The Buddha teaches and analyzes the noble eightfold path—right view, purpose, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and immersion—explaining each factor from ethics and renunciation through the four absorptions.

SN 45.170 Craving

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, taṇhā. Katamā tisso? Kāmataṇhā, bhavataṇhā, vibhavataṇhā imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso taṇhā.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ taṇhānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo. Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ taṇhānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Tasināsutta

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, tasinā. Katamā tisso? Kāmatasinā, bhavatasinā, vibhavatasinā.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ tasinānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe…. rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ …pe… amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… nibbānaninnaṁ nibbānapoṇaṁ nibbānapabbhāraṁ.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ tasinānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Esanāvaggo sattamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Esanā vidhā āsavo,
bhavo ca dukkhatā khilā;
Malaṁ nīgho ca vedanā,
dve taṇhā tasināya cāti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, taṇhā.

“Mendicants, there are these three cravings.

Katamā tisso?

What three?

Kāmataṇhā, bhavataṇhā, vibhavataṇhā

Craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for nonexistence.

imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso taṇhā.

These are the three cravings.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ taṇhānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo.

The noble eightfold path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three cravings.

Katamo ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo?

What is the noble eightfold path?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ taṇhānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo”ti.

This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three cravings.”

Dasamaṁ.

Tasināsutta

Thirst

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, tasinā.

“Mendicants, there are these three thirsts.

Katamā tisso?

What three?

Kāmatasinā, bhavatasinā, vibhavatasinā.

Thirst for sensual pleasures, thirst to continue existence, and thirst to end existence.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ tasinānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe….

For the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three thirsts …

rāgavinayapariyosānaṁ dosavinayapariyosānaṁ mohavinayapariyosānaṁ …pe…

… which culminates in the removal of greed, hate, and delusion.

amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe…

… whose objective, destination, and culmination is freedom from death.

nibbānaninnaṁ nibbānapoṇaṁ nibbānapabbhāraṁ.

… which slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.

Imāsaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tissannaṁ tasinānaṁ abhiññāya pariññāya parikkhayāya pahānāya …pe… ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvetabbo”ti.

The noble eightfold path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three thirsts.”

Ekādasamaṁ.

Esanāvaggo sattamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Esanā vidhā āsavo,

bhavo ca dukkhatā khilā;

Malaṁ nīgho ca vedanā,

dve taṇhā tasināya cāti.

Topics & Qualities:

Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Direct knowledge

Direct knowledge

A deep, firsthand realization or knowing that arises from personal experience, not from study or conceptual understanding; it is an immediate, unmediated apprehension of truth.

Also known as: experiential understanding, direct experience
Pāli: abhiñña
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Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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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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Last updated on July 27, 2026