an.10.168 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Noble Descent

… ‘Wrong view has a bad result both in the present life and in lives to come.’
“Mendicants, I will teach you the noble descent.
Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“And what, mendicants, is the noble descent?
It’s when a noble disciple reflects:
‘Killing living creatures has a bad result
in the present life and in lives to come.’
Reflecting like this, they give up killing living creatures,
they descend from killing living creatures.
… ‘Stealing has a bad result
in the present life and in lives to come.’
Reflecting like this, they give up stealing,
they descend from stealing.
… ‘Sexual misconduct has a bad result …’ …
they descend from sexual misconduct.
… ‘Lying has a bad result …’ …
they descend from lying.
… ‘Divisive speech has a bad result …’ …
they descend from divisive speech.
… ‘Harsh speech has a bad result …’ …
they descend from harsh speech.
… ‘Talking nonsense has a bad result …’ …
they descend from talking nonsense.
… ‘Covetousness has a bad result …’ …
they descend from covetousness.
… ‘Ill will has a bad result …’ …
they descend from ill will.
Reflecting like this, they give up wrong view,
they descend from wrong view.
This is called the noble descent.”