The Buddha teaches that the spiritual path is the noble eightfold path and that its culmination is the ending of greed, hate, and delusion.

SN 45.20 At the Chicken Monastery (3rd)

Pāṭaliputtanidānaṁ.

“‘Brahmacariyaṁ, brahmacariyan’ti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ, katamo brahmacārī, katamaṁ brahmacariyapariyosānan”ti?

“Sādhu sādhu, āvuso bhadda. Bhaddako kho te, āvuso bhadda, ummaṅgo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, āvuso bhadda, pucchasi: ‘brahmacariyaṁ, brahmacariyanti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ, katamo brahmacārī, katamaṁ brahmacariyapariyosānan’”ti? “Evamāvuso”ti.

“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo brahmacariyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

Yo kho, āvuso, iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato ayaṁ vuccati brahmacārī.

Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo idaṁ brahmacariyapariyosānan”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Tīṇi suttantāni ekanidānāni.

Vihāravaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve vihārā ca sekkho ca,
uppādā apare duve;
Parisuddhena dve vuttā,
kukkuṭārāmena tayoti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Pāṭaliputtanidānaṁ.

At Pāṭaliputta.

“‘Brahmacariyaṁ, brahmacariyan’ti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati.

“Reverend, they speak of this thing called the ‘spiritual path’.

Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ, katamo brahmacārī, katamaṁ brahmacariyapariyosānan”ti?

What is the spiritual path? Who is someone on the spiritual path? And what is the culmination of the spiritual path?”

“Sādhu sādhu, āvuso bhadda.

“Good, good, Reverend Bhadda!

Bhaddako kho te, āvuso bhadda, ummaṅgo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā.

Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it’s a good question. …

Evañhi tvaṁ, āvuso bhadda, pucchasi:

‘brahmacariyaṁ, brahmacariyanti, āvuso ānanda, vuccati.

Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ, katamo brahmacārī, katamaṁ brahmacariyapariyosānan’”ti?

“Evamāvuso”ti.

“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo brahmacariyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ

The spiritual path is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Yo kho, āvuso, iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato

Someone who possesses this noble eightfold path

ayaṁ vuccati brahmacārī.

is called someone on the spiritual path.

Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo

The ending of greed, hate, and delusion:

idaṁ brahmacariyapariyosānan”ti.

this is the culmination of the spiritual path.”

Dasamaṁ.

Tīṇi suttantāni ekanidānāni.

Vihāravaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve vihārā ca sekkho ca,

uppādā apare duve;

Parisuddhena dve vuttā,

kukkuṭārāmena tayoti.

Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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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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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026