sn.45.96 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Slanting to the East (2–6)

“Bhikkhus, just as the river Yamuna … … the river Aciravati … the river Sarabhū… the river Mahī … whatever great rivers there are—that is, the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Aciravati, the Sarabhū, the Mahī—all slant, slope, and incline towards the east, so too a bhikkhu who develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.”

Complete as in §91.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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Sixth Discourse on Slanting East

“Mendicants, all the great rivers—that is,
the Ganges, Yamunā, Aciravatī, Sarabhū, and Mahī—slant, slope, and incline towards the east.
In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.
And how does a mendicant who develops the noble eightfold path slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.
That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”