MN117 — Mahācattārīsakasutta

Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples:

Disciples. Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said:

I will teach you the noble right concentration with its supports and requisites. Listen to that and attend closely, I will speak.

Yes, venerable sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said:

And what is noble right concentration with its supports and requisites?

That is: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness; wherein with these seven factors, the mind's unification is equipped: this is called noble right concentration with its supports and with its requisites.

Here right view leads the way.

And how does right view lead the way?

One understands wrong view as wrong view, and right view as right view: this is one's right view.

And what is wrong view?

There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit or result of good and bad actions, there is no this world, no other world, no mother, no father, no beings who are reborn spontaneously, there are no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have realized for themselves by direct knowing and declare this world and the other world: this is wrong view.

And what is right view?

I say there are two kinds of right view: there is right view that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions; and there is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

And what is right view that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions?

There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed, there is fruit and result of good and bad actions, there is this world, there is another world, there is mother, there is father, there are beings who are reborn spontaneously, there are in the world good and virtuous recluses and brahmins who have realized for themselves by direct knowing and declare this world and the other world: this is right view that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions.

And what is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path?

That which is wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor, right view as a path factor, in one of noble mind, taintless mind, who by developing the noble path: this is called right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

One makes an effort to abandon wrong view and to enter into right view: this is one's right effort. Mindful, one abandons wrong view, mindful one enters and dwells in right view: this is one's right mindfulness.

Thus, these three qualities run and circle around right view, that is: right view, right effort, right mindfulness. Here right view leads the way.

And how does right view lead the way?

One understands wrong intention as wrong intention, and right intention as right intention,: this is one's right view.

And what is wrong intention?

Intention of sensuality, intention of ill will, intention of harming: this is wrong intention.

And what is right intention?

I say there are two kinds of right intention: there is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions; and there is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

And what is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? Intention of renunciation, intention of non-ill will, intention of non-harming: this is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions.

And what is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? That which is in one of noble mind, taintless mind, who by developing the noble path, intention, thought, conception, mental concomitants, verbal formation: this is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

One makes an effort to abandon wrong intention and to enter into right intention: this is one's right effort.

Mindful, one abandons wrong intention, mindful one enters and dwells in right intention; this is one's right mindfulness.

Thus, these three qualities run and circle around right intention, that is: right view, right effort, right mindfulness.

Here right view leads the way.

Right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong speech as wrong speech, and right speech as right speech; this is one's right view. And what is wrong speech? False speech, slanderous speech, harsh speech, and frivolous chatter: this is wrong speech. And what is right speech?

I declare two kinds of right speech: there is right speech that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment; and there is right speech that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path.

And what is the right speech that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment? Abstaining from false speech, abstaining from slanderous speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from frivolous chatter: this is the right speech that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment.

And what is the right speech that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path? It is the abstaining, refraining, abstinence, avoidance by a noble one whose mind is noble, whose mind is undefiled, who is fully possessed of the noble path, and who is developing the noble path, from the four kinds of verbal misconduct: this is the right speech that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path. One makes an effort to abandon wrong speech and to enter upon right speech; this is one's right effort.

Mindful, one abandons wrong speech, mindful one enters upon and abides in right speech; this is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities run and circle around right speech, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness. And there right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong action as wrong action, and right action as right action; this is one's right view.

And what is wrong action? Killing living beings, taking what is not given, and misconduct in sensual pleasures: this is wrong action. And what is right action? I declare two kinds of right action: there is right action that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment; and there is right action that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path.

And what is the right action that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment? Abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from misconduct in sensual pleasures: this is the right action that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment.

And what is the right action that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path? It is the abstaining, refraining, abstinence, avoidance by a noble one whose mind is noble, whose mind is undefiled, who is fully possessed of the noble path, and who is developing the noble path, from the three kinds of bodily misconduct: this is the right action that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path.

One makes an effort to abandon wrong action and to enter upon right action; this is one's right effort. Mindful, one abandons wrong action, mindful one enters upon and abides in right action; this is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities run and circle around right action, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

And there right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood, and right livelihood as right livelihood; this is one's right view. And what is wrong livelihood? Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain: this is wrong livelihood.

And what is right livelihood? I declare two kinds of right livelihood: there is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment; and there is right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path.

And what is the right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment? Here a noble disciple, having abandoned wrong livelihood, earns his living by right livelihood: this is the right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of merit, and ripens in attachment.

And what is the right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path? It is the abstaining, refraining, abstinence, avoidance by a noble one whose mind is noble, whose mind is undefiled, who is fully possessed of the noble path, and who is developing the noble path, from wrong livelihood: this is the right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, supramundane, a factor of the path.

One makes an effort to abandon wrong livelihood and to enter upon right livelihood; this is one's right effort. Mindful, one abandons wrong livelihood, mindful one enters upon and abides in right livelihood; this is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities run and circle around right livelihood, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness. And there right view is the forerunner.

And how does right view come first? For one of right view right intention arises, for one of right intention, right speech arises, for one of right speech, right action arises, for one of right action, right livelihood arises, for one of right livelihood, right effort arises, for one of right effort, right mindfulness arises, for one of right mindfulness, right concentration arises, for one of right concentration, right knowing arises, for one of right knowing, right liberation arises.

Thus a learner is endowed with eight factors, an arahant is endowed with ten factors. Thereby, many evil unwholesome states that arise from wrong knowing cease through development and fulfillment. There right view comes first. And how does right view come first? For one of right view wrong view is abandoned.

And those many evil unwholesome states that arise from wrong view are also abandoned. Due to right view, many wholesome states reach development and fulfillment. For one of right intention wrong intention is abandoned... for one of right speech, wrong speech is abandoned... for one of right action, wrong action is abandoned... for one of right livelihood, wrong livelihood is abandoned... for one of right effort, wrong effort is abandoned... for one of right mindfulness, wrong mindfulness is abandoned... for one of right concentration, wrong concentration is abandoned... for one of right knowing, wrong knowing is abandoned... for one of right liberation, wrong liberation is abandoned.

And those many evil unwholesome states that arise from wrong liberation are also abandoned. Due to right liberation, many wholesome states reach development and fulfillment. Thus there are twenty wholesome sides, twenty unwholesome sides: this great fortyfold discourse on the Dhamma proceeds, unassailable by any ascetic or brahmin or deity or Mara or Brahma or anyone in the world.

Whoever whether ascetic or brahmin, would think this great fortyfold discourse on the Dhamma to be blameworthy or deserving of rejection, they incur blame right here in this very life, and discussions and criticisms arise that are reproachable: if you blame right view, those ascetics and brahmins who hold wrong view are honored and praised by you; if you blame right intention... right speech... right action... right livelihood... right effort... right mindfulness... right concentration... right knowing... right liberation, those ascetics and brahmins who are of wrong liberation are honored and praised by you.

Even those who were the Okkalas, Vassabhas, proponents of causeless theories, inaction theories, and nihilistic theories did not think this great fortyfold discourse on the Dhamma to be blameworthy or deserving of rejection. Why is that? Because of fear of blame, hostility, and attack.

The Blessed One said this. The disciples were pleased and delighted in the Blessed One's words.