Maggaṅgavibhaṅgo
Analysis According to the Discourses
The Noble Eight Constituent Path. That is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Therein what is right view? Knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the cause of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. This is called right view.
Therein what is right thought? Thought (associated with) renunciation, thought (associated with) absence of illwill, thought (associated with) absence of cruelty. This is called right thought.
Therein what is right speech? Abstaining from false speech; abstaining from slanderous speech; abstaining from harsh speech; abstaining from frivolous speech. This is called right speech.
Therein what is right action? Abstaining from killing beings; abstaining from taking that which is not given; abstaining from sexual misconduct. This is called right action.
Therein what is right livelihood? Herein a noble disciple having abandoned wrong livelihood makes a living by means of right livelihood. This is called right livelihood.
Therein what is right effort? Herein a bhikkhu engenders wish, makes effort, arouses energy, exerts the mind, strives for the non-arising of evil bad states that have not arisen; engenders wish, makes effort, arouses energy, exerts the mind, strives for the abandoning of evil bad states that have arisen; engenders wish, makes effort, arouses energy, exerts the mind, strives for the arising of good states that have not arisen; engenders wish, makes effort, arouses energy, exerts the mind, strives for the stabilizing, for the collocation, for the increase, for the maturity, | for the development, for the completion of good states that have arisen. This is called right effort.
Therein what is right mindfulness? Herein a bhikkhu dwells contemplating body in the body, ardent, aware, mindful, removing covetousness and mental pain in the world; dwells contemplating feeling in feelings, ardent, aware, mindful, removing covetousness and mental pain in the world; dwells contemplating consciousness in consciousness, ardent, aware, mindful, removing covetousness and mental pain in the world; dwells contemplating ideational object in ideational objects, ardent, aware, mindful, removing covetousness and mental pain in the world. This is called right mindfulness.
Therein what is right concentration? Herein a bhikkhu aloof from sense pleasures, aloof from bad states, attains and dwells in the first jhāna accompanied by initial application, accompanied by sustained application, with zest and pleasure born of detachment; inhibiting initial application and sustained application he attains and dwells in the second jhāna with internal refinement, exalted development of mind, without initial application, without sustained application, with zest and pleasure born of concentration; he, desirous of zest, dwells equable, mindful, aware, and he experiences pleasure by way of mental states; this the Noble Ones declare, “The equable, mindful dweller in pleasure”; he attains and dwells in the third jhāna; by the abandoning of pleasure and by the abandoning of pain, then first terminating mental pleasure and mental pain he attains and dwells in the fourth jhāna (which is) neither pain nor pleasure (but is) purity of mindfulness caused by equanimity. This is called right concentration.
The Noble Eight Constituent Path. That is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Therein what is right view? Herein a bhikkhu develops right view dependent on detachment, dependent on absence of lust, dependent on cessation, culminating in abandonment. Develops right thought.* Develops right speech.* Develops right action.* Develops right livelihood.* Develops right effort.* Develops right mindfulness.* Develops right concentration | dependent on detachment, dependent on absence of lust, dependent on cessation, culminating in abandonment.