DiscoverSNSN 45–56SN 45SN 45.22

The Buddha teaches on the noble eightfold path regarding unskillful qualities, guiding mendicants in the development of the path factors for liberation.

SN 45.22 Unskillful Qualities

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Akusale ca kho, bhikkhave, dhamme desessāmi, kusale ca dhamme. Taṁ suṇātha.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, akusalā dhammā? Seyyathidaṁ—micchādiṭṭhi …pe… micchāsamādhi. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, akusalā dhammā.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, kusalā dhammā? Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, kusalā dhammā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Akusale ca kho, bhikkhave, dhamme desessāmi, kusale ca dhamme.

“Mendicants, I will teach you skillful and unskillful qualities.

Taṁ suṇātha.

Listen …

Katame ca, bhikkhave, akusalā dhammā?

And what are unskillful qualities?

Seyyathidaṁ—micchādiṭṭhi …pe… micchāsamādhi.

They are wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion.

Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, akusalā dhammā.

These are called unskillful qualities.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, kusalā dhammā?

And what are skillful qualities?

Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

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

Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, kusalā dhammā”ti.

These are called skillful qualities.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Mindfulness

Mindfulness

☀️ bright quality

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

☀️ bright quality

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

☀️ bright quality

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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Unwholesome

Unwholesome

☁️ dark quality

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

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
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Vigour

Vigour

☀️ bright quality

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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Wholesome

Wholesome

☀️ bright quality

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

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