The venerable Bhadda asks the venerable Ānanda about the wrong spiritual practice.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca ānando āyasmā ca bhaddo pāṭaliputte viharanti kukkuṭārāme. Atha kho āyasmā bhaddo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā bhaddo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
Thus have I heard—At one time, the venerable Ānanda and the venerable Bhadda were dwelling at |Pāṭaliputta::capital of Magadha, modern Patna|, at the Kukkuṭa’s park. Then, in the late afternoon, the venerable Bhadda, having arisen from seclusion, approached the venerable Ānanda. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Ānanda and, after engaging in a pleasant and friendly conversation, sat down to one side. After sitting down, the venerable Bhadda said this to the venerable Ānanda:
“‘Abrahmacariyaṁ, abrahmacariyan’ti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, abrahmacariyan”ti?
“Wrong spiritual practice, wrong spiritual practice,” friend Ānanda, it is said. But what, friend, is the wrong spiritual practice?”
“Sādhu sādhu, āvuso bhadda. Bhaddako kho te, āvuso bhadda, ummaṅgo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, āvuso bhadda, pucchasi: ‘abrahmacariyaṁ, abrahmacariyanti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, abrahmacariyan’”ti?
“Good, good, friend Bhadda. Your approach is good, your intuition is good, and your inquiry is good. For this is how you should ask: ‘Wrong spiritual practice, wrong spiritual practice,’ friend Ānanda, it is said. But what, friend, is the wrong spiritual practice?”
“Evamāvuso”ti.
“Yes, friend.” [venerable Bhadda replied]
“Ayameva kho, āvuso, aṭṭhaṅgiko micchāmaggo abrahmacariyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ— micchādiṭṭhi, micchāsaṅkappo, micchāvācā, micchākammanto, micchāājīvo, micchāvāyāmo, micchāsati, micchāsamādhī”ti.
“This, friend, is the wrong spiritual practice: the eightfold wrong way of practice, that is, wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong collectedness.”
Thus have I heard—At one time, the venerable Ānanda and the venerable Bhadda were dwelling at |Pāṭaliputta::capital of Magadha, modern Patna|, at the Kukkuṭa’s park. Then, in the late afternoon, the venerable Bhadda, having arisen from seclusion, approached the venerable Ānanda. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Ānanda and, after engaging in a pleasant and friendly conversation, sat down to one side. After sitting down, the venerable Bhadda said this to the venerable Ānanda:
“Wrong spiritual practice, wrong spiritual practice,” friend Ānanda, it is said. But what, friend, is the wrong spiritual practice?”
“Good, good, friend Bhadda. Your approach is good, your intuition is good, and your inquiry is good. For this is how you should ask: ‘Wrong spiritual practice, wrong spiritual practice,’ friend Ānanda, it is said. But what, friend, is the wrong spiritual practice?”
“Yes, friend.” [venerable Bhadda replied]
“This, friend, is the wrong spiritual practice: the eightfold wrong way of practice, that is, wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong collectedness.”
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca ānando āyasmā ca bhaddo pāṭaliputte viharanti kukkuṭārāme. Atha kho āyasmā bhaddo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā bhaddo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
“‘Abrahmacariyaṁ, abrahmacariyan’ti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, abrahmacariyan”ti?
“Sādhu sādhu, āvuso bhadda. Bhaddako kho te, āvuso bhadda, ummaṅgo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, āvuso bhadda, pucchasi: ‘abrahmacariyaṁ, abrahmacariyanti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, abrahmacariyan’”ti?
“Evamāvuso”ti.
“Ayameva kho, āvuso, aṭṭhaṅgiko micchāmaggo abrahmacariyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ— micchādiṭṭhi, micchāsaṅkappo, micchāvācā, micchākammanto, micchāājīvo, micchāvāyāmo, micchāsati, micchāsamādhī”ti.