189. （一八九）圣道经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in the city of Kūlu, in the country of Kūlu.

At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus, saying: "There is one path that enables sentient beings to attain purity, to be free from sorrow, lamentation, and crying, to eliminate suffering, distress, and torment, and to attain the Dharma. It is called the noble right concentration. There is practice, there is assistance, and there is fulfillment. It has seven branches. In the noble right concentration, practice is spoken of, assistance is spoken of, and fulfillment is also spoken of. What are the seven? Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness. If one practices, assists, and fulfills with these seven branches, and if one attains right concentration with a well-directed mind, this is called the noble right concentration, with practice, assistance, and fulfillment. Why is that? Right view gives rise to right intention, right intention gives rise to right speech, right speech gives rise to right action, right action gives rise to right livelihood, right livelihood gives rise to right effort, right effort gives rise to right mindfulness, and right mindfulness gives rise to right concentration. The noble disciples, with their minds thus rightly concentrated, completely exhaust desire, anger, and delusion. The noble disciples, with their minds thus rightly liberated, completely know that birth is exhausted, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, and there is no more of this mundane state, knowing it as it really is. Among them, right view is foremost.

If one sees wrong view as wrong view, that is called right view. If one sees right view as right view, that is also called right view. What is wrong view? It means this view: there is no giving, no offering, no recitation of spells, no good or bad deeds, no retribution for good or bad deeds, no this world or the next world, no father or mother, no noble ones in the world who go to a good place, go well, go in the right direction, and in this world and the next world, know for themselves, awaken for themselves, realize for themselves, and abide in accomplishment. This is called wrong view. What is right view? It means this view: there is giving, there is offering, there are recitations of spells, there are good and bad deeds, there is retribution for good and bad deeds, there is this world and the next world, there is father and mother, there are noble ones in the world who go to a good place, go well, go in the right direction, and in this world and the next world, know for themselves, awaken for themselves, realize for themselves, and abide in accomplishment. This is called right view. This is called seeing wrong view as wrong view, which is called right view. Seeing right view as right view is also called right view. Having understood this, one then seeks and practices to abandon wrong view and accomplish right view. This is called right effort. The bhikṣu abandons wrong view with mindfulness and accomplishes right view. This is called right mindfulness. These three branches follow right view and arise from view. Therefore, right view is foremost.

If one sees wrong intention as wrong intention, that is called right intention. If one sees right intention as right intention, that is also called right intention. What is wrong intention? It means the intention of desire, anger, and harm. This is called wrong intention. What is right intention? It means the intention of non-desire, non-anger, and non-harm. This is called right intention. This is called seeing wrong intention as wrong intention, which is called right intention. Seeing right intention as right intention is also called right intention. Having understood this, one then seeks and practices to abandon wrong intention and accomplish right intention. This is called right effort. The bhikṣu abandons wrong intention with mindfulness and accomplishes right intention. This is called right mindfulness. These three branches follow right intention and arise from view. Therefore, right view is foremost.

If one sees wrong speech as wrong speech, that is called right speech. If one sees right speech as right speech, that is also called right speech. What is wrong speech? It means false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech. This is called wrong speech. What is right speech? It means to be free from false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech. This is called right speech. This is called seeing wrong speech as wrong speech, which is called right speech. Seeing right speech as right speech is also called right speech. Having understood this, one then seeks and practices to abandon wrong speech and accomplish right speech. This is called right effort. The bhikṣu abandons wrong speech with mindfulness and accomplishes right speech. This is called right mindfulness. These three branches follow right speech and arise from view. Therefore, right view is foremost.

If one sees wrong action as wrong action, that is called right action. If one sees right action as right action, that is also called right action. What is wrong action? It means killing, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct. This is called wrong action. What is right action? It means to be free from killing, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct. This is called right action. This is called seeing wrong action as wrong action, which is called right action. Seeing right action as right action is also called right action. Having understood this, one then seeks and practices to abandon wrong action and accomplish right action. This is called right effort. The bhikṣu abandons wrong action with mindfulness and accomplishes right action. This is called right mindfulness. These three branches follow right action and arise from view. Therefore, right view is foremost.

If one sees wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood, that is called right livelihood. If one sees right livelihood as right livelihood, that is also called right livelihood. What is wrong livelihood? It means seeking without fulfillment, using various animal spells, and maintaining livelihood through wrong means. One does not seek robes in accordance with the Dharma, but by unwholesome means. One does not seek food and drink, bedding and seats, medicine and supplies for daily use in accordance with the Dharma, but by unwholesome means. This is called wrong livelihood. What is right livelihood? It means not seeking without fulfillment, not using various animal spells, and not maintaining livelihood through wrong means. One seeks robes in accordance with the Dharma, and by wholesome means. One seeks food and drink, bedding and seats, medicine and supplies for daily use in accordance with the Dharma, and by wholesome means. This is called right livelihood. This is called seeing wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood, which is called right livelihood. Seeing right livelihood as right livelihood is also called right livelihood. Having understood this, one then seeks and practices to abandon wrong livelihood and accomplish right livelihood. This is called right effort. The bhikṣu abandons wrong livelihood with mindfulness and accomplishes right livelihood. This is called right mindfulness. These three branches follow right livelihood and arise from view. Therefore, right view is foremost.

What is right effort? The bhikṣu, in order to abandon arisen evil and unwholesome dharmas, generates desire, strives, arouses energy, applies his mind, and exerts his mind. In order to prevent the arising of unarisen evil and unwholesome dharmas, he generates desire... In order to give rise to unarisen wholesome dharmas, he generates desire... In order to maintain, not forget, not regress, increase, expand, cultivate, and perfect arisen wholesome dharmas, he generates desire... This is called right effort.

What is right mindfulness? The bhikṣu contemplates the internal body as body, contemplates feelings as feelings, contemplates mind as mind, contemplates dharmas as dharmas. This is called right mindfulness.

What is right concentration? The bhikṣu, having abandoned desire, abandoned evil and unwholesome dharmas, attains and abides in the fourth dhyāna, which is accompanied by equanimity and pure and bright mindfulness. This is called right concentration.

What is right liberation? The bhikṣu is liberated from the mind of desire, hatred, and delusion. This is called right liberation.

What is right knowledge? The bhikṣu knows the liberation of the mind from desire, hatred, and delusion. This is called right knowledge.

What are the eight factors accomplished by the learner? The learner's right view up to right concentration. These are the eight factors accomplished by the learner.

These are the twenty wholesome and twenty unwholesome categories. This is called turning the wheel of the Dharma in the great Dharma categories of forty, which no śramaṇa, brāhmaṇa, god, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone else in the world can stop or dispute. If there are any śramaṇas or brāhmaṇas who say that I turn the wheel of the Dharma in the great Dharma categories of forty, which no śramaṇa, brāhmaṇa, god, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone else in the world can stop or dispute, then they can be questioned on ten points. What are the ten? If they disparage right view and praise wrong view, and if they make offerings to and praise those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have wrong view, then that is the first point of questioning.

If they disparage right knowledge and praise wrong knowledge, and if they make offerings to and praise those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have wrong knowledge, then that is the tenth point of questioning.

The Buddha spoke thus. Those bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.