The Buddha teaches on the noble eightfold path regarding practice (1st), guiding mendicants in the development of the path factors for liberation.

SN 45.31 Practice (1st)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Micchāpaṭipattiñca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, sammāpaṭipattiñca. Taṁ suṇātha.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipatti? Seyyathidaṁmicchādiṭṭhi …pe… micchāsamādhi. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipatti.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipatti? Seyyathidaṁsammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipattī”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Micchāpaṭipattiñca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, sammāpaṭipattiñca.

“Mendicants, I will teach you the wrong practice and the right practice.

Taṁ suṇātha.

Listen …

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipatti?

And what’s the wrong practice?

Seyyathidaṁmicchādiṭṭhi …pe… micchāsamādhi.

It is wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipatti.

This is called the wrong practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipatti?

And what’s the right practice?

Seyyathidaṁsammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

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

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipattī”ti.

This is called the right practice.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

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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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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Right view

Right view

View that is in line with the Dhamma — teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth.

Also known as: right understanding, right belief, view that is inline with the Dhamma
Pāli: sammādiṭṭhi
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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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Last updated on July 27, 2026