sutta » sn » sn45 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.8

Vibhaṅgasutta

Analysis

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

“Ariyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ desessāmi vibhajissāmi.
“Mendicants, I will teach and analyze for you the noble eightfold path.

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo?
“And what is the noble eightfold path?

Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.
It is right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi?
And what is right view?

Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe ñāṇaṁ, dukkhasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ—
Knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi.
This is called right view.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo?
And what is right thought?

Yo kho, bhikkhave, nekkhammasaṅkappo, abyāpādasaṅkappo, avihiṁsāsaṅkappo—
It is the thought of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.
This is called right thought.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā?
And what is right speech?

Yā kho, bhikkhave, musāvādā veramaṇī, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī, samphappalāpā veramaṇī—
Avoiding speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvācā.
This is called right speech.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto?
And what is right action?

Yā kho, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātā veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, abrahmacariyā veramaṇī—
Avoiding killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual activity.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammākammanto.
This is called right action.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo?
And what is right livelihood?

Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako micchāājīvaṁ pahāya sammāājīvena jīvitaṁ kappeti—
It’s when a noble disciple gives up wrong livelihood and earns a living by right livelihood.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo.
This is called right livelihood.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo?
And what is right effort?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati,
It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise.

uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti …pe…
They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up.

anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti …pe…
They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have not arisen do arise.

uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati—
They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fulfilled by development.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo.
This is called right effort.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāsati?
And what is right mindfulness?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;
It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;
They meditate observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

citte cittānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;
They meditate observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ—
They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsati.
This is called right mindfulness.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhi?
And what is right immersion?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected.

Pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’

Sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati—
Giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhī”ti.
This is called right immersion.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.