The Buddha teaches on the path with ten factors, presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.206 The Path with Ten Factors

“Asappurisañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, asappurisena asappurisatarañca; sappurisañca, sappurisena sappurisatarañca. Taṁ suṇātha …pe….

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti …pe… micchāñāṇī hoti, micchāvimutti hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti …pe… attanā ca micchāñāṇī hoti, parañca micchāñāṇe samādapeti; attanā ca micchāvimutti hoti, parañca micchāvimuttiyā samādapeti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappuriso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti …pe… sammāñāṇī hoti, sammāvimutti hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappuriso.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca sammādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti …pe… attanā ca sammāñāṇī hoti, parañca sammāñāṇe samādapeti; attanā ca sammāvimutti hoti, parañca sammāvimuttiyā samādapeti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Asappurisañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, asappurisena asappurisatarañca;

“Mendicants, I will teach you an untrue person and an even more untrue person,

sappurisañca, sappurisena sappurisatarañca. Taṁ suṇātha …pe….

a true person and an even truer person.

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso?

And what is an untrue person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti …pe… micchāñāṇī hoti, micchāvimutti hoti.

It’s someone who has wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong immersion, wrong knowledge, and wrong freedom.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso.

This is called an untrue person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro?

And what is an even more untrue person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti …pe… attanā ca micchāñāṇī hoti, parañca micchāñāṇe samādapeti;

It’s someone who has wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong immersion, wrong knowledge, and wrong freedom. And they encourage others in these same qualities.

attanā ca micchāvimutti hoti, parañca micchāvimuttiyā samādapeti.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

This is called an even more untrue person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappuriso?

And what is a true person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco sammādiṭṭhiko hoti …pe… sammāñāṇī hoti, sammāvimutti hoti.

It’s someone who has right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right immersion, right knowledge, and right freedom.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappuriso.

This is called a true person.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro?

And what is an even truer person?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco attanā ca sammādiṭṭhiko hoti, parañca sammādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti …pe… attanā ca sammāñāṇī hoti, parañca sammāñāṇe samādapeti;

It’s someone who has right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right immersion, right knowledge, and right freedom. And they encourage others in these same qualities.

attanā ca sammāvimutti hoti, parañca sammāvimuttiyā samādapeti.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sappurisena sappurisataro”ti.

This is called an even truer person.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Right effort

Right effort

Energy and resolve directed toward preventing unwholesome states from arising, abandoning arisen unwholesome states, cultivating wholesome states, and maintaining arisen wholesome states; persistent application of the mind aligned with the path.

Also known as: right endeavor, right striving
Pāli: sammāvāyāma, padhāna
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Right livelihood

Right livelihood

Means of living that does not cause harm to others or oneself; earning a living ethically without deceit, exploitation, or violence.

Also known as: correct livelihood, right mode of earning a living
Pāli: sammāājīva
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Right speech

Right speech

Speech that is purified by abstaining from falsehood, divisive talk, harsh words, and idle chatter.

Also known as: truthful speech, honest speech, kind speech, beneficial speech, harmonious speech, articulate words, eloquent communication
Pāli: sammāvācā
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Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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Last updated on July 27, 2026