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Majjhima Nikāya 117

Mahācattārīsakasutta

The Great Forty · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Katamā ca, bhikkhave, micchāvācā?
Musāvādo, pisuṇā vācā, pharusā vācā, samphappalāpo—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, micchāvācā.

And what is wrong speech? Speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. This is wrong speech.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā?
Sammāvācampahaṁ, bhikkhave, dvāyaṁ vadāmi—
atthi, bhikkhave, sammāvācā sāsavā puññabhāgiyā upadhivepakkā;
atthi, bhikkhave, sammāvācā ariyā anāsavā lokuttarā maggaṅgā.

And what is right speech? Right speech is twofold, I say. There is right speech that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of good deeds, and ripens in attachments. And there is right speech that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā sāsavā puññabhāgiyā upadhivepakkā?
Musāvādā veramaṇī, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī, samphappalāpā veramaṇī—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sammāvācā sāsavā puññabhāgiyā upadhivepakkā.

And what is right speech that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of good deeds, and ripens in attachments? Refraining from lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and talking nonsense. This is right speech that is accompanied by defilements.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā ariyā anāsavā lokuttarā maggaṅgā?
Yā kho, bhikkhave, ariyacittassa anāsavacittassa ariyamaggasamaṅgino ariyamaggaṁ bhāvayato catūhi vacīduccaritehi ārati virati paṭivirati veramaṇī—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sammāvācā ariyā anāsavā lokuttarā maggaṅgā.

And what is right speech that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path? It’s the desisting, abstaining, abstinence, and refraining from the four kinds of bad verbal conduct in one intent on the noble, intent on the undefiled, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path. This is right speech that is noble.

So micchāvācāya pahānāya vāyamati, sammāvācāya upasampadāya; svāssa hoti sammāvāyāmo.
So sato micchāvācaṁ pajahati, sato sammāvācaṁ upasampajja viharati; sāssa hoti sammāsati.
Itiyime tayo dhammā sammāvācaṁ anuparidhāvanti anuparivattanti, seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati.

They make an effort to give up wrong speech and embrace right speech: that’s their right effort. Mindfully they give up wrong speech and take up right speech: that’s their right mindfulness. So these three things keep running and circling around right speech, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti?
Micchākammantaṁ ‘micchākammanto’ti pajānāti, sammākammantaṁ ‘sammākammanto’ti pajānāti; sāssa hoti sammādiṭṭhi.

In this context, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? When you understand wrong action as wrong action and right action as right action, that’s your right view.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, micchākammanto?
Pāṇātipāto, adinnādānaṁ, kāmesumicchācāro—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, micchākammanto.

And what is wrong action? Killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct. This is wrong action.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto?
Sammākammantampahaṁ, bhikkhave, dvāyaṁ vadāmi—
atthi, bhikkhave, sammākammanto sāsavo puññabhāgiyo upadhivepakko;
atthi, bhikkhave, sammākammanto ariyo anāsavo lokuttaro maggaṅgo.

And what is right action? Right action is twofold, I say. There is right action that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of good deeds, and ripens in attachments. And there is right action that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto sāsavo puññabhāgiyo upadhivepakko?
Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, kāmesumicchācārā veramaṇī—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sammākammanto sāsavo puññabhāgiyo upadhivepakko.

And what is right action that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of good deeds, and ripens in attachments? Refraining from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct. This is right action that is accompanied by defilements.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto ariyo anāsavo lokuttaro maggaṅgo?
Yā kho, bhikkhave, ariyacittassa anāsavacittassa ariyamaggasamaṅgino ariyamaggaṁ bhāvayato tīhi kāyaduccaritehi ārati virati paṭivirati veramaṇī—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sammākammanto ariyo anāsavo lokuttaro maggaṅgo.

And what is right action that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path? It’s the desisting, abstaining, abstinence, and refraining from the three kinds of bad bodily conduct in one intent on the noble, intent on the undefiled, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path. This is right action that is noble.

So micchākammantassa pahānāya vāyamati, sammākammantassa upasampadāya; svāssa hoti sammāvāyāmo.
So sato micchākammantaṁ pajahati, sato sammākammantaṁ upasampajja viharati; sāssa hoti sammāsati.
Itiyime tayo dhammā sammākammantaṁ anuparidhāvanti anuparivattanti, seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati.

They make an effort to give up wrong action and embrace right action: that’s their right effort. Mindfully they give up wrong action and take up right action: that’s their right mindfulness. So these three things keep running and circling around right action, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti?
Micchāājīvaṁ ‘micchāājīvo’ti pajānāti, sammāājīvaṁ ‘sammāājīvo’ti pajānāti; sāssa hoti sammādiṭṭhi.

In this context, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? When you understand wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood and right livelihood as right livelihood, that’s your right view.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, micchāājīvo?
Kuhanā, lapanā, nemittikatā, nippesikatā, lābhena lābhaṁ nijigīsanatā—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, micchāājīvo.

And what is wrong livelihood? Fawning, flattery, hinting, and belittling, and using material things to chase after other material things. This is wrong livelihood.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo?
Sammāājīvampahaṁ, bhikkhave, dvāyaṁ vadāmi—
atthi, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo sāsavo puññabhāgiyo upadhivepakko;
atthi, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo ariyo anāsavo lokuttaro maggaṅgo.

And what is right livelihood? Right livelihood is twofold, I say. There is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of good deeds, and ripens in attachments. And there is right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo sāsavo puññabhāgiyo upadhivepakko?
Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako micchāājīvaṁ pahāya sammāājīvena jīvikaṁ kappeti—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo sāsavo puññabhāgiyo upadhivepakko.

And what is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, partakes of good deeds, and ripens in attachments? It’s when a noble disciple gives up wrong livelihood and earns a living by right livelihood. This is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo ariyo anāsavo lokuttaro maggaṅgo?
Yā kho, bhikkhave, ariyacittassa anāsavacittassa ariyamaggasamaṅgino ariyamaggaṁ bhāvayato micchāājīvā ārati virati paṭivirati veramaṇī—
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo ariyo anāsavo lokuttaro maggaṅgo.

And what is right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path? It’s the desisting, abstaining, abstinence, and refraining from wrong livelihood in one intent on the noble, intent on the undefiled, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path. This is right livelihood that is noble.

So micchāājīvassa pahānāya vāyamati, sammāājīvassa upasampadāya; svāssa hoti sammāvāyāmo.
So sato micchāājīvaṁ pajahati, sato sammāājīvaṁ upasampajja viharati; sāssa hoti sammāsati.
Itiyime tayo dhammā sammāājīvaṁ anuparidhāvanti anuparivattanti, seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati.

They make an effort to give up wrong livelihood and embrace right livelihood: that’s their right effort. Mindfully they give up wrong livelihood and take up right livelihood: that’s their right mindfulness. So these three things keep running and circling around right livelihood, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti?
Sammādiṭṭhissa, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo pahoti, sammāsaṅkappassa sammāvācā pahoti, sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti, sammākammantassa sammāājīvo pahoti, sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmo pahoti, sammāvāyāmassa sammāsati pahoti, sammāsatissa sammāsamādhi pahoti, sammāsamādhissa sammāñāṇaṁ pahoti, sammāñāṇassa sammāvimutti pahoti.
Iti kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgato sekkho, dasaṅgasamannāgato arahā hoti.
Tatrapi sammāñāṇena aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā vigatā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti.

In this context, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? Right view produces right purpose. Right purpose produces right speech. Right speech produces right action. Right action produces right livelihood. Right livelihood produces right effort. Right effort produces right mindfulness. Right mindfulness produces right immersion. Right immersion produces right knowledge. Right knowledge produces right freedom. So the trainee has eight factors, while the perfected one has ten factors. And here too, the eradication of many bad, unskillful qualities is fully developed due to right knowledge.

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