mn.117 Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Discourses)

The Great Forty

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:

“Bhikkhus, I shall teach you noble right concentration with its supports and its requisites. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.”—“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“What, bhikkhus, is noble right concentration with its supports and its requisites, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness? Unification of mind equipped with these seven factors is called noble right concentration with its supports and its requisites.

View

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? One understands wrong view as wrong view and right view as right view: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong view? ‘There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed; no fruit or result of good and bad actions; no this world, no other world; no mother, no father; no beings who are reborn spontaneously; no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have realised for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’ This is wrong view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right view? Right view, I say, is twofold: there is right view that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions; and there is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right view that is affected by the taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? ‘There is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed; there is fruit and result of good and bad actions; there is this world and the other world; there is mother and father; there are beings who are reborn spontaneously; there are in the world good and virtuous recluses and brahmins who have realised for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’ This is right view affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor, the path factor of right view in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong view and to enter upon right view: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong view, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right view: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right view, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Intention

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? One understands wrong intention as wrong intention and right intention as right intention: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong intention? The intention of sensual desire, the intention of ill will, and the intention of cruelty: this is wrong intention.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention? Right intention, I say, is twofold: there is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions, and there is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? The intention of renunciation, the intention of non-ill will, and the intention of non-cruelty: this is right intention that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The thinking, thought, intention, mental absorption, mental fixity, directing of mind, verbal formation in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right intention that is noble…a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong intention and to enter upon right intention: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong intention, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right intention: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right intention, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Speech

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? One understands wrong speech as wrong speech and right speech as right speech: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong speech? False speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and gossip: this is wrong speech.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right speech? Right speech, I say, is twofold: there is right speech that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions; and there is right speech that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right speech that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? Abstinence from false speech, abstinence from malicious speech, abstinence from harsh speech, abstinence from gossip: this is right speech that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right speech that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The desisting from the four kinds of verbal misconduct, the abstaining, refraining, abstinence from them in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right speech that is noble…a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong speech and to enter upon right speech: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong speech, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right speech: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right speech, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Action

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? One understands wrong action as wrong action and right action as right action: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong action? Killing living beings, taking what is not given, and misconduct in sensual pleasures: this is wrong action.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right action? Right action, I say, is twofold: there is right action that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions; and there is right action that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right action that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? Abstinence from killing living beings, abstinence from taking what is not given, abstinence from misconduct in sensual pleasures: this is right action that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right action that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The desisting from the three kinds of bodily misconduct, the abstaining, refraining, abstinence from them in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right action that is noble…a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong action and to enter upon right action: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong action, mindfully one enters upon and dwells in right action: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right action, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Livelihood

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? One understands wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood and right livelihood as right livelihood: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong livelihood? Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain: this is wrong livelihood.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right livelihood? Right livelihood, I say, is twofold: there is right livelihood that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions; and there is right livelihood that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right livelihood that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple abandons wrong livelihood and gains his living by right livelihood: this is right livelihood that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right livelihood that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The desisting from wrong livelihood, the abstaining, refraining, abstinence from it in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right livelihood that is noble…a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong livelihood and to enter upon right livelihood: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong livelihood, mindfully one enters upon and dwells in right livelihood: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right livelihood, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

The Great Forty

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? In one of right view, right intention comes into being; in one of right intention, right speech comes into being; in one of right speech, right action comes into being; in one of right action, right livelihood comes into being; in one of right livelihood, right effort comes into being; in one of right effort, right mindfulness comes into being; in one of right mindfulness, right concentration comes into being; in one of right concentration, right knowledge comes into being; in one of right knowledge, right deliverance comes into being. Thus, bhikkhus, the path of the disciple in higher training possesses eight factors, the arahant possesses ten factors.

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? In one of right view, wrong view is abolished, and the many evil unwholesome states that originate with wrong view as condition are also abolished, and the many wholesome states that originate with right view as condition come to fulfilment by development.

“In one of right intention, wrong intention is abolished, and the many evil unwholesome states that originate with wrong intention as condition are also abolished, and the many wholesome states that originate with right intention as condition come to fulfilment by development.

“In one of right speech, wrong speech is abolished…In one of right action, wrong action is abolished…In one of right livelihood, wrong livelihood is abolished …In one of right effort, wrong effort is abolished…In one of right mindfulness, wrong mindfulness is abolished…In one of right concentration, wrong concentration is abolished…In one of right knowledge, wrong knowledge is abolished…In one of right deliverance, wrong deliverance is abolished, and the many evil unwholesome states that originate with wrong deliverance as condition are also abolished, and the many wholesome states that originate with right deliverance as condition come to fulfilment by development.

“Thus, bhikkhus, there are twenty factors on the side of the wholesome, and twenty factors on the side of the unwholesome. This Dhamma discourse on the Great Forty has been set rolling and cannot be stopped by any recluse or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world.

“Bhikkhus, if any recluse or brahmin thinks that this Dhamma discourse on the Great Forty should be censured and rejected, then there are ten legitimate deductions from his assertions that would provide grounds for censuring him here and now. If that worthy one censures right view, then he would honour and praise those recluses and brahmins who are of wrong view. If that worthy one censures right intention, then he would honour and praise those recluses and brahmins who are of wrong intention. If that worthy one censures right speech… right action…right livelihood…right effort…right mindfulness…right concentration…right knowledge…right deliverance, then he would honour and praise those recluses and brahmins who are of wrong deliverance. If any recluse or brahmin thinks that this Dhamma discourse on the Great Forty should be censured and rejected, then these are ten legitimate deductions from his assertions that would provide grounds for censuring him here and now.

“Bhikkhus, even those teachers from Okkala, Vassa and Bhañña, who held the doctrine of non-causality, the doctrine of non-doing, and the doctrine of nihilism, would not think that this Dhamma discourse on the Great Forty should be censured and rejected. Why is that? For fear of blame, attack, and confutation.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

The Great Forty

And how does right view come first?
So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“Mendicants!”
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“Mendicants, I will teach you noble right immersion with its vital conditions and its prerequisites.
Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“And what is noble right immersion with its vital conditions and its prerequisites?
They are: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness.
Unification of mind with these seven factors as prerequisites
is called noble right immersion with its vital conditions and also with its prerequisites.
In this context, right view comes first.
And how does right view come first?
When you understand wrong view as wrong view and right view as right view, that’s your right view.
And what is wrong view?
‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is well attained and practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’
This is wrong view.
And what is right view?
Right view is twofold, I say.
There is right view that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment.
And there is right view that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.
And what is right view that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment?
‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are such things as mother and father, and beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are well attained and practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’
This is right view that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment.
And what is right view that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path?
It’s the wisdom—the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the awakening factor of investigation of principles, and right view as a factor of the path—in one of noble mind and undefiled mind, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path.
This is called right view that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.
They make an effort to give up wrong view and embrace right view: that’s their right effort.
Mindfully they give up wrong view and take up right view: that’s their right mindfulness.
So these three things keep running and circling around right view, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
In this context, right view comes first.
And how does right view come first?
When you understand wrong thought as wrong thought and right thought as right thought, that’s your right view.
And what is wrong thought?
Thoughts of sensuality, of malice, and of cruelty.
This is wrong thought.
And what is right thought?
Right thought is twofold, I say.
There is right thought that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment.
And there is right thought that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.
And what is right thought that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment?
Thoughts of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness.
This is right thought that is accompanied by defilements.
And what is right thought that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path?
It’s the thinking—the placing of the mind, thought, applying, application, implanting of the mind, verbal processes—in one of noble mind and undefiled mind, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path.
This is right thought that is noble.
They make an effort to give up wrong thought and embrace right thought: that’s their right effort.
Mindfully they give up wrong thought and take up right thought: that’s their right mindfulness.
So these three things keep running and circling around right thought, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
In this context, right view comes first.
And how does right view come first?
When you understand wrong speech as wrong speech and right speech as right speech, that’s your right view.
And what is wrong speech?
Speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical.
This is wrong speech.
And what is right speech?
Right speech is twofold, I say.
There is right speech that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment.
And there is right speech that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.
And what is right speech that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment?
The refraining from lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and talking nonsense.
This is right speech that is accompanied by defilements.
And what is right speech that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path?
It’s the desisting, abstaining, abstinence, and refraining from the four kinds of bad verbal conduct in one of noble mind and undefiled mind, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path.
This is right speech that is noble.
They make an effort to give up wrong speech and embrace right speech: that’s their right effort.
Mindfully they give up wrong speech and take up right speech: that’s their right mindfulness.
So these three things keep running and circling around right speech, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
In this context, right view comes first.
And how does right view come first?
When you understand wrong action as wrong action and right action as right action, that’s your right view.
And what is wrong action?
Killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
This is wrong action.
And what is right action?
Right action is twofold, I say.
There is right action that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment.
And there is right action that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.
And what is right action that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment?
Refraining from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
This is right action that is accompanied by defilements.
And what is right action that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path?
It’s the desisting, abstaining, abstinence, and refraining from the three kinds of bad bodily conduct in one of noble mind and undefiled mind, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path.
This is right action that is noble.
They make an effort to give up wrong action and embrace right action: that’s their right effort.
Mindfully they give up wrong action and take up right action: that’s their right mindfulness.
So these three things keep running and circling around right action, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
In this context, right view comes first.
When you understand wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood and right livelihood as right livelihood, that’s your right view.
And what is wrong livelihood?
Deceit, flattery, hinting, and belittling, and using material possessions to chase after other material possessions.
This is wrong livelihood.
And what is right livelihood?
Right livelihood is twofold, I say.
There is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment.
And there is right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.
And what is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements, has the attributes of good deeds, and ripens in attachment?
It’s when a noble disciple gives up wrong livelihood and earns a living by right livelihood.
This is right livelihood that is accompanied by defilements.
And what is right livelihood that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path?
It’s the desisting, abstaining, abstinence, and refraining from wrong livelihood in one of noble mind and undefiled mind, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path.
This is right livelihood that is noble.
They make an effort to give up wrong livelihood and embrace right livelihood: that’s their right effort.
Mindfully they give up wrong livelihood and take up right livelihood: that’s their right mindfulness.
So these three things keep running and circling around right livelihood, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
In this context, right view comes first.
And how does right view come first?
Right view gives rise to right thought. Right thought gives rise to right speech. Right speech gives rise to right action. Right action gives rise to right livelihood. Right livelihood gives rise to right effort. Right effort gives rise to right mindfulness. Right mindfulness gives rise to right immersion. Right immersion gives rise to right knowledge. Right knowledge gives rise to right freedom.
So the trainee has eight factors, while the perfected one has ten factors.
And here too, the eradication of many bad, unskillful qualities is fully developed due to right knowledge.
In this context, right view comes first.
And how does right view come first?
For one of right view, wrong view is worn away.
And the many bad, unskillful qualities that arise because of wrong view are worn away.
And because of right view, many skillful qualities are fully developed.
For one of right thought, wrong thought is worn away. …
For one of right speech, wrong speech is worn away. …
For one of right action, wrong action is worn away. …
For one of right livelihood, wrong livelihood is worn away. …
For one of right effort, wrong effort is worn away. …
For one of right mindfulness, wrong mindfulness is worn away. …
For one of right immersion, wrong immersion is worn away. …
For one of right knowledge, wrong knowledge is worn away. …
For one of right freedom, wrong freedom is worn away.
And the many bad, unskillful qualities that arise because of wrong freedom are worn away.
And because of right freedom, many skillful qualities are fully developed.
So there are twenty on the side of the skillful, and twenty on the side of the unskillful.
This exposition of the teaching on the Great Forty has been rolled forth. And it cannot be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or by anyone in the world.
If any ascetic or brahmin imagines they can criticize and reject the exposition of the teaching on the Great Forty, they deserve rebuke and criticism on ten legitimate grounds in the present life.
If such a gentleman criticizes right view, they praise and honor the ascetics and brahmins who have wrong view.
If they criticize right thought …
right speech …
right action …
right livelihood …
right effort …
right mindfulness …
right immersion …
right knowledge …
right freedom, they praise and honor the ascetics and brahmins who have wrong freedom.
If any ascetic or brahmin imagines they can criticize and reject the exposition of the teaching on the Great Forty, they deserve rebuke and criticism on these ten legitimate grounds in the present life.
Even those wanderers of the past, Vassa and Bhañña of Ukkalā, who taught the doctrines of no-cause, inaction, and nihilism, didn’t imagine that the Great Forty should be criticized or rejected.
Why is that?
For fear of blame, attack, and condemnation.”
That is what the Buddha said.
Satisfied, the mendicants were happy with what the Buddha said.