The Buddha teaches on path (2nd), presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.216 Path (2nd)

…pe… Micchāājīvo hoti, micchāvāyāmo hoti, micchāsati hoti, micchāsamādhi hoti …pe… sammāājīvo hoti, sammāvāyāmo hoti, sammāsati hoti, sammāsamādhi hoti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

…pe… Micchāājīvo hoti, micchāvāyāmo hoti, micchāsati hoti, micchāsamādhi hoti …pe… sammāājīvo hoti, sammāvāyāmo hoti, sammāsati hoti, sammāsamādhi hoti.

“Someone with four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there. … wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion. Someone with four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there. … right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. …”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Qualities:

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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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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Wrong effort

Wrong effort

Misapplied energy directed toward goals rooted in craving, aversion, or delusion. It manifests as striving for sensual pleasure, gain, fame, or domination, overwhelming the mind by feeding defilements.

Also known as: incorrect endeavor
Pāli: micchāvāyāma
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Wrong livelihood

Wrong livelihood

Sustaining oneself through deceit, exploitation, or manipulation for gain. It includes cheating, flattery, hinting for favors, belittling others, and pursuing gain by means of gain.

Also known as: unwholesome livelihood, wrong way of earning a living
Pāli: micchāājīva
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Last updated on July 27, 2026