i. Direct knowledge

1At Sāvatthī.

"Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. [n.44] Spk explains brahmacariyesanā as the search for a holy life consisting in a wrong view (Spk-pṭ: because the wrong view is the basis for the holy life devised by the theorist). These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three searches.

"What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three searches."

2… "What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion." …

3… "What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal." … sn.v.55

4… "What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three searches."

Each of the following sub-sections ii –iv is to be elaborated in accordance with the method employed in the sub-section on direct knowledge.

ii. Full understanding

5"Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for full understanding of these three searches." …

iii. Utter destruction

6"Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for the utter destruction of these three searches." …

iv. Abandoning

7"Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for the abandoning of these three searches." … sn.v.56

Each of the following suttas is to be elaborated in accordance with the fourfold method employed in §161.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

"Tisso imā, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo.

Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ … pe … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabboti.

2Tisso imā kho, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo. Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti … pe … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabboti.

3Tisso imā kho, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo. Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti … pe … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabboti.

4Tisso imā kho, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo. Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti … pe … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti nibbānaninnaṁ nibbānapoṇaṁ nibbānapabbhāraṁ. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ abhiññāya ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabboti.

5Tisso imā, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ pariññāya … pe … ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabboti. (Yadapi abhiññā, tadapi pariññāya vitthāretabbaṁ.)

6Tisso imā, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ parikkhayāya … pe … ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabboti. (Yadapi abhiññā, tadapi parikkhayāya vitthāretabbaṁ.)

7Tisso imā, bhikkhave, esanā. Katamā tisso? Kāmesanā, bhavesanā, brahmacariyesanā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso esanā. Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ pahānāya ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo. Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti … pe … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ … imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ esanānaṁ pahānāya ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo"ti. (Yadapi abhiññā, tadapi pahānāya vitthāretabbaṁ.)

Paṭhamaṁ.