sensuality, becoming, and ignorance. Often translated "taints" or "defilements."
remembering
This project's rendering of "sati". It means actively keeping what matters in mind and coming back to it when you lose it. It is not bare attention to whatever happens to be present.
right action
Acting without harming -- a factor of the eightfold path.
right attitude
This project's rendering of the path factor usually translated "right intention" -- the underlying motivation a person brings to their actions.
right effort
Effort that is well aimed: heading off what is unhelpful and building up what helps -- a factor of the eightfold path.
right livelihood
Making a living in a way that does not depend on harming or deceiving anyone -- a factor of the eightfold path.
right remembering
This project's rendering of the path factor usually translated "right mindfulness" -- keeping what actually matters in view, moment to moment, rather than losing track of it.
right speech
Speech that is truthful, kind, timely, and worth saying -- a factor of the eightfold path.
right unification of mind
The path factor in which the mind gathers together and becomes unified, supported and directed by the rest of the noble path. The thinking mind and the heart work as one whole; nobody forces them into a trance.
right view
Seeing how experience and practice actually work -- the first factor of the eightfold path. "Right" here means well-aimed and accurate, not morally righteous.
trainee
Someone who has entered the noble path and is still completing the training; not a beginner.
unification of mind
This project's rendering of "samādhi" -- the thinking mind and heart gathered together into one organized, workable whole instead of pulling against each other. It does not mean narrowing attention onto one point. Usually translated "concentration," which this project avoids because it suggests forcing and strain.
unwholesome
This project's rendering of "akusala". Roughly: mentally and ethically harmful. It is blameworthy, leads to harm, and people with good judgment criticize it.
wholesome
This project's rendering of "kusala". Roughly: mentally and ethically healthy. It is blameless, leads to well-being, and people with good judgment praise it.
world
A word whose scope shifts with the teaching. It can mean the lived world we build through the senses and the mind, or the wider physical cosmos. The surrounding passage shows which sense it has.
wrong view
Seeing things in a way that misses how they actually work; the opposite of right view.
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