Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Seyyathidaṃ sammādiṭṭhi,
sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammā-ājīvo, sammāvāyāmo,
sammāsati, sammāsamādhi.

Now what, monks, is the Noble Eightfold Path? Right view, right resolve,
right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi? Yaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe ñāṇaṃ,
dukkha-samudaye ñāṇaṃ , dukkha-nirodhe ñāṇaṃ, dukkha-nirodha-gāminiyā
paṭipadāya ñāṇaṃ ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi.

And what, monks, is right view? Knowledge with regard to stress,
knowledge with regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with
regard to the stopping of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of
practice leading to the stopping of stress: This, monks, is called right
view.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo? Yo kho, bhikkhave,
nekkhamma-saṅkappo , abyāpāda-saṅkappo, avihiṃsā-saṅkappo ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.

And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom
from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called right resolve.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā? Yā kho, bhikkhave, musāvādā veramaṇī,
pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī, samphappalāpā
veramaṇī ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvācā.

And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, abstaining from
divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle
chatter: This, monks, is called right speech.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammā-kammanto? Yā kho, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātā
veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, abrahmacariyā veramaṇī ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, sammā-kammanto.

And what, monks, is right action? Abstaining from taking life,
abstaining from stealing, abstaining from unchastity: This, monks, is
called right action.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammā-ājīvo? Idha, bhikkhave, ariya-sāvako
micchā-ājīvaṃ pahāya sammā-ājīvena jīvitaṃ kappeti ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, sammā-ājīvo.

And what, monks, is right livelihood? There is the case where a disciple
of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his
life going with right livelihood: This, monks, is called right
livelihood.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṃ
pāpakānaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ anuppādāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati
vīriyaṃ ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati; uppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ
akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ pahānāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati
cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati; anuppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ uppādāya
chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati;
uppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya
vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati
cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo.

And what, monks, is right effort? (i) There is the case where a monk
generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts
his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful
qualities that have not yet arisen. (ii) He generates desire, endeavors,
activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of
the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. (iii) He
generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds &
exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that
have not yet arisen. (iv) He generates desire, endeavors, activates
persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance,
non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of
skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right
effort.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāsati? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke
abhijjhā-domanassaṃ; vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno
satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhā-domanassaṃ; citte cittānupassī viharati
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhā-domanassaṃ; dhammesu
dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke
abhijjhā-domanassaṃ.
Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsati.

And what, monks, is right mindfulness? (i) There is the case where a
monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, aware,
& mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the
world. (ii) He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves —
ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with
reference to the world. (iii) He remains focused on the mind in & of
itself — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed &
distress with reference to the world. (iv) He remains focused on mental
qualities in & of themselves — ardent, aware, & mindful —
putting away greed & distress with reference to the world. This,
monks, is called right mindfulness.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ
vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati;
vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ
avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pītisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja
viharati;
pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena
paṭisaṃvedeti yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā
sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati;
sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṃ
atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṃ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ catutthaṃ jhānaṃ
upasampajja viharati.
Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhi ti.

And what, monks, is right concentration? (i) There is the case where a
monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful
(mental) qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture
& pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought
& evaluation. (ii) With the stilling of directed thoughts &
evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture &
pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from
directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance. (iii) With the
fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and
senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third
jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he
has a pleasant abiding.’ (iv) With the abandoning of pleasure & pain
— as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he
enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This, monks, is called right
concentration.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is most famously introduced at SN 56.11 as the Middle Way (majjhimā paṭipadā), i.e. the path avoiding both hedonism and self-mortification:

Dve·me, bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā. Katame dve? Yo c·āyaṃ
kāmesu kāma·sukh·allik·ānuyogo hīno gammo pothujjaniko an·ariyo
an·attha·saṃhito, yo c·āyaṃ attakilamath·ānuyogo dukkho an·ariyo
an·attha·saṃhito. Ete kho, bhikkhave, ubho ante an·upagamma majjhimā
paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā cakkhu·karaṇī ñāṇa·karaṇī upasamāya
abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.

These two extremes, bhikkhus, should not be adopted by one who has gone
forth from the home life. Which two? On one hand, the devotion to
hedonism towards sensuality, which is inferior, vulgar, common, ignoble,
deprived of benefit, and on the other hand the devotion to
self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, deprived of benefit.
Without going to these two extremes, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata has fully
awaken to the Middle Way, which produces vision, which produces
knowledge, and leads to appeasement, to direct knowledge, to awakening,
to Nibbāna.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is also introduced later on in that same sutta as the fourth ariya·sacca:

Idaṃ kho pana, bhikkhave, dukkha·nirodha·gāminī paṭipadā ariya·saccaṃ:
ayam·eva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṃ: sammā·diṭṭhi
sammā·saṅkappo sammā·vācā sammā·kammanto sammā·ājīvo sammā·vāyāmo
sammā·sati sammā·samādhi.

Furthermore, bhikkhus, this is the noble truth of path leading to the
cessation of suffering: just this noble eightfold path, that is to say:
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

♦ As explained above at SN 56.11, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is what leads to nibbāna. At SN 45.62, the former leads towards the latter just as the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east (seyyathāpi gaṅgā nadī pācīna·ninnā pācīna·poṇā pācīna·pabbhārā). At SN 45.86, the path is like a tree slanting, sloping and inclining towards the east (seyyathāpi rukkho pācīna·ninno pācīna·poṇo pācīna·pabbhāro) and that could only fall towards that direction if it were to be cut at the foot. It is also said to be the way leading to amata (amata·gāmi·maggo, SN 45.7), or to the unconditioned (a·saṅkhata·gāmi·maggo, SN 43.11).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga has its own entire saṃyutta (SN 45), that is rich in similes and explanations.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is given various designations. At MN 19, it is called ‘The peaceful and safe path to be followed with exaltation’ (khemo maggo sovatthiko pīti·gamanīyo). It is often identified with the brahmacariya (e.g. SN 45.6), or with asceticism (sāmañña) such as at SN 45.35, or brahminhood (brahmañña) such as at SN 45.36. At SN 12.65, it is the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the sammā·Sambuddhā of the past. At SN 35.191, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is compared to a raft to cross over from identity to ‘the other shore’, which stands for nibbāna. At SN 45.4, after Ānanda sees a brahmin on a luxurious chariot and calls it a ‘brahmic vehicle’ (brahma·yāna), the Buddha says that is actually a designation for the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, along with the ‘Dhamma vehicle’ (dhamma·yāna) and the ’supreme victory in battle’ (anuttara saṅgāma·vijaya). The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is also called rightness (sammatta, SN 45.21), kusalā dhammā (SN 45.22), the right way (sammā·paṭipada, SN 45.23) and right practice (sammā·paṭipatti, SN 45.31).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is part of a set of 37 dhammas which are sometimes listed together (e.g. at AN 10.90, SN 22.81). They are sometimes called the bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, although this expression doesn’t have a strict definition in the suttas and is loosely used to describe other sets. The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is also said at SN 45.155 to develop those bodhi·pakkhiya·dhammā.

♦ Each factor (aṅga) of the path is said to lead to the next:

“sammattaṃ, bhikkhave, āgamma ārādhanā hoti, no virādhanā. kathañca,
bhikkhave, sammattaṃ āgamma ārādhanā hoti, no virādhanā?
sammādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo pahoti, sammāsaṅkappassa
sammāvācā pahoti, sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti, sammākammantassa
sammāājīvo pahoti, sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmo pahoti, sammāvāyāmassa
sammāsati pahoti, sammāsatissa sammāsamādhi pahoti.

Having come to rightness, bhikkhus, there is success, not failure. And
how, bhikkhus, is it that having come to rightness, there is success,
not failure? For one of right view, right thought arises. For one
of right thought, right speech arises. For one of right speech, right
action arises. For one of right action, right livelihood arises. For one
of right livelihood, right effort arises. For one of right effort,
right mindfulness arises. For one of right mindfulness, right
concentration arises.

A similar progression is also notably found at SN
45.1. AN 7.45 states that all the other seven factors of the path are
the ’supports’ (upanisa) and ‘accessories’ (parikkhāra) of sammā·samādhi. MN 117 further explains how the factors interact, according to the following pattern:

“tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti. kathañca, bhikkhave,
sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti? micchāsaṅkappaṃ ‘micchāsaṅkappo’ti
pajānāti, sammāsaṅkappaṃ ‘sammāsaṅkappo’ti pajānāti, sāssa hoti
sammādiṭṭhi.

Therein, bhikkhus, right view is the forerunner. And how is right view
the forerunner? One understands wrong thought as wrong thought and right
thought as right thought: this is one’s right
view.

…

…

so micchāsaṅkappassa pahānāya vāyamati, sammāsaṅkappassa upasampadāya,
svāssa hoti sammāvāyāmo. so sato micchāsaṅkappaṃ pajahati, sato
sammāsaṅkappaṃ upasampajja viharati; sāssa hoti sammāsati. itiyime tayo
dhammā sammāsaṅkappaṃ anuparidhāvanti anuparivattanti, seyyathidaṃ
sammādiṭṭhi, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati.

One makes an effort to abandon wrong thought and to acquire right
thought: this is one’s right effort. One abandons wrong thought
mindfully, and acquires and remains in right thought mindfully: this is
one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three things rotate and circle
around right thought, that is, right view, right effort, and right
mindfulness.

♦ The enumeration of each path factor is sometimes
punctuated by four different formulas. The first one is found for
example at SN 45.2 and is in fact mainly used with the bojjhaṅgas, and occasionally with (spiritual) indriyas or balas: ‘based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release’ (viveka·nissita virāga·nissita nirodha·nissita vossagga·pariṇāmi).

The second formula can be found at SN 45.4 and says: ‘which
has the removal of avidity as its final goal, the removal of hatred as
its final goal, the removal of delusion as its final goal’ (rāga·vinaya·pariyosāna dosa·vinaya·pariyosāna moha·vinaya·pariyosāna).

The third one is found for example at SN 45.115 and says: ‘which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal’ (amat·ogadha amata·parāyana amata·pariyosāna).

The fourth is found for example at SN 45.91 and says: ‘which slants towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, inclines towards Nibbāna‘ (nibbāna·ninna nibbāna·poṇa nibbāna·pabbhāra).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, if unarisen, does not arise apart from the appearance of a Buddha (n·āññatra tathāgatassa pātubhāvā arahato sammāsambuddhassa, SN 45.14) or the Discipline of a Sublime one (n·āññatra sugata·vinaya, SN 45.15).

♦ At SN 55.5, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is what defines sotāpatti, since sota (the stream) is the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga itself, and a sotāpanna is one who possesses it:

—
“‘soto, soto’ti hidaṃ, sāriputta, vuccati. katamo nu kho, sāriputta, soto”ti?

—
It said: ‘The stream, the stream’, Sāriputta. What now, Sāriputta, is ‘the stream’?

—
“ayameva hi, bhante, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo soto

—
Bhante, the stream is just this noble eightfold path

…

…

—
“‘sotāpanno, sotāpanno’ti hidaṃ, sāriputta, vuccati. katamo nu kho, sāriputta, sotāpanno”ti?

—
It said: ‘A stream-enterer, a stream-enterer’, Sāriputta. What now, Sāriputta, is ‘a stream-enterer’?

—
“yo hi, bhante, iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato ayaṃ vuccati sotāpanno

—
Bhante, whoever is possessed of this noble eightfold path is called a stream-enterer

♦ At MN 126, the 8 factors of the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga are presented as a technology of the mind (’a proper method for procuring fruit’: yoni hesā phalassa adhigamāya)
whose results do not depend on making wishes, but instead rely solely
on the laws of nature, which is metaphorically illustrated by how one
gets sesame oil by using the right technique (pressing seeds sprinkled
with water), how one gets milk (by milking a recently calved cow),
butter (by churning curd), or fire (by rubbing a dry, sapless, piece of
wood with a proper fire-stick).

♦ At AN 4.237, the 8 factors of the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga constitute ‘kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, that leads to the destruction of kamma‘ (kammaṃ a·kaṇhā·sukkaṃ a·kaṇhā·sukka·vipākaṃ, kamma·kkhayāya saṃvattati).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is not seldom augmented to become a tenfold set, with the addition of sammā·ñāṇa and sammā·vimutti. SN 45.26 seems to indicate that these two factors are relevant only for the arahant, as they are what makes the difference between a sappurisa and someone who is better than a sappurisa (sappurisena sappurisataro).

♦ Ten phenomena are said to be the precursors for the arising of the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, the first seven according to the following simile:

sūriyassa, bhikkhave, udayato etaṃ pubbaṅgamaṃ etaṃ pubbanimittaṃ,
yadidaṃ, aruṇuggaṃ; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ariyassa
aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa uppādāya etaṃ pubbaṅgamaṃ etaṃ pubbanimmittaṃ…

This, bhikkhus, is the forerunner and foretoken of the rising of the
sun, that is, the dawn. In the same way, bhikkhus, for a bhikkhu this is
the forerunner and foretoken of the arising of the noble eightfold
path…

In each case, it is said that when a bhikkhu satisfies the condition, ‘it
is expected that he will develop the noble eightfold path, that he will
cultivate the noble eightfold path (pāṭikaṅkhaṃ ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ
maggaṃ bhāvessati, ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkarissati).

1. Mentioned most often is kalyāṇa·mittatā (with the above sunrise simile at SN 45.49). It is most famously said at SN 45.2 to be the entire brahmacariya (sakalam·ev·idaṃ brahmacariyaṃ), since it can be expected from one who develops it that he will practice the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, all the more that as we have seen earlier (e.g. at SN 45.6), brahmacariya is also defined as the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga itself. We find as well a formula reminiscent of the suttas found at the beginning of AN 1:

nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi, yena anuppanno vā
ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo uppajjati, uppanno vā ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo
bhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchati, yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, kalyāṇamittatā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, because of which the
unarisen noble eightfold path arises and the arisen noble eightfold path
goes to the plenitude of its development so much, bhikkhus, as because
of favorable friendship.

2. Sīla
is also mentioned a few times independently from the sunrise simile, in
the context of which it is introduced at SN 45.50 as accomplishment in
virtue (sīla·sampadā). Such examples include the following:

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ye keci balakaraṇīyā kammantā karīyanti, sabbe
te pathaviṃ nissāya pathaviyaṃ patiṭṭhāya evamete balakaraṇīyā kammantā
karīyanti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya
ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bhāveti ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ
bahulīkaroti.

Just as, bhikkhus, whatever actions are to be performed with strength
are all performed on dependence on the earth, supported by the earth; in
the same way, bhikkhus, it is on dependence on virtue, supported by
virtue, that a bhikkhu develops the noble eightfold path, that he
cultivates the noble eightfold path.

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ye kecime bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ
vepullaṃ āpajjanti, sabbe te pathaviṃ nissāya pathaviyaṃ patiṭṭhāya
evamete bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjanti; evameva
kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ
maggaṃ bhāvento ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkaronto vuḍḍhiṃ
virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ pāpuṇāti dhammesu.

Just as, bhikkhus, whatever kinds of seed and plant life come to
development, growth, and plenitude, all come to development, growth, and
plenitude on dependence on the earth, supported by the earth; in the
same way, bhikkhus, on dependence on virtue, supported by virtue, a
bhikkhu developing the noble eightfold path, cultivating the noble
eightfold path, comes to development, growth, and plenitude in
[wholesome] mental states.

3. Appamāda
is also mentioned a few times independently from the sunrise simile, in
the context of which it is introduced at SN 45.54 as accomplishment in
assiduity (appamāda·sampadā). Such examples are found at SN 45.139 and SN 45.140.

4. Sammā·diṭṭhi (AN 10.121) or accomplishment in view (diṭṭhi·sampadā, SN 45.53),
are mentioned with the sunrise simile as precursors of the path,
without surprise since as we have seen above, each path factor leads to
the next, and sammā·diṭṭhi stands first.

5. Accomplishment in desire (chanda·sampadā) is mentioned with the sunrise simile at SN 45.51. The Commentary explains it as desire for kusalā dhammā. In a related meaning, the word chanda appears notably in the sammā·vāyāma formula.

6. Accomplishment in self (atta·sampadā), mentioned with the sunrise simile at SN 45.52. The commentary explains the expression as sampanna·citta·tā (accomplishment in mind), which suggests the attainment of samādhi (see adhi·citta·sikkhā). The expression ‘atta·ññū hoti’ (one who knows himself) may explain the term. At SN 7.68, it is explained as knowing oneself to have saddhā, sīla, learning (suta), cāga, paññā and understanding (paṭibhāna).

7. Accomplishment in appropriate attention (yoniso·manasikāra-sampadā), mentioned with the sunrise simile at SN 45.52.

8, 9 & 10. Vijjā followed by hiri and ottappa (anva·d·eva hir·ottappa) is said to be the forerunner (pubb·aṅgama) in the entry upon kusalā dhammā (kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samāpatti) at SN 45.1 and AN 10.105.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is said at AN 4.34 to be the highest (agga) of saṅkhatā dhammā and to bring the highest vipākā.

♦ As we have seen above at SN 56.11, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga produces ñāṇa·dassana and leads to upasama, sambodhi and Nibbāna. Between SN 45.161 and SN 45.180, it is also said to lead to the direct knowledge (abhiññā), full understanding (pariññā), complete destruction (parikkhaya), and abandoning (pahāna) of various phenomena: the three discriminations (vidhā), i.e. ‘I am superior’ (‘seyyo·ham·asmī’ti), ‘I am equal’ (‘sadiso·ham·asmī’ti), ‘I am inferior’ (hīno·ham·asmī’ti); the three searches (esanā), i.e. the search for sensuality (kām·esanā), the search for [a good] existence (bhav·esanā), the search for the brahmic life (brahmacariy·esanā); the three āsavā; the three bhavā; the three sufferings (dukkhatā), i.e. the suffering from pain (dukkha·dukkhatā), the suffering from Constructions (saṅkhāra·dukkhatā), the suffering from change (vipariṇāma·dukkhatā); the three akusalamulā; the three types of vedanā; kāma, diṭṭhi and avijjā; the four upādānā; abhijjhā, byāpāda, sīla·bbata parāmāsa and adherence to [the view] ‘This [alone] is the truth’ (idaṃ·sacc·ābhinivesa); the seven anusayā; the five kāma·guṇā; the five nīvaraṇā; the five upādāna·kkhandhas; the ten saṃyojanā.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga also leads to the cessation (nirodha) of phenomena: MN 9 lists all the twelve links of paṭicca·samuppāda, the four āhārā and the three āsavā; AN 6.63 additionally speaks of the cessation of kāma and kamma; SN 22.56 mentions the cessation of each of the five upādāna·kkhandhas.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is the tool to remove akusalā dhammā. In that respect, MN 3 directly mentions all the 16 upakkilesā (with dosa in place of byāpāda). A number of similes illustrating this point are given in the Magga Saṃyutta: at SN 45.153, akusalā dhammā
are given up by the mind like a pot turned upside down ‘gives up’ its
water; at SN 45.156, they are disintegrated like a cloud providing rain
disintegrates a dust storm; at SN 45.157, they are dispersed like a
strong wind disperses a great cloud giving rain; at SN 45.158, they are
like the ropes on a ship that rot under inclement weather.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga gives strength
to the mind, as explained in SN 45.27’s simile, where it is compared to
the stand of a pot that makes it difficult to get knocked over. At SN
45.160, people, powerful or not, wishing to convince a bhikkhu
cultivating the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga to abandon monkhood by
offering him wealth will be no more successful than people wishing to
change the direction of the Ganges, because his mind is inclined to
seclusion.

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, āgantukāgāraṃ. tattha puratthimāyapi disāya
āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, pacchimāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti,
uttarāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, dakkhiṇāyapi disāya āgantvā
vāsaṃ kappenti, khattiyāpi āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, brāhmaṇāpi āgantvā
vāsaṃ kappenti, vessāpi āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, suddāpi āgantvā vāsaṃ
kappenti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ
bhāvento ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkaronto ye dhammā abhiññā
pariññeyyā, te dhamme abhiññā parijānāti, ye dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā,
te dhamme abhiññā pajahati, ye dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā, te dhamme
abhiññā sacchikaroti, ye dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā, te dhamme abhiññā
bhāveti.

Suppose, monks, there is a guest-house. Travelers come from the east,
the west, the north, the south to lodge here: nobles and Brahmans,
merchants and serfs. In the same way, monks, a monk who cultivates the
Noble Eightfold Path, who assiduously practices the Noble Eightfold
Path, comprehends with higher knowledge those states that are to be so
comprehended, abandons with higher knowledge those states that are to be
so abandoned, comes to experience with higher knowledge those states
that are to be so experienced, and cultivates with higher knowledge
those states that are to be so cultivated.

“katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pariññeyyā? pañcupādānakkhandhātissa vacanīyaṃ…

What, monks, are the states to be comprehended with higher knowledge? They are the five groups of clinging…

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā? avijjā ca bhavataṇhā ca…

What, monks, are the states to be abandoned with higher knowledge? They are ignorance and the desire for [further] becoming…

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā? vijjā ca vimutti ca…

And what, monks, are the states to be experienced with higher knowledge? They are knowledge and liberation…

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā? samatho ca vipassanā ca.

And what, monk, are the states to be cultivated with higher knowledge? They are calm and insight.

ariyasacca: [ariya+sacca] noble truth. The four ariya·saccas are expounded by the Buddha in his very first discourse, the Dhamma-cakka’p'pavattana Sutta. It consists of:

ariyasāvaka: [ariya+sāvaka] noble disciple.

arūpabhava: [a+rūpa+bhava] existence/ becoming in the formless realm, which is taken as meaning those Brahmā-lokas which are accessible only to those who master at least the fifth jhāna. Arūpa-bhava is one of the three types of bhava.

asantuṭṭhitā: [a+santuṭṭhitā]

discontent, dissatisfaction.

asantuṭṭha:

discontent, dissatisfied

♦ Sometimes, the adjective a·santuṭṭha is used with a rather neutral connotation, as at SN 35.198, where a bhikkhu is simply not satisfied with the answers given to his question.

♦ Most of the time, the word and its lexical derivatives carry a negative (akusala) connotation:

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppannā vā
akusalā dhammā uppajjanti uppannā vā kusalā dhammā parihāyanti
yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, asantuṭṭhitā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, because of which unarisen
unwholesome mental states come to arise, or arisen wholesome mental
states come to decline, so much, bhikkhus, as because of
dissatisfaction.

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ mahato anatthāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, asantuṭṭhitā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, that leads to such great harm as discontent.

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ saddhammassa
sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, asantuṭṭhitā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, that leads to the decline
and confusion of the authentic Dhamma so much as discontent.

“so vatānanda, bhikkhu ‘asantuṭṭho samāno imasmiṃ dhammavinaye vuddhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjissatī’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.

It is impossible, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu who is not content will find growth, progress, and completion in this Dhamma-Vinaya.

When the word carries such a connotation, being a·santuṭṭha is explained as follows:

bhikkhu mahiccho hoti, vighātavā, asantuṭṭho, itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena

a bhikkhu has great desires, is annoyed and is not content with whatever
kind of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicines & provisions for
the sick [he gets]

As it is the case above, the word a·santuṭṭhitā or its lexical derivatives are very often juxtaposed with mahicchatā, which can almost be considered a synonym. In the Vinaya, lay people who are offended by bhikkhus’ behavior often say:

mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā.

These ascetics sons of the Sakyan are of great desires, not contented.

This happens typically when misbehaving bhikkhus put
unnecessary pressure on lay supporters, either by asking more than the
strict minimum they need, or by making burdensome requests without prior
invitation. Thus, in the origin story to NP 6, the bhikkhu doesn’t want
to wait until his supporter goes back home to send him some cloth and
demands instead one of the garments he is currently wearing. At NP 8,
the bhikkhu gives instructions for getting finer cloth to the weaver
appointed by his supporters to make his robe, which ends up costing
twice as much yarn as they originally planned. At NP 10, the bhikkhu
doesn’t want to wait till the next day, which ends up costing a fine to
his supporter. At Bhikkhunis’ NP 11, some bhikkhunis ask the king for a
woolen garment (which is considered luxurious).

AN 4.157 maps the concept with others: a·santuṭṭhitā leads to evil desire (pāpika iccha) for recognition (an·avañña) and lābha·sakkāra·siloka, then to wrong effort (vāyama) and finally deceiving families by pretending to be much worthier than one actually is:

“cattārome, bhikkhave, pabbajitassa rogā. katame cattāro? idha,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu mahiccho hoti vighātavā asantuṭṭho
itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena.
so mahiccho samāno vighātavā asantuṭṭho
itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena
pāpikaṃ icchaṃ paṇidahati anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya
lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya. so uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati
anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya. so saṅkhāya
kulāni upasaṅkamati, saṅkhāya nisīdati, saṅkhāya dhammaṃ bhāsati,
saṅkhāya uccārapassāvaṃ sandhāreti. ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro
pabbajitassa rogā.

Bhikkhus, there are these four sicknesses of one gone forth. What four?
Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has great desires, is annoyed and is not
content with whatever kind of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicines
& provisions for the sick [he gets]. Having great desires, being
annoyed and not content with whatever kind of robes, almsfood, lodging,
and medicines & provisions for the sick [he gets], he generates evil
desire for recognition and for honors, gain & fame. He rouses,
applies and exerts himself to obtain recognition and honors, gain &
fame. He craftily approaches families, craftily sits down, craftily
speaks about the Dhamma, and craftily holds in his excrement and urine.
These, bhikkhus, are four sicknesses of one gone forth.

The sutta then goes on to explain the cure, which
consists in forbearance with regards to the elements of nature, animals,
other people’s words and painful feelings:

“tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṃ sikkhitabbaṃ: ‘na mahicchā bhavissāma
vighātavanto asantuṭṭhā
itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena,
na pāpikaṃ icchaṃ paṇidahissāma anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya
lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya, na uṭṭhahissāma na ghaṭessāma na
vāyamissāma anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya,
khamā bhavissāma sītassa uṇhassa jighacchāya pipāsāya
ḍaṃsa-makasa-vātā-tapa-sarīṃsapa-samphassānaṃ duruttānaṃ durāgatānaṃ
vacanapathānaṃ, uppannānaṃ sārīrikānaṃ vedanānaṃ dukkhānaṃ tibbānaṃ
kharānaṃ kaṭukānaṃ asātānaṃ amanāpānaṃ pāṇaharānaṃ adhivāsakajātikā
bhavissāmā’ti. evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: ‘We won’t have great
desires, be annoyed and not content with whatever kind of robes,
almsfood, lodging, and medicines & provisions for the sick [we will
get]; we won’t generate evil desire for recognition and for honors, gain
& fame; we won’t rouse, apply and exert ourselves to obtain
recognition and honors, gain & fame; we will endure cold, heat,
hunger, thirst and the contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun and
creeping animals, as well as ways of speech that are ill-spoken and
offensive; we will be patient with arisen bodily feelings that are
painful, acute, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, unpleasant and
threatening life.’ This, bhikkhus, is how you should train yourselves.

In this sense, at AN 6.114, asantuṭṭhitā is juxtaposed with mahicchatā and a·sampajañña (lack of thorough comprehension).

It serves as a criterion to know whether one can dwell on his own or should stay amid other monks:

“pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu nālaṃ saṅghamhā
vapakāsituṃ . katamehi pañcahi? idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asantuṭṭho hoti
itarītarena cīvarena, asantuṭṭho hoti itarītarena piṇḍapātena,
asantuṭṭho hoti itarītarena senāsanena, asantuṭṭho hoti itarītarena
gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārena, kāmasaṅkappabahulo ca viharati.
imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu nālaṃ
saṅghamhā vapakāsituṃ.

If he is endowed with five qualities, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is not fit to
live away from the Community. What five? He is not content with whatever
kind of robe [he gets]; he is not content with whatever kind of
almsfood [he gets]; he is not content with whatever kind of lodging [he
gets]; he is not content with whatever kind of medicines and provisions
for the sick [he gets]; and he dwells absorbed in thoughts of
sensuality. If he is endowed with these five qualities, bhikkhus, a
bhikkhu is not fit to live away from the Community.

Laypeople must also avoid this kind of asantuṭṭhitā:

“sehi dārehi asantuṭṭho, vesiyāsu padussati, dussati paradāresu, taṃ parābhavato mukhaṃ”.

Not satisfied with one’s own wives, he is seen among the whores and the wives of others — this is the cause of his downfall.

♦ Although the word is mostly used with this negative connotation, it is also occasionally used with a positive (kusala) connotation. At AN 7.56 the devas who are content with their Brahmā state and do not know a higher escape (nissaraṇa) do not understand what those who are not content with that state and do know something higher may understand:

ye kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā brahmena āyunā
santuṭṭhā… te uttari nissaraṇaṃ yathābhūtaṃ nappajānanti, tesaṃ na
evaṃ ñāṇaṃ hoti… ye ca kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā
brahmena āyunā asantuṭṭhā… te ca uttari nissaraṇaṃ yathābhūtaṃ
pajānanti, tesaṃ evaṃ ñāṇaṃ hoti…

Sir Moggallāna, the devas of Brahmā’s retinue who are content with a
brahmā’s longevity… and who do not know, as it actually is, an escape
higher than this, do not have such a knowledge… But the devas of
Brahmā’s retinue who are not content with a brahmā’s longevity… and
who know, as it actually is, an escape higher than this, have such a
knowledge…

At AN 2.5, asantuṭṭhitā applied to wholesome states (kusalā dhammā) is presented as very important for developing further on the path:

dvinnāhaṃ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṃ upaññāsiṃ: yā ca asantuṭṭhitā kusalesu dhammesu, yā ca appaṭivānitā padhānasmiṃ.

Bhikkhus, I have come to know two qualities: non-contentment with wholesome states and tirelessness in exertion.

At SN 55.40, being satisfied with the four usual sot·āpattiy·aṅgas leads to not making an effort (vāyama) in solitude (paviveka), and then to successively miss on pāmojja, pīti and passaddhi, and finally dwell in dukkha, which is considered living with pamāda, while not being satisfied with them prompts one to make the effort in solitude and experience successively pāmojja, pīti, passaddhi, sukha, samādhi, the fact that phenomena have become manifest, and finally living with appamāda.

At AN 6.80, the word is interestingly surrounded by related concepts:

chahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu nacirasseva mahantattaṃ
vepullattaṃ pāpuṇāti dhammesu. katamehi chahi? idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
ālokabahulo ca hoti yogabahulo ca vedabahulo ca asantuṭṭhibahulo ca
anikkhittadhuro ca kusalesu dhammesu uttari ca patāreti.

If he is endowed with six qualities, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu attains in no
long time greatness and fullness in [wholesome] states. What six? Here,
bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is full of light, full of endeavor, full of
enthusiasm, full of dissatisfaction [with wholesome states already
attained], he doesn’t shirk his task in wholesome states, and he keeps
progressing further.

asappurisa: [a+sappurisa]

bad person.

The word is always contrasted with sappurisa. Bāla is sometimes explicitly mentioned as a synonym:

‘bālo ayaṃ bhavaṃ asappuriso’’ti.

‘This individual is a fool, a bad person’.

The term is defined multiple times. We find in the suttas three main ways to define it. According to the micchā·paṭipadā:

katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko
hoti, micchāsaṅkappo, micchāvāco, micchākammanto, micchāājīvo,
micchāvāyāmo, micchāsati, micchāsamādhi. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave,
asappuriso”.

And what, bhikkhus, is a bad person? Here, bhikkhus, someone is of wrong
view, wrong aspiration, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood,
wrong effort, wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration. This, bhikkhus,
is what is called a bad person.

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? idha, bhikkhave,
ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, micchāsaṅkappo, micchāvāco, micchākammanto,
micchāājīvo, micchāvāyāmo, micchāsati, micchāsamādhi, micchāñāṇī,
micchāvimutti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.

And what, bhikkhus, is one who is worse than a bad person? Here,
bhikkhus, someone is of wrong view, wrong aspiration, wrong speech,
wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong
concentration, wrong knowledge and wrong liberation. This, bhikkhus, is
what is called one who is worse than a bad person.

According to various subsets of the ten akusalā kamma·pathā:

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātī
hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī hoti, musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco
hoti, pharusavāco hoti, samphappalāpī hoti, abhijjhālu hoti,
byāpannacitto hoti, micchādiṭṭhiko hoti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave,
asappuriso.

And what, bhikkhus, is a bad person? Here, bhikkhus, someone destroys
life, takes what is not given, engages in misconduct regarding
[pleasures of] sensuality, speaks falsehood, speaks maliciously, speaks
harshly, speaks frivolously, is covetous, has a malevolent mind, is of
wrong view. This, bhikkhus, is what is called a bad person.

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? idha, bhikkhave,
ekacco attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti,
attanā ca adinnādāyī hoti, parañca adinnādāne samādapeti,
attanā ca kāmesumicchācārī hoti, parañca kāmesumicchācāre samādapeti,
attanā ca musāvādī hoti, parañca musāvāde samādapeti,
attanā ca pisuṇavāco hoti, parañca pisuṇavācāya samādapeti,
attanā ca pharusavāco hoti, parañca pharusavācāya samādapeti,
attanā ca samphappalāpī hoti, parañca samphappalāpe samādapeti, attanā
ca abhijjhālu hoti, parañca abhijjhāya samādapeti; attanā ca
byāpannacitto hoti, parañca byāpāde samādapeti, attanā ca micchādiṭṭhiko
hoti, parañca micchādiṭṭhiyā samādapeti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave,
asappurisena asappurisataro.

And what, bhikkhus, is one who is worse than a bad person? Here,
bhikkhus, someone destroys life himself and incites others to destroy
life, takes what is not given himself and incites others to take what is
not given, engages in misconduct regarding [pleasures of] sensuality
himself and incites others to engage in misconduct regarding [pleasures
of] sensuality, speaks falsehood himself and incites others to speak
falsehood, speaks maliciously himself and incites others to speak
maliciously, speaks harshly himself and incites others to, speaks
frivolously himself and incites others to, is covetous himself and
incites others to speak harshly, has a malevolent mind himself and
incites others to have a malevolent mind, is of wrong view himself and
incites others to have wrong view. This, bhikkhus, is what is called one
who is worse than a bad person.

According to a particular set of bad qualities:

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? idha, bhikkhave, ekacco assaddho
hoti, ahiriko hoti, anottappī hoti, appassuto hoti, kusīto hoti,
muṭṭhassati hoti, duppañño hoti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappuriso.

And what, bhikkhus, is a bad person? Here, bhikkhus, someone doesn’t
have conviction, doesn’t have conscientiousness, doesn’t have scruple,
doesn’t acquire learning, is lazy, is of forgetful mindfulness, is of
deficient discernment. This, bhikkhus, is what is called a bad person.

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? idha, bhikkhave,
ekacco attanā ca assaddho hoti, parañca assaddhiye samādapeti; attanā ca
ahiriko hoti, parañca ahirikatāya samādapeti; attanā ca anottappī hoti,
parañca anottappe samādapeti; attanā ca appassuto hoti, parañca
appassute samādapeti; attanā ca kusīto hoti, parañca kosajje samādapeti;
attanā ca muṭṭhassati hoti, parañca muṭṭhassacce samādapeti; attanā ca
duppañño hoti, parañca duppaññatāya samādapeti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave,
asappurisena asappurisataro.

And what, bhikkhus, is one who is worse than a bad person? Here,
bhikkhus, someone doesn’t have conviction himself and incites others to
be without conviction, doesn’t have conscientiousness himself and
incites others to be without conscientiousness, doesn’t have scruple
himself and incites others to be without scruple, doesn’t acquire
learning himself and incites others to not acquire learning, is lazy
himself and incites others to be lazy, is of forgetful mindfulness
himself and incites others to be of forgetful mindfulness, is of
deficient discernment himself and incites others to be of deficient
discernment. This, bhikkhus, is what is called one who is worse than a
bad person.

The term is also defined or explained at great length in two suttas of the Majjhima Nikāya:

asappuriso, bhikkhave, assaddhammasamannāgato hoti, asappurisabhatti
hoti, asappurisacintī hoti, asappurisamantī hoti, asappurisavāco hoti,
asappurisakammanto hoti, asappurisadiṭṭhi hoti; asappurisadānaṃ deti”.

“A person of no integrity is endowed with qualities of no integrity; he
is a person of no integrity in his friendship, in the way he wills, the
way he gives advice, the way he speaks, the way he acts, the views he
holds, & the way he gives a gift.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso assaddhammasamannāgato hoti? idha,
bhikkhave, asappuriso assaddho hoti, ahiriko hoti, anottappī hoti,
appassuto hoti, kusīto hoti, muṭṭhassati hoti, duppañño hoti. evaṃ kho,
bhikkhave, asappuriso assaddhammasamannāgato hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity endowed with qualities of no
integrity? There is the case where a person of no integrity is lacking
in conviction, lacking in conscience, lacking in concern [for the
results of unskillful actions]; he is unlearned, lazy, of muddled
mindfulness, & poor discernment. This is how a person of no
integrity is endowed with qualities of no integrity.”

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisabhatti hoti? idha, bhikkhave,
asappurisassa ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā assaddhā ahirikā anottappino
appassutā kusītā muṭṭhassatino duppaññā tyāssa mittā honti te sahāyā.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisabhatti hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in his
friendship? There is the case where a person of no integrity has, as his
friends & companions, those brahmans & contemplatives who are
lacking in conviction, lacking in conscience, lacking in concern,
unlearned, lazy, of muddled mindfulness, & poor discernment. This is
how a person of no integrity is a person of no integrity in his
friendship.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisacintī hoti? idha, bhikkhave,
asappuriso attabyābādhāyapi ceteti, parabyābādhāyapi ceteti,
ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, asappuriso
asappurisacintī hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in the way
he wills? There is the case where a person of no integrity wills for
his own affliction, or for the affliction of others, or for the
affliction of both. This is how a person of no integrity is a person of
no integrity in the way he wills.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisamantī hoti? idha, bhikkhave,
asappuriso attabyābādhāyapi manteti, parabyābādhāyapi manteti,
ubhayabyābādhāyapi manteti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, asappuriso
asappurisamantī hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in the way
he gives advice? There is the case where a person of no integrity gives
advice for his own affliction, or for the affliction of others, or for
the affliction of both. This is how a person of no integrity is a person
of no integrity in the way he gives advice.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisavāco hoti? idha, bhikkhave,
asappuriso musāvādī hoti, pisuṇavāco hoti, pharusavāco hoti,
samphappalāpī hoti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisavāco hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in the way
he speaks? There is the case where a person of no integrity is one who
tells lies, engages in divisive tale-bearing, engages in harsh speech,
engages in idle chatter. This is how a person of no integrity is a
person of no integrity in the way he speaks.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisakammanto hoti? idha,
bhikkhave, asappuriso pāṇātipātī hoti, adinnādāyī hoti, kāmesumicchācārī
hoti. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisakammanto hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in the way
he acts? There is the case where a person of no integrity is one who
takes life, steals, engages in illicit sex. This is how a person of no
integrity is a person of no integrity in the way he acts.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisadiṭṭhi hoti? idha, bhikkhave,
asappuriso evaṃdiṭṭhi hoti: ‘natthi dinnaṃ, natthi yiṭṭhaṃ, natthi
hutaṃ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko, natthi ayaṃ loko,
natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā,
natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā, ye imañca lokaṃ
parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti. evaṃ kho,
bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisadiṭṭhi hoti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in the
views he holds? There is the case where a person of no integrity is one
who holds a view like this: ‘There is nothing given, nothing offered,
nothing sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions.
There is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no
spontaneously reborn beings; no brahmans or contemplatives who, faring
rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next
after having directly known & realized it for themselves.’ This is
how a person of no integrity is a person of no integrity in the views he
holds.

“kathañca, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisadānaṃ deti? idha, bhikkhave,
asappuriso asakkaccaṃ dānaṃ deti, asahatthā dānaṃ deti, acittīkatvā
dānaṃ deti, apaviṭṭhaṃ dānaṃ deti anāgamanadiṭṭhiko dānaṃ deti. evaṃ
kho, bhikkhave, asappuriso asappurisadānaṃ deti.

“And how is a person of no integrity a person of no integrity in the way
he gives a gift? There is the case where a person of no integrity gives
a gift inattentively, not with his own hand, disrespectfully, as if
throwing it away, with the view that nothing will come of it. This is
how a person of no integrity is a person of no integrity in the way he
gives a gift.

“so, bhikkhave, asappuriso evaṃ assaddhammasamannāgato, evaṃ
asappurisabhatti, evaṃ asappurisacintī, evaṃ asappurisamantī, evaṃ
asappurisavāco, evaṃ asappurisakammanto, evaṃ asappurisadiṭṭhi; evaṃ
asappurisadānaṃ datvā kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā yā asappurisānaṃ gati
tattha upapajjati. kā ca, bhikkhave, asappurisānaṃ gati? nirayo vā
tiracchānayoni vā.

“This person of no integrity, thus endowed with qualities of no
integrity; a person of no integrity in his friendship, in the way he
wills, the way he gives advice, the way he speaks, the way he acts, the
views he holds, & the way he gives a gift, on the break-up of the
body, after death, reappears in the destination of people of no
integrity. And what is the destination of people of no integrity? Hell
or the animal womb.

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo? idha, bhikkhave, asappuriso
uccākulā pabbajito hoti. so iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṃ khomhi uccākulā
pabbajito, ime panaññe bhikkhū na uccākulā pabbajitā’ti. so tāya
uccākulīnatāya attānukkaṃseti, paraṃ vambheti. ayaṃ, bhikkhave,
asappurisadhammo …

“And which is the quality of a person of no integrity? “There is the
case where a person of no integrity goes forth from a high-ranking
family. He notices, ‘I have gone forth from a high-ranking family, but
these other monks have not gone forth from a high-ranking family.’ He
exalts himself for having a high-ranking family and disparages others.
This is the quality of a person of no integrity …

“puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso mahākulā pabbajito hoti …
mahābhogakulā pabbajito hoti … uḷārabhogakulā pabbajito hoti. so iti
paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṃ khomhi uḷārabhogakulā pabbajito, ime panaññe
bhikkhū na uḷārabhogakulā pabbajitā’ti. so tāya uḷārabhogatāya
attānukkaṃseti, paraṃ vambheti. ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo …

“Furthermore, a person of no integrity goes forth from a great family…
a family of great wealth… a family of extensive wealth. He notices,
‘I have gone forth from a family of extensive wealth, but these other
monks have not gone forth from a family of extensive wealth.’ He exalts
himself for having a family of extensive wealth and disparages others.
This is the quality of a person of no integrity …

“puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ñāto hoti yasassī… lābhī hoti
cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārānaṃ…
bahussuto hoti… vinayadharo hoti… dhammakathiko hoti… āraññiko
hoti… paṃsukūliko hoti… piṇḍapātiko hoti… rukkhamūliko hoti…
sosāniko hoti… abbhokāsiko hoti… nesajjiko hoti… yathāsanthatiko
hoti… ekāsaniko hoti… paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ… dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ… tatiyaṃ
jhānaṃ… catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati… ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ…
viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ… ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ… nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ
upasampajja viharati. so iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘ahaṃ khomhi
neva-saññā-nāsaññ-āyatana-samāpattiyā lābhī, ime panaññe bhikkhū
neva-saññā-nāsaññ-āyatana-samāpattiyā na lābhino’ti. so tāya
neva-saññā-nāsaññ-āyatana-samāpattiyā attānukkaṃseti, paraṃ vambheti.
ayampi, bhikkhave, asappurisadhammo.

“Furthermore, a person of no integrity is well-known & highly
regarded … is one who gains robe-cloth, alms-food, lodgings, &
medicinal requisites for the sick … is learned … is a master of the
Vinaya … is a Dhamma-speaker … is a wilderness dweller … is one
who wears robes of thrown-away rags… an alms-goer… one who dwells at
the root of a tree… a cemetery dweller… one who lives in the open
air… one who doesn’t lie down… one who is content with whatever
dwelling is assigned to him… one who eats only one meal a day …
enters & remains in the first jhāna … in the second jhāna… the
third jhāna… the fourth jhāna… the dimension of the infinitude of
space… the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness… the
dimension of nothingness… the dimension of neither perception nor
non-perception. He notices, ‘I have gained the attainment of the
dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, but these other
monks have not gained the attainment of the dimension of neither
perception nor non-perception.’ He exalts himself for the attainment of
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception and disparages
others. This is the quality of a person of no integrity.

The sutta doesn’t mention the behavior of an asappurisa who would attain saññā·vedayita·nirodha, while it mentions that of a sappurisa who would, which suggests that a person who reaches such a state can no longer be an asappurisa.

♦ An asappurisa can be recognized by the way he relates to his own and his fellows’ faults and virtues:

“catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato asappuriso veditabbo. katamehi
catūhi? idha, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti parassa avaṇṇo taṃ apuṭṭhopi
pātu karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa! puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto
ahāpetvā alambitvā paripūraṃ vitthārena parassa avaṇṇaṃ bhāsitā hoti.
veditabbametaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṃ bhavanti.

“Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as ‘a
person of no integrity.’ Which four? There is the case where a person of
no integrity, when unasked, reveals another person’s bad points, to say
nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with
questions, he is one who speaks of another person’s bad points in full
& in detail, without omission, without holding back. Of this person
you may know, ‘This venerable one is a person of no integrity.’

“puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti parassa vaṇṇo taṃ puṭṭhopi
na pātu karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa! puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto
hāpetvā lambitvā aparipūraṃ avitthārena parassa vaṇṇaṃ bhāsitā hoti.
veditabbametaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṃ bhavanti.

“Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal
another person’s good points, to say nothing of when unasked.
Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who
speaks of another person’s good points not in full, not in detail, with
omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, ‘This venerable
one is a person of no integrity.’

“puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti attano avaṇṇo taṃ puṭṭhopi
na pātu karoti, ko pana vādo apuṭṭhassa! puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto
hāpetvā lambitvā aparipūraṃ avitthārena attano avaṇṇaṃ bhāsitā hoti.
veditabbametaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṃ bhavanti.

“Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal his
own bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked,
when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points
not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this
person you may know, ‘This venerable one is a person of no integrity.’

“puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso yo hoti attano vaṇṇo taṃ apuṭṭhopi
pātu karoti, ko pana vādo puṭṭhassa! puṭṭho kho pana pañhābhinīto
ahāpetvā alambitvā paripūraṃ vitthārena attano vaṇṇaṃ bhāsitā hoti.
veditabbametaṃ, bhikkhave, asappuriso ayaṃ bhavanti. imehi kho,
bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato asappuriso veditabbo.

“Then again, a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals his own
good points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when
pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points in
full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this
person you may know, ‘This venerable one is a person of no integrity.’

♦ According to AN 2.33, an asappurisa is ungrateful (a·kat·aññū - ‘one who doesn’t know what has been done’) and unthankful (a·kata·vedī - ‘one who doesn’t feel what has been done’).

♦ At AN 2.135, someone who, without knowing well nor investigating (an·anuvicca a·pariy·ogāhetvā), speaks in praise of someone who deserves critic (a·vaṇṇ·ārahassa vaṇṇaṃ bhāsati), or criticizes someone who deserves praise (vaṇṇ·ārahassa a·vaṇṇaṃ bhāsati), is an asappurisa. In the immediately following sutta, the same holds for believing a matter that merits suspiscion (appasādanīye ṭhāne pasādaṃ upadaṃseti) or being suspicious about a matter that merits belief (pasādanīye ṭhāne appasādaṃ upadaṃseti).

♦ At AN 2.137, one who misbehaves (micchā·paṭipajjati) towards his mother or father is an asappurisa, and in the immediately following sutta, the same holds for the Tathāgata or one of his disciples (tathāgata·sāvaka).

♦ At AN 10.61, listening to a teaching that contradicts the saddhamma is caused by association with asappurisā.

āsava: that which flows (out or on to) outflow and influx.

1) spirit, the intoxicating extract or secretion of a tree or flower.

2) discharge from a sore (AN 3.25).

3) that which intoxicates the mind (bemuddles it,
befoozles it, so that it cannot rise to higher things). Impurities/
pollutions/ fermentations/ corruptions of the mind.

The Buddha often refers to arahatta as the total destruction of āsavas (āsavakkhaya). Sāriputta lists āsavas as threefold at MN 9:

The Sabbāsava Sutta explains in detail how the different types of āsavas are to be eradicated.

āsavānaṃ khayañāṇa: [āsava khaya+ñāṇa] knowledge of the ending of āsavas, which arises with arahatta. It is one of the three vijjās. The formula defining it is analyzed there.

asmimāna: [asmi+māna]

the conceit ‘I am’.

The term asmi·māna can be considered as a variant form of māna, which constitutes one of the five saṃyojanas that disappear only with arahatta, and one of the seven anusayas. Thus, it is essentially something to get rid of.

♦ In this connection, anicca·saññā applied to the five upādāna·kkhandhas is often presented as the way to remove asmi·māna, e.g.:

“kathaṃ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, aniccasaññā kathaṃ bahulīkatā… sabbaṃ
asmimānaṃ samūhanati? ‘iti rūpaṃ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa
atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā… iti saññā… iti saṅkhārā… iti viññāṇaṃ, iti
viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. evaṃ bhāvitā kho,
bhikkhave, aniccasaññā evaṃ bahulīkatā… sabbaṃ asmimānaṃ
samūhanatī”ti.

And how, bhikkhus, is the perception of impermanence developed and
practiced often so that it eradicates… all conceit ‘I am’? ‘Such is
Form, such its apparition, such its extinction; such is Feeling… such
is Perception… such are Fabrications… such is Consciousness, such
its apparition, such its extinction’: this is how the perception of
impermanence is developed and practiced often so that it eradicates…
all conceit ‘I am’.

In an equivalent statement, the term asmi·māna is mentioned as applying to the five upādāna·kkhandhas, and the term anicca·saññā is replaced by ‘udayabbay·ānupassī’ (observing apparition and extinction).

pañca kho ime, ānanda, upādānakkhandhā yattha bhikkhunā
udayabbayānupassinā vihātabbaṃ. ‘iti rūpaṃ iti rūpassa samudayo iti
rūpassa atthaṅgamo, iti vedanā… iti saññā… iti saṅkhārā… iti
viññāṇaṃ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. tassa
imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino viharato yo pañcasu
upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so pahīyati.

There are these five clinging-aggregates where a monk should stay,
keeping track of arising & passing away (thus): ‘Such is form, such
its origination, such its disappearance. Such is feeling… Such is
perception… Such are fabrications… Such is consciousness, such its
origination, such its disappearance.’ As he stays keeping track of
arising & passing away with regard to these five
clinging-aggregates, he abandons any conceit that ‘I am’ with regard to
these five clinging-aggregates.

As a matter of fact, it is revealed at AN 9.1 that anicca·saññā does not lead directly to asmi·māna·samugghāta (eradication of the conceit ‘I am’). Rather, anicca·saññā leads first to anatta·saññā, which is the actual proximate cause for that eradication to take place:

Aniccasaññā bhāvetabbā asmimānasamugghātāya. Aniccasaññino, bhikkhave,
anattasaññā saṇṭhāti. anattasaññī asmimānasamugghātaṃ pāpuṇāti diṭṭheva
dhamme nibbānan”ti

The perception of inconstancy should be developed, for the eradication
of the conceit ‘I am’. In one who perceives inconstancy, bhikkhus, the
perception of non-self takes a stand. One who perceives non-self reaches
the eradication of the conceit ‘I am’, Nibbāna in this visible world.

♦ An alternative tool for abandoning asmi·māna is kāyagatāsati:

ekadhamme, bhikkhave, bhāvite bahulīkate asmimāno pahīyati. katamasmiṃ ekadhamme? kāyagatāya satiyā.

When, bhikkhus, one thing is developed and practiced often, the conceit
‘I am’ is abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness directed to the body.

AN 6.29, which features a unique list of anussatis, provides a more specific information: it is the nine sivathika contemplations that help eradicating asmi·māna:

so imameva kāyaṃ evaṃ upasaṃharati: ‘ayampi kho kāyo evaṃdhammo
evaṃbhāvī evaṃanatīto’ti. idaṃ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānaṃ evaṃ bhāvitaṃ
evaṃ bahulīkataṃ asmimānasamugghātāya saṃvattati.

He compares this very body with it [the corpse]: ‘This body is also of
such a nature, it will become like this, it is not exempt from that.’
This subject of recollection, when developed and practiced often in this
way, leads to the eradication of the conceit ‘I am.’

♦ We find in the suttas a few illustrative evocations of asmi·māna
or its eradication. At SN 35.214, the practitioner is compared to a log
drifting on a river that will go all the way to the ocean (which stands
for nibbāna), provided it doesn’t get stopped on the way. One of the possible obstacles is asmi·māna, which is compared to ‘being cast up on high ground’ (thale ussādo).

At AN 4.38, through eradication of asmi·māna, a bhikkhu is called ‘patilīna’,
which may mean ‘reserved’, ‘quiet’, ‘unostentatious’, ‘unpretentious’,
and which the commentary explains as ‘hidden’ or ‘gone into solitude’.

At AN 5.71, one who has abandoned asmi·māna is said to be an ariya ‘with banner lowered’ (panna·ddhajo), ‘with burden dropped’ (panna·bhāra) and ‘detached’ or ‘unfettered’ (visaṃyutta).

assāda: (apparent/sensory) satisfaction, enjoyment, gratification, sweetness, allure, happiness. Often cited together with ādīnava and nissaraṇa as characteristics to be understood regarding various dhammas: the five upādāna·kkhandhas, kāma, certain diṭṭhis etc. The assāda of a particular dhamma is generally described as the sukha and somanassa which arise on account of it. The assāda of kāma, rūpa and vedanā are explained in detail at MN 13.

assutavā: [a+suta+vā] uninstructed/ ignorant person - lit: ‘one who has not heard/learnt’.

asubha: [a+subha]

1) (n:) non-beauty, foulness, loathsomeness, digust, ugliness.

2) (adj:) foul, loathsome, disgusting, ugly, impure, unpleasant.

Almost synonymous with paṭikūla. The contemplation of an asubha·nimitta is the way to develop asubha·saññā.

♦ The contemplation of an asubha object is exclusively aimed at removing rāga (e.g. MN 62, AN 6.107) or at removing kāma·cchanda, which is one of the five nīvaraṇas (with the help of an asubha·nimitta, at SN 46.51 and AN 1.16).

♦ In the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the expression ‘bhikkhu asubhānupassī kāye viharati’ (a bhikkhu dwells contemplating asubha in the body) appears as a synonym for the practice of asubha·saññā (at AN 10.60), often applied specifically to kāya, and generally in conjunction with āhāre paṭikūla·saññī, sabba·loke an·abhirata·saññī, sabba·saṅkhāresu anicc·ānupassī, and maraṇa·saññ[ī]. This set of five factors is said in various synonym ways to lead to nibbāna (e.g. AN 5.69). They can also lead a sick bhikkhu to arahatta (AN 5.121). Alternatively, in some cases they lead only to anāgāmita (AN 5.122).

♦ The expression ‘asubhānupassī kāye viharati’ is also described at AN 4.163 as participating of a painful mode of practice (dukkhā paṭipadā).

♦ Seeing as subha something which is actually asubha constitutes one of four saññā·vipallāsa (distortions of perception), citta·vipallāsa (perversions of the mind), diṭṭhi·vipallāsa (inversions of views), the other three being the corresponding misunderstanding of aniccā, dukkha and anatta (AN 4.49).

♦ At SN 54.9,
the danger in this practice is made evident, as it leads many bhikkhus
to commit suicide. It can be inferred that they did not apply yoniso manasi·kāra correctly and thus multiplied their aversion instead of removing
rāga or kāma·cchanda. After the incident, the Buddha recommands ānāpānassati·samādhi as a way to gain calm, pleasantness, and allay akusala dhammas.

♦ For further information about asubha practices, see asubha·nimitta and asubha·saññā below.

asubhanimitta: [asubha+nimitta]

sign of the unattractive, characteristic of foulness. The practice is to apply the mind to something repulsive, either per se
(corpses at various stages of putrefaction for example), or to the
repulsive aspects of something usually perceived otherwise, such as the
body (of which 31 parts are identified, see here) or food. It is worthwhile to note that this practice can be dangerous, as if the mind is not properly endowed with yoniso manasi·kāra, one may instead multiply aversion as it happens at SN 54.9, where many bhikkhus commit suicide. Generally speaking, an asubha·nimitta can also be defined as an object that allows for the practice of asubha·saññā.

♦ At SN 46.51 and AN 1.16, an asubha·nimitta is said to remove kāma·cchanda, which is one of the five nīvaraṇas. At AN 3.69, it is also said to remove rāga.

♦ One practice involving asubha·nimittas is described in most detail in the section on charnel grounds (sivathika) of the Mahā·sati·paṭṭhāna Sutta, although not directly mentioned with this terminology.

♦ For further information about asubha practices, see asubha·saññā below.

asubhasaññā: [asubha+saññā]

perception of the unattractive, perception of foulness, perception of non-beauty. This practice is explained at AN 10.60: it consists in reviewing 31 body parts.

♦ According to AN 7.49, when one often applies his/her mind to this practice, he/she is automatically repulsed by methuna·dhamma·samāpatti (getting into sexual intercourse).

♦ The seven bojjhaṅgas can be developed in conjunction with asubha·saññā (SN 46.72).

♦ According to AN 7.27, so long as the bhikkhus practice asubha·saññā, only growth can be expected of them, not decline.

♦ In the Aṅguttara Nikāya, asubha·saññā appears almost always with āhāre paṭikūla·saññā, sabba·loke an·abhirata·saññā and maraṇa·saññā. They are often collectively recommended for the sake of understanding or removing rāga (e.g. AN 5.303).

♦ Other perceptions usually associated with asubha·saññā include anicca·saññā, anicce dukkha·saññā, anatta·saññā, ādīnava·saññā, pahāna·saññā, virāga·saññā and nirodha·saññā.

asura: beings resembling titans or fallen angels. Considered as in a way similar to the devas, but as being in a duggati,
and thus living in misery. They are also often described as having a
hostile nature and as frequently engaging in war against the devas lead by Sakka. Their leader is called Vepacitti.

ātāpī:

(adj:) ardent, diligent, serious in effort, zealous.

The term appears most prominently in the Satipaṭṭhāna formulas:

bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhā-domanassaṃ.

a bhikkhu dwells observing body in body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having given up covetousness and affliction towards the world.

It is explicitly defined at SN 16.2 in formulas reminiscent of those describing sammā·vāyāma:

“kathañcāvuso, ātāpī hoti? idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṃvatteyyun’ti ātappaṃ karoti,
‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya
saṃvatteyyun’ti ātappaṃ karoti, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā
anuppajjamānā anatthāya saṃvatteyyun’ti ātappaṃ karoti, ‘uppannā me
kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṃvatteyyun’ti ātappaṃ karoti.
evaṃ kho, āvuso, ātāpī hoti.

And how, friend, is one ardent? Here, friend, a bhikkhu exerts ardor [considering]: ‘If unarisen bad, unskillful mental states arise in me, it would lead to [my] misfortune’; he exerts ardor [considering]: ‘If arisen bad, unskillful mental states are not abandoned in me, it would lead to [my] misfortune’; he exerts ardor [considering]: ‘If unarisen skillful mental states do not arise in me, it would lead to [my] misfortune’; he exerts ardor [considering]: ‘If arisen skillful mental states cease in me, this may lead to [my] misfortune.’ Thus, friend, he is ardent.

This definition is extended to include the ability to endure extreme dukkha·vedanā at AN 3.50:

“yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ anuppādāya ātappaṃ karoti,
anuppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ uppādāya ātappaṃ karoti, uppannānaṃ
sārīrikānaṃ vedanānaṃ dukkhānaṃ tibbānaṃ kharānaṃ kaṭukānaṃ asātānaṃ
amanāpānaṃ pāṇaharānaṃ adhivāsanāya ātappaṃ karoti, ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu ātāpī nipako sato sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā”ti.

Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu exerts ardor for the non-arising of
unarisen bad, unskillful mental states, for the arising of unarisen
skillful mental states, and for enduring arisen bodily feelings that are
painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing,
threatening life, this is called, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is ardent, alert, and mindful for making a correct end of ill-being.

Another example of what being ātāpī means is given at AN 4.11:

“carato cepi… ṭhitassa cepi… nisinnassa cepi… sayānassa cepi,
bhikkhave, bhikkhuno uppajjati kāmavitakko vā byāpādavitakko vā
vihiṃsāvitakko vā, taṃ ce bhikkhu nādhivāseti, pajahati vinodeti
byantīkaroti anabhāvaṃ gameti, sayānopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jāgaro
evaṃbhūto ‘ātāpī ottāpī satataṃ samitaṃ āraddhavīriyo pahitatto’ti vuccati.

If while walking… while standing… while sitting… while lying down a
thought of sensuality, a thought of ill will or a thought of harming
arises in a bhikkhu and he does not give in to it but abandons it,
dispels it, removes it, and brings it to complete cessation, then while
wakefully lying down that bhikkhu is said to be ardent, to fear wrongdoing and to be continually and continuously of aroused energy and resolute will.

And at AN 4.12:

“carato cepi… ṭhitassa cepi… nisinnassa cepi… sayānassa cepi,
bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jāgarassa abhijjhābyāpādo vigato hoti, thinamiddhaṃ
pahīnaṃ hoti, uddhaccakukuccaṃ pahīnaṃ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti,
āraddhaṃ hoti vīriyaṃ asallīnaṃ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho
kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṃ cittaṃ ekaggaṃ, sayānopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
jāgaro evaṃbhūto ‘ātāpī ottāpī satataṃ samitaṃ āraddhavīriyo
pahitatto’ti vuccatī”ti.

If while walking… while standing… while sitting… while wakefully
lying down covetousness and ill-will have ceased in a bhikkhu, dullness
and drowsiness are abandoned, mental agitation and worry are abandoned,
doubt is abandoned, his energy is aroused relentlessly, his mindfulness
is established and unconfused, his body is tranquil and calm, his mind
is concentrated and unified, then while wakefully lying down that
bhikkhu is said to be ardent, to fear wrongdoing and to be continually and continuously of aroused energy and resolute will.

A list of terms that appear to be related to ātappaṃ karoti and may help gathering the meaning of ātāpī is given at SN 12.87: sikkhā karoti (practice the training), yoga karoti (exert dedication), chanda karoti (stir up the desire), ussoḷhī karoti (make an exertion), appaṭivānī karoti (exert persistence), vīriyaṃ karoti (exert energy), sātaccaṃ karoti (exert perseverance), sati karoti (exert mindfulness), sampajaññaṃ karoti (exert clear comprehension), appamādo karoti (exert heedfulness).

upādānaṃ, bhikkhave, ajānatā apassatā yathābhūtaṃ upādāne yathābhūtaṃ
ñāṇāya sikkhā karaṇīyā… yogo karaṇīyo… chando karaṇīyo… ussoḷhī
karaṇīyā… appaṭivānī karaṇīyā… ātappaṃ karaṇīyaṃ… vīriyaṃ karaṇīyaṃ… sātaccaṃ karaṇīyaṃ… sati karaṇīyā… sampajaññaṃ karaṇīyaṃ.. appamādo karaṇīyo.

Bhikkhus, one who does not know, who does not see attachment as it
really is should practice the training… exert dedication… stir up
the desire… make an exertion… exert persistence… exert ardor…
exert energy… exert perseverance… exert mindfulness… exert clear
comprehension… exert heedfulness in order to know it as it really is.

Another list is found at DN 3 and adds padhāna, anuyoga and sammā·manasikāra (probably a synonym for yoniso manasikāra):

ekacco samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā ātappamanvāya padhānamanvāya anuyogamanvāya appamādamanvāya sammāmanasikāramanvāya tathārūpaṃ cetosamādhiṃ phusati

Some renuniciate or brahmin, by means of ardor, by means of
effort, by means of dedication, by means of heedfulness, by means of
proper consideration, attains such a concentration of the mind

Some suttas help understanding what being ātāpī means, as they explain what may happen when the practitioner is in that state:

“tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṃ satassa sampajānassa appamattassa ātāpino
pahitattassa viharato uppajjati sukhā vedanā… dukkhā vedanā. so evaṃ
pajānāti: ‘uppannā kho myāyaṃ dukkhā vedanā. sā ca kho paṭicca, no
appaṭicca. kiṃ paṭicca? imameva kāyaṃ paṭicca. ayaṃ kho pana kāyo anicco
saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno. aniccaṃ kho pana saṅkhataṃ
paṭiccasamuppannaṃ kāyaṃ paṭicca uppannā dukkhā vedanā kuto niccā
bhavissatī’ti! so kāye ca dukkhāya vedanāya aniccānupassī viharati,
vayānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati,
paṭinissaggānupassī viharati. tassa kāye ca dukkhāya ca vedanāya
aniccānupassino viharato, vayānupassino viharato, virāgānupassino
viharato, nirodhānupassino viharato, paṭinissaggānupassino viharato, yo
kāye ca dukkhāya ca vedanāya paṭighānusayo, so pahīyati.

As a monk is dwelling thus mindful & alert — heedful, ardent,
& resolute — a feeling of pleasure… a feeling of pain arises in
him. He discerns that ‘A feeling of pain has arisen in me. It is
dependent on a requisite condition, not independent. Dependent on what?
Dependent on this body. Now, this body is inconstant, fabricated,
dependently co-arisen. Being dependent on a body that is inconstant,
fabricated, & dependently co-arisen, how can this feeling of pain
that has arisen be constant?’ He remains focused on inconstancy with
regard to the body & to the feeling of pain. He remains focused on
dissolution… dispassion… cessation… relinquishment with regard to
the body & to the feeling of pain. As he remains focused on
inconstancy… dissolution… dispassion… cessation… relinquishment
with regard to the body & to the feeling of pain, he abandons any
resistance-obsession with regard to the body & the feeling of pain.

“tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṃ satassa sampajānassa appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati adukkhamasukhā vedanā… yo kāye ca adukkhamasukhāya ca vedanāya avijjānusayo, so pahīyati.

As he is dwelling thus mindful & alert — heedful, ardent,
& resolute — a feeling of neither-pleasure-nor-pain arises in him…
he abandons any ignorance-obsession with regard to the body & the
feeling of neither-pleasure-nor-pain.

For a more refined understanding of the expression
and what it may have meant at the time, it is interesting to study
related words. We may start by noting that the closest word in Sanskrit
is ātapya (आतप्य), meaning ‘being in the sunshine’.

1) The first shade of meaning is best illustrated by the verb tapati, meaning ‘to shine’, as at SN 1.26: ‘divā tapati ādicco’ (the sun shines by day) or at SN 21.11: ’sannaddho khattiyo tapati’ (the khattiya shines clad in armor).

2) The second shade of meaning can be derived
from the first by noting that staying where the sun shines in a
tropical climate generally turns out to be a hot and unpleasant
experience, which may be how tapati comes to refer to the dukkha·vipāka that arises as a result of akusala kamma. Thus, at AN 10.141, the tenfold micchā·paṭipadā is called ‘the teaching that causes torment’ (tapanīyo dhammo). AN 2.3 provides more detail about the workings of these torments:

“dveme, bhikkhave, dhammā tapanīyā. katame dve? idha, bhikkhave,
ekaccassa kāyaduccaritaṃ kataṃ hoti, akataṃ hoti kāyasucaritaṃ;
vacīduccaritaṃ kataṃ hoti; akataṃ hoti vacīsucaritaṃ; manoduccaritaṃ
kataṃ hoti, akataṃ hoti manosucaritaṃ. so ‘kāyaduccaritaṃ me katan’ti tappati, ‘akataṃ me kāyasucaritan’ti tappati; ‘vacīduccaritaṃ me katan’ti tappati, ‘akataṃ me vacīsucaritan’ti tappati; ‘manoduccaritaṃ me katan’ti tappati, ‘akataṃ me manosucaritan’ti tappati. ime kho, bhikkhave, dve dhammā tapanīyā”ti.

Bhikkhus, these two things cause torment. Which two? Here,
bhikkhus, someone has performed bodily misconduct and has not performed
bodily good conduct; he has performed verbal misconduct and has not
performed verbal good conduct; he has performed mental misconduct and
has not performed mental good conduct. He is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have performed bodily misconduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have not performed bodily good conduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have performed verbal misconduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have not performed verbal good conduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have performed mental misconduct’; he is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have not performed mental good conduct.’ These, bhikkhus, are two things that cause torment.

We also find various instances of words related to tapati, used to refer to dukkha·vipāka and the remorse the wrong-doer experiences:

akataṃ dukkaṭaṃ seyyo, pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṃ.

Better left undone is a wrong deed, for a wrong deed later brings torment.

na taṃ kammaṃ kataṃ sādhu, yaṃ katvā anutappati.

An action which, once performed, brings torment is not well done.

idha tappati pecca tappati,
pāpakārī ubhayattha tappati.
‘pāpaṃ me katan’ti tappati,
bhiyyo tappati duggatiṃ gato.

The evil-doer is tormented here and is tormented hereafter,
He is tormented in both [worlds].
He is tormented, [thinking]: ‘I have done evil [things]’,
And he is tormented even more when gone to a bad destination [after death].

3) The third shade of meaning is also derived from
the first, as staying in the sunshine can also be a symbol for making an
effort, for example to earn one’s living:

“yo naṃ bharati sabbadā,
niccaṃ ātāpi ussuko.
sabbakāmaharaṃ posaṃ,
bhattāraṃ nātimaññati.

The one who always supports her
Constantly ardent and zealous
The man who brings what she desires,
Her husband she does not despise.

In another example, someone overcome by the three akusala·mūlas does not make an effort to correct the falsehood that is said to him:

abhūtena vuccamāno ātappaṃ karoti tassa nibbeṭhanāya itipetaṃ atacchaṃ itipetaṃ abhūtanti.

When he is told things that are not factual, he makes an effort to correct it: ‘It is not true because of this, it is not factual because of this’.

4) The fourth connotation, stronger, is that of asceticism or austerities.

iti evarūpaṃ anekavihitaṃ kāyassa ātāpana-paritāpan-ānuyogamanuyutto viharāmi. idaṃsu me, sāriputta, tapassitāya hoti.

Thus in such a variety of ways I dwelt pursuing the practice of tormenting and mortifying the body. Such was my asceticism.

Those austerities are depicted at MN 51:

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo attantapo attaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto?
idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo acelako hoti muttācāro hatthāpalekhano
naehibhaddantiko natiṭṭhabhaddantiko; nābhihaṭaṃ na uddissakataṃ na
nimantanaṃ sādiyati; so na kumbhimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti na kaḷopimukhā
paṭiggaṇhāti na eḷakamantaraṃ na daṇḍamantaraṃ na musalamantaraṃ na
dvinnaṃ bhuñjamānānaṃ na gabbhiniyā na pāyamānāya na purisantaragatāya
na saṅkittīsu na yattha sā upaṭṭhito hoti na yattha makkhikā
saṇḍasaṇḍacārinī; na macchaṃ na maṃsaṃ na suraṃ na merayaṃ na thusodakaṃ
pivati. so ekāgāriko vā hoti ekālopiko, dvāgāriko vā hoti dvālopiko…
sattāgāriko vā hoti sattālopiko; ekissāpi dattiyā yāpeti, dvīhipi
dattīhi yāpeti… sattahipi dattīhi yāpeti; ekāhikampi āhāraṃ āhāreti,
dvīhikampi āhāraṃ āhāreti… sattāhikampi āhāraṃ āhāreti iti evarūpaṃ
aḍḍhamāsikaṃ pariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. so
sākabhakkho vā hoti, sāmākabhakkho vā hoti, nīvārabhakkho vā hoti,
daddulabhakkho vā hoti, haṭabhakkho vā hoti, kaṇabhakkho vā hoti,
ācāmabhakkho vā hoti, piññākabhakkho vā hoti, tiṇabhakkho vā hoti,
gomayabhakkho vā hoti; vanamūlaphalāhāro yāpeti pavattaphalabhojī. so
sāṇānipi dhāreti, masāṇānipi dhāreti, chavadussānipi dhāreti,
paṃsukūlānipi dhāreti, tirīṭānipi dhāreti, ajinampi dhāreti,
ajinakkhipampi dhāreti, kusacīrampi dhāreti, vākacīrampi dhāreti,
phalakacīrampi dhāreti, kesakambalampi dhāreti, vāḷakambalampi dhāreti,
ulūkapakkhampi dhāreti; kesamassulocakopi hoti,
kesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto, ubbhaṭṭhakopi hoti āsanapaṭikkhitto,
ukkuṭikopi hoti ukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto, kaṇṭakāpassayikopi hoti
kaṇṭakāpassaye seyyaṃ kappeti; sāyatatiyakampi
udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati iti evarūpaṃ anekavihitaṃ kāyassa ātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo attantapo attaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto.

And what, bhikkhus, is the person who torments himself and pursues the practice of mortifying
himself? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person goes naked, rejecting
conventions, licking his hands, not coming when asked, not stopping when
asked; he does not accept food brought or food specially made or an
invitation to a meal; he receives nothing from a pot, from a bowl,
across a threshold, across a stick, across a pestle, from two eating
together, from a pregnant woman, from a woman giving suck, from a woman
lying with a man, from where food was advertised to be distributed, from
where a dog was waiting, from where flies were buzzing; he accepts no
fish or meat, he drinks no liquor, wine or fermented brew. He keeps to
one house, to one morsel; he keeps to two houses, to two morsels;… he
keeps to seven houses, to seven morsels. He lives on one saucerful a
day, on two saucerfuls a day… on seven saucerfuls a day; he takes food
once a day, once every two days… once every seven days, and so on up
to once every fortnight; he dwels pursuing the practice of taking food
at stated intervals. He is an eater of greens or millet or wild rice or
hide-parings or moss or ricebran or rice-scum or sesamum flour or grass
or cowdung. He lives on forest roots and fruits, he feeds on fallen
fruits. He clothes himself in hemp, in hemp-mixed cloth, in shrouds, in
refuse rags, in tree bark, in antelope hide, in strips of antelope hide,
in kusa-grass fabric, in bark fabric, in wood-shavings fabric, in
head-hair wool, in animal wool, in owls’ wings. He is one who pulls out
hair and beard, pursuing the practice of pulling out hair and beard. He
is one who stands continuously, rejecting seats. He is one who squats
continuously, devoted to maintaining the squatting position. He is one
who uses a mattress of spikes; he makes a mattress of spikes his bed. He
dwells pursuing the practice of bathing in water three times daily
including the evening. Thus in such a variety of ways he dwells pursuing
the practice of tormenting and mortifying the body. This, bhikkhus, is what is called the person who torments himself and pursues the practice of mortifying himself.

Given on one hand this close proximity of the term ātāpī with the vocabulary of austerity and mortification and on the other the fact that the Buddha recommends being ātāpī (most prominently in the satipaṭṭhāna
formulas), and knowing he also rejected self-mortification, in order to
understand more precisely what he meant exactly by being ātāpī, it would appear useful to examine in greater details what his wider position was in regards to austerity.

First of all, it should be borne in mind that the
Buddha clearly rejects the pursuit of self-mortification in his first
recorded discourse, the Dhamma·cakka·ppavattana Sutta:

“dveme, bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā. katame dve? yo cāyaṃ
kāmesu kāmasukhallikānuyogo hīno gammo pothujjaniko anariyo
anatthasaṃhito, yo cāyaṃ attakilamathānuyogo dukkho anariyo anatthasaṃhito.

These two extremes, bhikkhus, should not be adopted by one who has gone
forth from the home life. Which two? On one hand, the pursuit of
hedonism towards sensuality, which is inferior, vulgar, common, ignoble,
deprived of benefit, and on the other hand the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble and deprived of benefit.

But at AN 10.94,
the Buddha says he does not reject categorically both “all austerity”
and “all ascetics leading the rough life”, as it all depends on whether
their practice removes unwholesome states and brings about wholesome
ones, or not:

—
“saccaṃ kira, gahapati, samaṇo gotamo sabbaṃ tapaṃ garahati, sabbaṃ tapassiṃ lūkhājīviṃ ekaṃsena upakkosati upavadatī”ti?

—
“Is it true, householder, that Gotama the contemplative criticizes all asceticism, that he categorically denounces & disparages all ascetics who live the rough life?”

—
“na kho, bhante, bhagavā sabbaṃ tapaṃ garahati napi sabbaṃ tapassiṃ lūkhājīviṃ ekaṃsena upakkosati upavadati.

—
“No, venerable sirs, the Blessed One does not criticize all asceticism, nor does he categorically denounce or disparage all ascetics who live the rough life.

…

… [The Blessed One:]

nāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbaṃ tapaṃ tapitabbanti vadāmi; na ca panāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbaṃ tapaṃ na tapitabbanti
vadāmi; nāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbaṃ samādānaṃ samāditabbanti vadāmi; na
panāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbaṃ samādānaṃ na samāditabbanti vadāmi; nāhaṃ,
gahapati, sabbaṃ padhānaṃ padahitabbanti vadāmi; na panāhaṃ, gahapati,
sabbaṃ padhānaṃ na padahitabbanti vadāmi; nāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbo
paṭinissaggo paṭinissajjitabboti vadāmi. na panāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbo
paṭinissaggo na paṭinissajjitabboti vadāmi; nāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbā
vimutti vimuccitabbāti vadāmi; na panāhaṃ, gahapati, sabbā vimutti na
vimuccitabbāti vadāmi.

I don’t say that all asceticism is to be pursued, nor do I say that all asceticism is not to be pursued.
I don’t say that all observances should be observed, nor do I say that
all observances should not be observed. I don’t say that all exertions
are to be pursued, nor do I say that all exertions are not to be
pursued. I don’t say that all forfeiture should be forfeited, nor do I
say that all forfeiture should not be forfeited. I don’t say that all
release is to be used for release, nor do I say that all release is not
to be used for release.

“yañhi, gahapati, tapaṃ tapato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti, evarūpaṃ tapaṃ na tapitabbanti vadāmi. yañca khvassa gahapati, tapaṃ tapato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, evarūpaṃ tapaṃ tapitabbanti vadāmi.

“If, when an ascetic practice is pursued, unskillful qualities grow and skillful qualities wane, then I tell you that that sort of asceticism is not to be pursued. But if, when an ascetic practice is pursued, unskillful qualities wane and skillful qualities grow, then I tell you that that sort of asceticism is to be pursued.

“yañhi, gahapati, samādānaṃ samādiyato… padhānaṃ padahato…
paṭinissaggaṃ paṭinissajjato… vimuttiṃ vimuccato akusalā dhammā
abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti, evarūpā vimutti na
vimuccitabbāti vadāmi. yañca khvassa, gahapati, vimuttiṃ vimuccato
akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, evarūpā vimutti
vimuccitabbāti vadāmī”ti.

“If, when an observance is observed… when an exertion is pursued… a
forfeiture is forfeited… a release is used for release, unskillful
qualities grow and skillful qualities wane, then I tell you that that
sort of release is not to be used for release. But if, when a release is
used for release, unskillful qualities wane and skillful qualities
grow, then I tell you that that sort of release is to be used for
release.”

But again, by contrast, at SN 42.12, while still not
rejecting categorically both “all austerity” and “all ascetics leading
the rough life”, the Buddha does seem to reject categorically the fact
of ‘attānaṃ ātāpeti paritāpeti’ (tormenting and torturing oneself), by presenting it as a reason good enough by itself to draw disapproval:

ekamantaṃ nisinno kho rāsiyo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:

Having sat down to one side, Rasiya the headman said to the Blessed One:

—
“sutaṃ metaṃ, bhante, ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaṃ tapaṃ garahati, sabbaṃ tapassiṃ
lūkhajīviṃ ekaṃsena upavadati upakkosatī’ti . ye te, bhante,
evamāhaṃsu… kacci te, bhante, bhagavato vuttavādino, na ca bhagavantaṃ
abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa cānudhammaṃ byākaronti, na ca koci
sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṃ ṭhānaṃ āgacchatī”ti?

—
Bhante, I have heard: ‘The renunciate Gotama disapproves of all austerity, he categorically criticizes and blames all ascetics leading a rough life.’
Those who say this, Bhante… do they speak in line with what the
Blessed One has said, do they not misrepresent the Blessed One with what
is contrary to fact, do they answer in line with the Dhamma, so that no
one whose thinking is in line with the Dhamma would have grounds for
criticizing them?

—
“ye te, gāmaṇi, evamāhaṃsu… na me te vuttavādino, abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṃ te asatā tucchā abhūtena”.

—
Those who say this, headman, do not speak in line with what I have said,
and they misrepresent me with what is false and contrary to fact.

…

…

“tatra, gāmaṇi, yvāyaṃ tapassī lūkhajīvī attānaṃ ātāpeti paritāpeti,
kusalañca dhammaṃ adhigacchati, uttari ca manussadhammā
alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṃ sacchikaroti. ayaṃ, gāmaṇi, tapassī
lūkhajīvī ekena ṭhānena gārayho, dvīhi ṭhānehi pāsaṃso. katamena ekena
ṭhānena gārayho? attānaṃ ātāpeti paritāpetīti, iminā ekena
ṭhānena gārayho. katamehi dvīhi ṭhānehi pāsaṃso? kusalañca dhammaṃ
adhigacchatīti, iminā paṭhamena ṭhānena pāsaṃso. uttari ca manussadhammā
alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṃ sacchikarotīti, iminā dutiyena ṭhānena
pāsaṃso.

Here, headman, regarding the ascetic leading a rough life who torments and tortures
himself, yet achieves a wholesome state and realizes a supra-human
state, an attainment in knowledge and vision that is suitable to the
noble ones, this ascetic leading a rough life, headman, may be
disapproved of on one ground and praised on two grounds. And what is the
one ground on which he may be disapproved of? He torments and tortures
himself: this is the one ground on which he may be disapproved of. And
what are the two grounds on which he may be praised? He achieves a
wholesome state: this is the first ground on which he may be praised. He
realizes a supra-human state, an attainment in knowledge and vision
that is suitable to the noble ones: this is the second ground on which
he may be praised.

Yet the exact same combination of verbs, ‘ātāpeti paritāpeti’ (meaning here to heat and burn),
is also used (although with a different connotation) at MN 101 in a
simile illustrating a recommended kind of unpleasant practice:

“kathañca, bhikkhave, saphalo upakkamo hoti, saphalaṃ padhānaṃ? idha,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu na heva anaddhabhūtaṃ attānaṃ dukkhena addhabhāveti,
dhammikañca sukhaṃ na pariccajati, tasmiñca sukhe anadhimucchito hoti.
so evaṃ pajānāti: ‘imassa kho me dukkhanidānassa saṅkhāraṃ padahato
saṅkhārappadhānā virāgo hoti, imassa pana me dukkhanidānassa
ajjhupekkhato upekkhaṃ bhāvayato virāgo hotī’ti. so yassa hi khvāssa
dukkhanidānassa saṅkhāraṃ padahato saṅkhārappadhānā virāgo hoti,
saṅkhāraṃ tattha padahati. yassa panassa dukkhanidānassa ajjhupekkhato
upekkhaṃ bhāvayato virāgo hoti, upekkhaṃ tattha bhāveti. tassa tassa
dukkhanidānassa saṅkhāraṃ padahato saṅkhārappadhānā virāgo hoti.
evampissa taṃ dukkhaṃ nijjiṇṇaṃ hoti. tassa tassa dukkhanidānassa
ajjhupekkhato upekkhaṃ bhāvayato virāgo hoti. evampissa taṃ dukkhaṃ
nijjiṇṇaṃ hoti.

“And how is striving fruitful, how is exertion fruitful? There is the
case where a monk, when not loaded down, does not load himself down with
pain, nor does he reject pleasure that accords with the Dhamma,
although he is not fixated on that pleasure. He discerns that ‘When I
exert a [physical, verbal, or mental] fabrication against this cause of
stress, then from the fabrication of exertion there is dispassion. When I
look on with equanimity at that cause of stress, then from the
development of equanimity there is dispassion.’ So he exerts a
fabrication against the cause of stress where there comes dispassion
from the fabrication of exertion, and develops equanimity with regard to
the cause of stress where there comes dispassion from the development
of equanimity. Thus the stress coming from the cause of stress for which
there is dispassion through the fabrication of exertion is exhausted
& the stress resulting from the cause of stress for which there is
dispassion through the development of equanimity is exhausted.

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso itthiyā sāratto paṭibaddhacitto
tibbacchando tibbāpekkho. so taṃ itthiṃ passeyya aññena purisena saddhiṃ
santiṭṭhantiṃ sallapantiṃ sañjagghantiṃ saṃhasantiṃ. taṃ kiṃ maññatha,
bhikkhave, api nu tassa purisassa amuṃ itthiṃ disvā aññena purisena
saddhiṃ santiṭṭhantiṃ sallapantiṃ sañjagghantiṃ saṃhasantiṃ uppajjeyyuṃ
soka-parideva-dukkha-domanass-ūpāyāsā”ti?

“Suppose that a man is in love with a woman, his mind ensnared with
fierce desire, fierce passion. He sees her standing with another man,
chatting, joking, & laughing. What do you think, monks: As he sees
her standing with another man, chatting, joking, & laughing, would
sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair arise in him?”

—
“evaṃ, bhante”.

—
“Yes, lord.

—
“taṃ kissa hetu”?

—
Why is that?

—
“amu hi, bhante, puriso amussā itthiyā sāratto paṭibaddhacitto
tibbacchando tibbāpekkho… soka-parideva-dukkha-domanass-ūpāyāsā”ti.

—
Because he is in love with her, his mind ensnared with fierce desire,
fierce passion… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair
would arise in him.

—
“atha kho, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa evamassa: ‘ahaṃ kho amussā itthiyā
sāratto paṭibaddhacitto tibbacchando tibbāpekkho. tassa me amuṃ itthiṃ
disvā aññena purisena saddhiṃ santiṭṭhantiṃ sallapantiṃ sañjagghantiṃ
saṃhasantiṃ uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassūpāyāsā. yaṃnūnāhaṃ yo
me amussā itthiyā chandarāgo taṃ pajaheyyan’ti. so yo amussā itthiyā
chandarāgo taṃ pajaheyya. so taṃ itthiṃ passeyya aparena samayena aññena
purisena saddhiṃ santiṭṭhantiṃ sallapantiṃ sañjagghantiṃ saṃhasantiṃ.
taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tassa purisassa amuṃ itthiṃ disvā
aññena purisena saddhiṃ santiṭṭhantiṃ sallapantiṃ sañjagghantiṃ
saṃhasantiṃ uppajjeyyuṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassūpāyāsā”ti?

—
“Now suppose the thought were to occur to him, ‘I am in love with this
woman, my mind ensnared with fierce desire, fierce passion. When I see
her standing with another man, chatting, joking, & laughing, then
sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair arise within me. Why
don’t I abandon my desire & passion for that woman?’ So he abandons
his desire & passion for that woman, and afterwards sees her
standing with another man, chatting, joking, & laughing. What do you
think, monks: As he sees her standing with another man, chatting,
joking, & laughing, would sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair arise in him?”

—
“no hetaṃ, bhante”.

—
“No, lord.

—
“taṃ kissa hetu”?

—
Why is that?

—
“amu hi, bhante, puriso amussā itthiyā virāgo. tasmā taṃ itthiṃ disvā
aññena purisena saddhiṃ santiṭṭhantiṃ sallapantiṃ sañjagghantiṃ
saṃhasantiṃ na uppajjeyyuṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassūpāyāsā”ti.

—
He is dispassionate toward that woman. As he sees her standing with
another man, chatting, joking, & laughing, sorrow, lamentation,
pain, distress, & despair would not arise in him.

—
“evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na heva anaddhabhūtaṃ attānaṃ dukkhena
addhabhāveti, dhammikañca sukhaṃ na pariccajati, tasmiñca sukhe
anadhimucchito hoti. so evaṃ pajānāti: ‘imassa kho me dukkhanidānassa
saṅkhāraṃ padahato saṅkhārappadhānā virāgo hoti, imassa pana me
dukkhanidānassa ajjhupekkhato upekkhaṃ bhāvayato virāgo hotī’ti. so
yassa hi khvāssa dukkhanidānassa saṅkhāraṃ padahato saṅkhārappadhānā
virāgo hoti, saṅkhāraṃ tattha padahati; yassa panassa dukkhanidānassa
ajjhupekkhato upekkhaṃ bhāvayato virāgo hoti, upekkhaṃ tattha bhāveti.
tassa tassa dukkhanidānassa saṅkhāraṃ padahato saṅkhārappadhānā virāgo
hoti: evampissa taṃ dukkhaṃ nijjiṇṇaṃ hoti. tassa tassa dukkhanidānassa
ajjhupekkhato upekkhaṃ bhāvayato virāgo hoti: evampissa taṃ dukkhaṃ
nijjiṇṇaṃ hoti. evampi, bhikkhave, saphalo upakkamo hoti, saphalaṃ
padhānaṃ.

—
“In the same way, the monk, when not loaded down, does not load himself
down with pain, nor does he reject pleasure that accords with the
Dhamma, although he is not infatuated with that pleasure. He discerns
that ‘When I exert a [physical, verbal, or mental] fabrication against
this cause of stress, then from the fabrication of exertion there is
dispassion. When I look on with equanimity at that cause of stress, then
from the development of equanimity there is dispassion.’ So he exerts a
fabrication against the cause of stress where there comes dispassion
from the fabrication of exertion, and develops equanimity with regard to
the cause of stress where there comes dispassion from the development
of equanimity. Thus the stress coming from the cause of stress for which
there is dispassion through the fabrication of exertion is exhausted
& the stress resulting from the cause of stress for which there is
dispassion through the development of equanimity is exhausted. This,
bhikkhus, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.

“puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yathāsukhaṃ kho
me viharato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti;
dukkhāya pana me attānaṃ padahato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā
dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti. yaṃnūnāhaṃ dukkhāya attānaṃ padaheyyan’ti. so
dukkhāya attānaṃ padahati. tassa dukkhāya attānaṃ padahato akusalā
dhammā parihāyanti kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti. so na aparena samayena
dukkhāya attānaṃ padahati. taṃ kissa hetu? yassa hi so, bhikkhave,
bhikkhu atthāya dukkhāya attānaṃ padaheyya svāssa attho abhinipphanno
hoti. tasmā na aparena samayena dukkhāya attānaṃ padahati.

“Furthermore, the monk notices this: ‘When I live according to my
pleasure, unskillful mental qualities increase in me & skillful
qualities decline. When I exert myself with stress & pain, though,
unskillful qualities decline in me & skillful qualities increase.
Why don’t I exert myself with stress & pain?’ So he exerts himself
with stress & pain, and while he is exerting himself with stress
& pain, unskillful qualities decline in him, & skillful
qualities increase. Then at a later time he would no longer exert
himself with stress & pain. Why is that? Because he has attained the
goal for which he was exerting himself with stress & pain. That is
why, at a later time, he would no longer exert himself with stress &
pain.

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, usukāro tejanaṃ dvīsu alātesu ātāpeti paritāpeti ujuṃ karoti kammaniyaṃ. yato kho, bhikkhave, usukārassa tejanaṃ dvīsu alātesu ātāpitaṃ hoti paritāpitaṃ ujuṃ kataṃ kammaniyaṃ, na so taṃ aparena samayena usukāro tejanaṃ dvīsu alātesu ātāpeti paritāpeti ujuṃ karoti kammaniyaṃ. taṃ kissa hetu? yassa hi so, bhikkhave, atthāya usukāro tejanaṃ dvīsu alātesu ātāpeyya paritāpeyya ujuṃ kareyya kammaniyaṃ svāssa attho abhinipphanno hoti. tasmā na aparena samayena usukāro tejanaṃ dvīsu alātesu ātāpeti paritāpeti ujuṃ karoti kammaniyaṃ.

“Suppose a fletcher were to heat & warm an arrow shaft between two flames, making it straight & pliable. Then at a later time he would no longer heat & warm the shaft between two flames, making it straight & pliable. Why is that? Because he has attained the goal for which he was heating & warming the shaft. That is why at a later time he would no longer heat & warm the shaft between two flames, making it straight & pliable.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yathāsukhaṃ kho me
viharato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti; dukkhāya pana me attānaṃ padahato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti. yaṃnūnāhaṃ dukkhāya attānaṃ padaheyyan’ti. so dukkhāya attānaṃ padahati. tassa dukkhāya attānaṃ padahato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti. so na aparena samayena dukkhāya attānaṃ padahati. taṃ kissa hetu? yassa hi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthāya dukkhāya attānaṃ padaheyya svāssa attho abhinipphanno hoti. tasmā na aparena samayena dukkhāya attānaṃ padahati. evampi, bhikkhave, saphalo upakkamo hoti, saphalaṃ padhānaṃ.

“In the same way, the monk notices this: ‘When I live according to my
pleasure, unskillful mental qualities increase in me & skillful
qualities decline. When I exert myself with stress & pain, though, unskillful qualities decline in me & skillful qualities increase. Why don’t I exert myself with stress & pain?’ So he exerts himself with stress & pain, and while he is exerting himself with stress & pain, unskillful qualities decline in him, & skillful qualities increase. Then at a later time he would no longer exert himself with stress & pain. Why is that? Because he has attained the goal for which he was exerting himself with stress & pain. That is why, at a later time, he would no longer exert himself with stress & pain. This is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.

Examples of some inherently unpleasant practices are mentioned elsewhere:

“katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? idha,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī,
sabbaloke anabhiratisaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī; maraṇasaññā
kho panassa ajjhattaṃ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti.

“And which is painful practice … ? There is the case where a
monk remains focused on unattractiveness with regard to the body,
percipient of loathsomeness with regard to food, percipient of
non-delight with regard to the entire world, (and) focused on
inconstancy with regard to all fabrications. The perception of death is
well established within him.

A reason why some practices may become unpleasant is also mentioned at AN 4.162:

“katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā … ? idha, bhikkhave,
ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṃ rāgajaṃ dukkhaṃ
domanassaṃ paṭisaṃvedeti. pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṃ
dosajaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ paṭisaṃvedeti. pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko
hoti, abhikkhaṇaṃ mohajaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ paṭisaṃvedeti.

“And which is painful practice … ? There is the case where a
certain individual is normally of an intensely passionate nature. He
perpetually experiences pain & distress born of passion. Or he is
normally of an intensely aversive nature. He perpetually experiences
pain & distress born of aversion. Or he is normally of an intensely
deluded nature. He perpetually experiences pain & distress born of
delusion.

The Buddha also goes so far as to accept the appellation ‘one who tortures [himself]’ (tapassī), saying that what he has tortured were actually akusala dhammas:

“katamo ca, sīha, pariyāyo, yena maṃ pariyāyena sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘tapassī samaṇo gotamo, tapassitāya dhammaṃ deseti, tena ca sāvake vinetī’ti? tapanīyāhaṃ, sīha, pāpake akusale dhamme vadāmi kāyaduccaritaṃ vacīduccaritaṃ manoduccaritaṃ. yassa kho, sīha, tapanīyā pāpakā akusalā dhammā pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṃkatā āyatiṃ anuppādadhammā, tamahaṃ ‘tapassī’ti vadāmi. tathāgatassa kho, sīha, tapanīyā
pāpakā akusalā dhammā pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṃkatā
āyatiṃ anuppādadhammā. ayaṃ kho, sīha, pariyāyo, yena maṃ pariyāyena
sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘tapassī samaṇo gotamo, tapassitāya dhammaṃ deseti, tena ca sāvake vinetī’”ti.

And what, Siha, is the line of reasoning by which one speaking rightly could say of me: ‘The renunciate Gotama is one who tortures, he professes a teaching of torture and instructs his disciples accordingly’? I say, Siha, that bad, unwholesome states, bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct and mental misconduct are to be tortured. I say that one who has abandoned the bad, unwholesome states that are to be tortured,
cut them off at their root, made them like a palmyra stump, annihilated
them, so that they are unable to arise again in the future, is one who tortures himself. The Tathagata has abandoned the bad, unwholesome states that are to be tortured,
cut them off at their root, made them like a palmyra stump, annihilated
them, so that they are unable to arise again in the future. This is the
line of reasoning by which one speaking rightly could say of me: ‘The renunciate Gotama is one who tortures himself, he professes a teaching of torture and instructs his disciples accordingly’.

So we may try to conclude here that what the Buddha
rejected was the performance of unpleasant practices that would not help
removing unwholesome states and developing wholesome ones (AN 10.94),
or even if they do have that effect, the performance of unpleasant
practices for themselves, as a way of ‘rough life’ (lūkhajīvita, SN
42.12). But even the right type of asceticism has to be undertaken in a
balanced way, to avoid having it ending up developing unwholesome
states:

—
“nanu te, soṇa, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṃ cetaso parivitakko
udapādi: ‘ye kho keci bhagavato sāvakā āraddhavīriyā viharanti, ahaṃ
tesaṃ aññataro. atha ca pana me na anupādāya āsavehi cittaṃ vimuccati,
saṃvijjanti kho pana me kule bhogā, sakkā bhogā ca bhuñjituṃ puññāni ca
kātuṃ. yaṃnūnāhaṃ sikkhaṃ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjeyyaṃ
puññāni ca kareyyan’”ti?

—
“Just now, as you were meditating in seclusion, didn’t this train of
thought appear to your awareness: ‘Of the Blessed One’s disciples who
have aroused their persistence, I am one, but my mind is not released
from the fermentations through lack of clinging/sustenance. Now, my
family has enough wealth that it would be possible to enjoy wealth &
make merit. What if I were to disavow the training, return to the lower
life, enjoy wealth, & make merit?’”

—
“evaṃ, bhante”.

—
“Yes, lord.”

—
“taṃ kiṃ maññasi, soṇa, kusalo tvaṃ pubbe agāriyabhūto vīṇāya tantissare”ti?

—
“Now what do you think, Sona. Before, when you were a house-dweller, were you skilled at playing the vina?”

—
“evaṃ, bhante”.

—
“Yes, lord.”

—
“taṃ kiṃ maññasi, soṇa, yadā te vīṇāya tantiyo accāyatā honti, api nu te vīṇā tasmiṃ samaye saravatī vā hoti kammaññā vā”ti?

—
“And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too taut, was your vina in tune & playable?”

—
“no hetaṃ, bhante”.

—
“No, lord.”

—
“taṃ kiṃ maññasi, soṇa, yadā te vīṇāya tantiyo atisithilā honti, api nu te vīṇā tasmiṃ samaye saravatī vā hoti kammaññā vā”ti?

—
“And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too loose, was your vina in tune & playable?”

—
“no hetaṃ, bhante”.

—
“No, lord.”

—
“yadā pana te, soṇa, vīṇāya tantiyo na accāyatā honti nātisithilā same
guṇe patiṭṭhitā, api nu te vīṇā tasmiṃ samaye saravatī vā hoti kammaññā
vā”ti?

—
“And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were neither too
taut nor too loose, but tuned to be right on pitch, was your vina in
tune & playable?”

—
“evaṃ, bhante”.

—
“Yes, lord.”

—
“evamevaṃ kho, soṇa, accāraddhavīriyaṃ uddhaccāya saṃvattati,
atisithilavīriyaṃ kosajjāya saṃvattati. tasmātiha tvaṃ, soṇa,
vīriyasamathaṃ adhiṭṭhahaṃ, indriyānañca samataṃ paṭivijjha, tattha ca
nimittaṃ gaṇhāhī”ti.

—
“In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness,
overly slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine
the right pitch for your persistence, attune the pitch of the [five]
faculties [to that], and there pick up your theme.”

It may also be important to note that being ātāpī does not necessarily refer to unpleasant practice, since it can constitute the basis to enter the jhānas:

idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa
viharato uppajjati dukkhindriyaṃ. so evaṃ pajānāti: ‘uppannaṃ kho me
idaṃ dukkhindriyaṃ, tañca kho sanimittaṃ sanidānaṃ sasaṅkhāraṃ
sappaccayaṃ. tañca animittaṃ anidānaṃ asaṅkhāraṃ appaccayaṃ
dukkhindriyaṃ uppajjissatīti: netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati’. so dukkhindriyañca
pajānāti, dukkhindriyasamudayañca pajānāti, dukkhindriyanirodhañca
pajānāti, yattha cuppannaṃ dukkhindriyaṃ aparisesaṃ nirujjhati tañca
pajānāti. kattha cuppannaṃ dukkhindriyaṃ aparisesaṃ nirujjhati? idha,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi
savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja
viharati: ettha cuppannaṃ dukkhindriyaṃ aparisesaṃ nirujjhati. ayaṃ
vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu aññāsi dukkhindriyassa nirodhaṃ, tadatthāya
cittaṃ upasaṃharati’”.

Here, bhikkhus, while a bhikkhu is remaining heedful, ardent and striving, the pain faculty arises. He understands thus: ‘The
pain faculty has arisen in me; it possesses a feature, a cause, a
construction, a condition. It is impossible that the pain faculty would
arise without a feature, a cause, a construction, a condition’. He
understands the pain faculty, he understands its origin, he understands
its cessation, and he understands where the arisen pain faculty ceases
completely. And where does the pain faculty cease completely? Here,
bhikkhous, a bhikkhu, detached from sensuality, detached from
unwholesome states, having entered in the first jhāna, remains therein,
with thoughts, with thought processes, exaltation and well-being
engendered by detachment: here the arisen pain faculty ceases
completely. This is called, bhikkhus, ‘a bhikkhu who knows the cessation of the pain faculty, and who directs his mind to that end.’

The same is then repeated about domanass·indriya, sukh·indriya, somanass·indriya, and upekkh·indriya, respectively about the second, third, fourth jhānas and saññā·vedayita·nirodha. At MN 19, the same expression appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato (remaining heedful, ardent and striving) is similarly used to describe the state in which the Buddha was when he reached the three vijjās just before his awakening.

attā: self, ego, soul, personality, individuality. This term actually designates an illusion, since all phenomena are anattā.

attavādupādāna: [attā+vāda+upādāna] clinging to the belief in self. Such beliefs are explained in the Brahmajāla Sutta (DN 1),
in which 53 out of the 62 views examined relate to the belief in self
(views n°9 to 16 are not included). It also constitutes one of the four
items that come in the stock definition of upādāna.

This attachment is compared to a leash:

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sā gaddulabaddho daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā
upanibaddho tameva khīlaṃ vā thambhaṃ vā anuparidhāvati anuparivattati;
evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṃ adassāvī
ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṃ adassāvī
sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṃ attato
samanupassati rūpavantaṃ vā attānaṃ attani vā rūpaṃ rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ;
vedanaṃ attato samanupassati… saññaṃ attato samanupassati… saṅkhāre
attato samanupassati… viññāṇaṃ attato samanupassati viññāṇavantaṃ vā
attānaṃ attani vā viññāṇaṃ viññāṇasmiṃ vā attānaṃ.

Just as a dog, tied by a leash to a post or stake, keeps running around
and circling around that very post or stake; in the same way, an
uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person — who has no regard for noble ones,
is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard
for people of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their
Dhamma — assumes form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or
form as in the self, or the self as in form. He assumes feeling to be
the self… He assumes perception to be the self… He assumes (mental)
fabrications to be the self… He assumes consciousness to be the self,
or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the
self, or the self as in consciousness.

so rūpaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati, vedanaññeva …
saññaññeva… saṅkhāreyeva… viññāṇaññeva anuparidhāvati
anuparivattati. so rūpaṃ anuparidhāvaṃ anuparivattaṃ, vedanaṃ …
saññaṃ… saṅkhāre… viññāṇaṃ anuparidhāvaṃ anuparivattaṃ, na
parimuccati rūpamhā… vedanāya… saññāya… saṅkhārehi… viññāṇamhā,
na parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi
domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi”.

He keeps running around and circling around that very form… that very
feeling… that very perception… those very fabrications… that very
consciousness. He is not set loose from form, not set loose from
feeling… from perception… from fabrications… not set loose from
consciousness. He is not set loose from birth, aging, & death; from
sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is not set
loose, I tell you, from suffering & stress.

This delusion is described as being the source of the mistake that brings about the idea of an existing self:

“ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā anekavihitaṃ attānaṃ
samanupassamānā samanupassanti, sabbete pañcupādānakkhandhe
samanupassanti, etesaṃ vā aññataraṃ. katame pañca? idha, bhikkhave,
assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṃ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme
avinīto, sappurisānaṃ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido
sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṃ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṃ vā
attānaṃ; attani vā rūpaṃ, rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ. vedanaṃ. saññaṃ.
saṅkhāre. viññāṇaṃ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṃ vā attānaṃ;
attani vā viññāṇaṃ, viññāṇasmiṃ vā attānaṃ”.

Monks, whatever contemplatives or brahmans who assume in various ways
when assuming a self, all assume the five clinging-aggregates, or a
certain one of them. Which five? There is the case where an
uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person — who has no regard for noble ones,
is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard
for men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma —
assumes form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as
in the self, or the self as in form. He assumes feeling to be the
self… He assumes perception to be the self… He assumes (mental)
fabrications to be the self… He assumes consciousness to be the self,
or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the
self, or the self as in consciousness.

“iti ayañceva samanupassanā ‘asmī’ti cassa avigataṃ hoti. ‘asmī’ti kho
pana, bhikkhave, avigate pañcannaṃ indriyānaṃ avakkanti hoti:
cakkhundriyassa sotindriyassa ghānindriyassa jivhindriyassa
kāyindriyassa.

Thus, both this assumption & the understanding, ‘I am,’ occur to
him. And so it is with reference to the understanding ‘I am’ that there
is the appearance of the five faculties — eye, ear, nose, tongue, &
body (the senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste, & touch).

atthi, bhikkhave, mano, atthi dhammā, atthi avijjādhātu.
avijjāsamphassajena, bhikkhave, vedayitena phuṭṭhassa assutavato
puthujjanassa ‘asmī’tipissa hoti; ‘ayamahamasmī’tipissa hoti;
‘bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘na bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘rūpī
bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘arūpī bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘saññī
bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘asaññī bhavissan’tipissa hoti;
‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’tipissa hoti”.

Now, there is the intellect, there are ideas (mental qualities), there
is the property of ignorance. To an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person,
touched by experience born of the contact of ignorance, there occur
(the thoughts): ‘I am,’ ‘I am thus,’ ‘I shall be,’ ‘I shall not be,’ ‘I
shall be possessed of form,’ ‘I shall be formless,’ ‘I shall be
percipient (conscious),’ ‘I shall be non-percipient,’ or ‘I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

The exact same description occurs also at MN 109 in a definition of sakkāya·diṭṭhi.

At SN 22.44, the same description is again given to explain the expression ’sakkāya·samudaya·gāminī paṭipada’ (the path leading to the arising of self-identification), and it is also equated to ‘dukkha·samudaya·gāminī samanupassanā’ (a way of seeing things that leads to the arising of dukkha).

Sometimes, the stock expression ‘rūpaṃ attato
samanupassati rūpavantaṃ vā attānaṃ attani vā rūpaṃ rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ’
(he assumes form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or
form as in the self, or the self as in form) is replaced by ‘rūpaṃ
‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati’ (he regards Form
as ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’). Here in the context of an explanation about upādāna:

kathañca, bhikkhave, upādāparitassanā hoti? idha, bhikkhave, assutavā
puthujjano rūpaṃ ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati.
tassa taṃ rūpaṃ vipariṇamati aññathā hoti. tassa
rūpavipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā.
vedanaṃ… saññaṃ… saṅkhāre… viññāṇaṃ ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso
me attā’’ti samanupassati. tassa taṃ viññāṇaṃ vipariṇamati aññathā hoti.
tassa viññāṇavipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti
sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, upādāparitassanā
hoti.

And how, bhikkhus, is there agitation through clinging? Here, bhikkhus, an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person regards Form as ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’
His form changes & alters, and he falls into sorrow, lamentation,
pain, distress, & despair over its change & alteration. He
regards Feeling… Perception… Fabrications… Consciousness as ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’
His consciousness changes & alters, and he falls into sorrow,
lamentation, pain, distress, & despair over its change &
alteration. Thus, bhikkhus, there is agitation through clinging.

As we can also see here, atta·vād·upādāna has for consequence ‘agitation through clinging’ (upādāparitassanā).

The formula ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti is also used to explain another way the expression ’sakkāya·samudaya·gāminī paṭipada’ (the path leading to the arising of self-identification), and is applied to the six senses, their objects, their corresponding viññāṇa, their respective contacts, and the vedanā that arises subsquently:

“ayaṃ kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkāyasamudayagāminī paṭipadā: cakkhuṃ ‘etaṃ
mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati; rūpe ‘etaṃ mama,
esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati; cakkhuviññāṇaṃ ‘etaṃ mama,
esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati; cakkhusamphassaṃ ‘etaṃ mama,
esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati; vedanaṃ ‘etaṃ mama,
esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati; taṇhaṃ ‘etaṃ mama,
esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati; sotaṃ… ghānaṃ… jivhaṃ…
kāyaṃ… manaṃ ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati,
dhamme… samanupassati, manoviññāṇaṃ… samanupassati,
manosamphassaṃ… samanupassati, vedanaṃ… samanupassati, taṇhaṃ ‘etaṃ
mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’ti samanupassati.

“This, monks, is the path of practice leading to self-identification.
One assumes about the eye that ‘This is me, this is my self, this is
what I am.’ One assumes about forms… One assumes about consciousness
at the eye… One assumes about contact at the eye… One assumes about
feeling… One assumes about craving that ‘This is me, this is my self,
this is what I am.’ One assumes about the ear… the nose… the
tongue… the body… the intellect that ‘This is me, this is my self,
this is what I am.’ One assumes about ideas… One assumes about
consciousness at the intellect… One assumes about contact at the
intellect… One assumes about feeling… One assumes about craving that
‘This is me, this is my self, this is what I am.’

The Alagaddūpama Sutta provides a slightly different formulation of how atta·vād·upādāna comes to be:

“chayimāni, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiṭṭhānāni. katamāni cha? idha, bhikkhave,
assutavā puthujjano… rūpaṃ ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti
samanupassati; vedanaṃ… saññaṃ… saṅkhāre… yampi taṃ diṭṭhaṃ sutaṃ
mutaṃ viññātaṃ pattaṃ pariyesitaṃ, anuvicaritaṃ manasā tampi ‘etaṃ mama,
esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati; yampi taṃ diṭṭhiṭṭhānaṃ, so
loko so attā, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo,
sassatisamaṃ tatheva ṭhassāmīti, tampi ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me
attā’ti samanupassati.

Monks, there are these six view-positions. Which six? There is the case
where an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person… assumes about form:
‘This is me, this is my self, this is what I am.’ He assumes about
feeling… perception… fabrications… about what seen, heard, sensed,
cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect: ‘This is
me, this is my self, this is what I am.’ He assumes about the
view-position — ‘This cosmos is the self. After death this I will be
constant, permanent, eternal, not subject to change. I will stay just
like that for an eternity’: ‘This is me, this is my self, this is what I
am.’

The way to abandon atta·vād·upādāna is by seeing anatta in the five khandhas:

“yā imā, cunda, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti
attavādapaṭisaṃyuttā vā lokavādapaṭisaṃyuttā vā yattha cetā diṭṭhiyo
uppajjanti yattha ca anusenti yattha ca samudācaranti taṃ ‘netaṃ mama,
nesohamasmi, na me so attā’ti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññā passato
evametāsaṃ diṭṭhīnaṃ pahānaṃ hoti, evametāsaṃ diṭṭhīnaṃ paṭinissaggo
hoti.

“Cunda, as to those several views that arise in the world concerning
self-doctrines and world-doctrines, if [the object] in which these views
arise, in which they underlie and become active, is seen with right
wisdom as it actually is, thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this
is not my self’ — then the abandoning of these views, their discarding,
takes place in him [who thus sees].

avihiṃsā: [a+vihiṃsā] harmlessness, nonviolence, inoffensiveness.

There is no direct definition of the term in the
suttas. It seems to have been a well-known concept at the time that did
not require much explanation. It can be seen as a principle underlying sammā·vācā, sammā·kammanta and sammā·ājīva.

Avihiṃsā appears most prominently in avihiṃsā·saṅkappa, one of the three constituents of sammā·saṅkappa, which are also termed kusalā saṅkappā at MN 78. Alternatively, it also appears in the compound avihiṃsā·vitakka, which seems to be a synonym for avihiṃsā·saṅkappa. See also this blog article, arguing that, since avihiṃsā is set apart from a·byāpāda
in those two lists, the word probably refers more specifically to
instances where one harms others without ill-will or malevolence.

In several suttas (e.g. MN 114, AN 5.200) two of the three dhammas listed in sammā·saṅkappa appear in the same order, and avihiṃsā is replaced as the third by avihesā (non-harming). Another synonym is ahimsā (inoffensiveness):

sabbhi dānaṃ upaññattaṃ, ahiṃsā saṃyamo damo.

The virtuous prescribe giving, inoffensiveness, self-control, and self-taming.

“yassa sabbamahorattaṃ, ahiṃsāya rato mano mettaṃ so sabbabhūtesu, veraṃ tassa na kenacī”ti.

One whose mind takes delight in inoffensiveness all day and night, who has loving-kindness for all beings, has enmity towards none.

Inoffensiveness (ahiṃsā) is also nobility:

na tena ariyo hoti, yena pāṇāni hiṃsati. ahiṃsā sabbapāṇānaṃ, “ariyo”ti pavuccati.

One who injures living beings is ignoble. One who is inoffensive towards all living beings is said to be a noble one.

In the Dhātu·vibhaṅga of the Abhidhamma, karuṇa is said to be inherent to avihiṃsā·dhātu: ‘yā sattesu karuṇā karuṇāyanā karuṇāyitattaṃ karuṇācetovimutti, ayaṃ vuccati “avihiṃsādhātu”’. This statement finds an echo in various parts of the Sutta Piṭaka, as for example in the Dhammapada:

129. sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, sabbe bhāyanti maccuno.
attānaṃ upamaṃ katvā, na haneyya na ghātaye.

129. All tremble at the rod, all are fearful of death.
Drawing the parallel to yourself, neither kill nor get others to kill.

130. sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, sabbesaṃ jīvitaṃ piyaṃ.
attānaṃ upamaṃ katvā, na haneyya na ghātaye.

130. All tremble at the rod, all hold their life dear.
Drawing the parallel to yourself, neither kill nor get others to kill.

At AN 2.168, avihiṃsā is juxtaposed with soceyya (purity/purification). At Sn 294, the word is juxtaposed with maddava (mildness), soracca (gentleness) and khanti (forbearance). The first two find echo in expressions such as that defining pharusa·vāca veramaṇī (abstinence from harsh speech):

yā sā vācā nelā kaṇṇasukhā pemanīyā hadayaṅgamā porī bahujanakantā bahujanamanāpā, tathārūpiṃ vācaṃ bhāsitā hoti.

He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate,
that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to
people at large.

Khanti (forbearance) is the word that is most often juxtaposed to avihiṃsā, a connection that is exemplified in many places, such as in the simile of the saw:

“ubhatodaṇḍakena cepi, bhikkhave, kakacena corā ocarakā aṅgamaṅgāni
okanteyyuṃ, tatrāpi yo mano padūseyya, na me so tena sāsanakaro. tatrāpi
vo, bhikkhave, evaṃ sikkhitabbaṃ: ‘na ceva no cittaṃ vipariṇataṃ
bhavissati, na ca pāpikaṃ vācaṃ nicchāressāma, hitānukampī ca
viharissāma mettacittā na dosantarā. tañca puggalaṃ mettāsahagatena
cetasā pharitvā viharissāma tadārammaṇañca sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ
mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena
abyābajjhena pharitvā viharissāmā’ti. evañhi vo, bhikkhave,
sikkhitabbaṃ.

“Monks, even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb,
with a two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered even
at that would not be doing my bidding. Even then you should train
yourselves: ‘Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words.
We will remain sympathetic, with a mind of good will, and with no inner
hate. We will keep pervading these people with an awareness imbued with
good will and, beginning with them, we will keep pervading the entire
world with an awareness imbued with good will — abundant, expansive,
immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.’ That’s how you
should train yourselves.

“imañca tumhe, bhikkhave, kakacūpamaṃ ovādaṃ abhikkhaṇaṃ manasi
kareyyātha. passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, taṃ vacanapathaṃ, aṇuṃ vā
thūlaṃ vā, yaṃ tumhe nādhivāseyyāthā”ti?

“Monks, if you attend constantly to this admonition on the simile of the
saw, do you see any aspects of speech, slight or gross, that you could
not endure?”

—
“no hetaṃ, bhante”.

—
“No, lord.”

Another striking example is given at SN 35.88:

—
“sace pana puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā daṇḍena pahāraṃ dassanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti?

—
“But if they hit you with a stick…?”

—
“sace me, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā daṇḍena pahāraṃ dassanti, tatra
me evaṃ bhavissati: ‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā
vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṃ me nayime satthena pahāraṃ dentī’ti.
evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti.

—
“…I will think, ‘These Sunaparanta people are civilized, very civilized, in that they don’t hit me with a knife’…”

—
“sace pana te, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā satthena pahāraṃ dassanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti?

—
“But if they hit you with a knife…?”

—
“sace me, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā satthena pahāraṃ dassanti, tatra
me evaṃ bhavissati: ‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā
vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṃ maṃ nayime tiṇhena satthena jīvitā
voropentī’ti. evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; evamettha, sugata,
bhavissatī”ti.

—
“…I will think, ‘These Sunaparanta people are civilized, very
civilized, in that they don’t take my life with a sharp knife’…”

—
“sace pana taṃ, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā tiṇhena satthena jīvitā voropessanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti?

—
“But if they take your life with a sharp knife…?”

—
“sace maṃ, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā tiṇhena satthena jīvitā
voropessanti, tatra me evaṃ bhavissati: ‘santi kho tassa bhagavato
sāvakā kāyena ca jīvitena ca aṭṭīyamānā harāyamānā jigucchamānā
satthahārakaṃ pariyesanti, taṃ me idaṃ apariyiṭṭhaññeva satthahārakaṃ
laddhan’ti. evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; evamettha, sugata,
bhavissatī”ti.

—
“If they take my life with a sharp knife, I will think, ‘There are
disciples of the Blessed One who — horrified, humiliated, and disgusted
by the body and by life — have sought for an assassin, but here I have
met my assassin without searching for him.’ That is what I will think, O
Blessed One. That is what I will think, O One Well-gone.”

—
“sādhu sādhu, puṇṇa! sakkhissasi kho tvaṃ, puṇṇa, iminā damūpasamena
samannāgato sunāparantasmiṃ janapade vatthuṃ. yassa dāni tvaṃ, puṇṇa,
kālaṃ maññasī”ti.

—
“Good, Punna, very good. Possessing such calm and self-control you are
fit to dwell among the Sunaparantans. Now it is time to do as you see
fit.”

SN 47.19 also juxtaposes metta·cittatā (having a mind of good will) and anudayatā (sympathy) to avihiṃsā:

kathañca, bhikkhave, paraṃ rakkhanto attānaṃ rakkhati? khantiyā, avihiṃsāya, mettacittatāya, anudayatāya. evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, paraṃ rakkhanto attānaṃ rakkhati.

“And how do you watch after yourself when watching after others? Through endurance, through harmlessness, through a mind of goodwill, & through sympathy. This is how you watch after yourself when watching after others.

SN 14.12 explains how avihiṃsā originates and leads to wholesome action:

“avihiṃsādhātuṃ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati avihiṃsāsaññā,
avihiṃsāsaññaṃ paṭicca uppajjati avihiṃsāsaṅkappo, avihiṃsāsaṅkappaṃ
paṭicca uppajjati avihiṃsāchando, avihiṃsāchandaṃ paṭicca uppajjati
avihiṃsāpariḷāho, avihiṃsāpariḷāhaṃ paṭicca uppajjati
avihiṃsāpariyesanā; avihiṃsāpariyesanaṃ, bhikkhave, pariyesamāno sutavā
ariyasāvako tīhi ṭhānehi sammā paṭipajjati kāyena, vācāya, manasā.

On account of the harmlessness element there arises the perception of
harmlessness; on account of the perception of harmlessness there arises
an aspiration to harmlessness; on account of the aspiration to
harmlessness there arises a desire for harmlessness; on account of the
desire for harmlessness there arises a passion for harmlessness; on
account of the passion for harmlessness there arises a quest for
harmlessness. Engaged in the quest for harmlessness, an instructed noble
disciple acts rightly in three ways: by body, speech, and mind.

Practicing harmlessness is behaving like a bee in a flower:

yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṃ, vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṃ, paleti rasamādāya, evaṃ gāme munī care.

As a bee gathers honey from the flower without injuring its color or
fragrance, even so the sage goes on his alms-round in the village.

Lacking avihiṃsā is extensively described as bringing unpleasant results:

māvoca pharusaṃ kañci, vuttā paṭivadeyyu taṃ
dukkhā hi sārambhakathā, paṭidaṇḍā phuseyyu taṃ.

Speak harshly to no one, or the words will be thrown right back at you.
Contentious talk is painful, for you get struck by rods in return.

yo daṇḍena adaṇḍesu, appaduṭṭhesu dussati dasannamaññataraṃ ṭhānaṃ, khippameva nigacchati:
vedanaṃ pharusaṃ jāniṃ, sarīrassa ca bhedanaṃ.
garukaṃ vāpi ābādhaṃ, cittakkhepañca pāpuṇe.
rājato vā upasaggaṃ, abbhakkhānañca dāruṇaṃ.
parikkhayañca ñātīnaṃ, bhogānañca pabhaṅguraṃ.
atha vāssa agārāni, aggi ḍahati pāvako.
kāyassa bhedā duppañño, nirayaṃ sopapajjati.

Whoever, with a rod harasses an innocent man, unarmed, quickly falls
into any of ten things: harsh pains, devastation, a broken body, grave
illness,
mental derangement, trouble with the government,
violent slander, relatives lost, property dissolved,
houses burned down. At the break-up of the body
this one with no discernment,
reappears in
hell.

“vilumpateva puriso, yāvassa upakappati.
yadā caññe vilumpanti, so vilutto viluppati.

A man may plunder as long as it serves his ends, but when others are plundered, he who has plundered gets plundered in turn.

“ṭhānañhi maññati bālo, yāva pāpaṃ na paccati.
yadā ca paccati pāpaṃ, atha dukkhaṃ nigacchati.

A fool thinks, ‘Now’s my chance,’ as long as his evil has yet to ripen. But when it ripens, the fool falls into pain.

“hantā labhati hantāraṃ, jetāraṃ labhate jayaṃ.
akkosako ca akkosaṃ, rosetārañca rosako.
atha kammavivaṭṭena, so vilutto viluppatī”ti.

Killing, you gain your killer. Conquering, you gain one who will conquer
you; insulting, insult; harassing, harassment. And so, through the
cycle of action, he who has plundered gets plundered in turn.

Abandoning non-harmlessness and taking up avihiṃsā prevents bad experiences from arising and causes pleasant ones to arise in the future:

sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena vihiṃsati.
attano sukhamesāno, pecca so na labhate sukhaṃ.

Whoever takes a rod to harm living beings desiring ease, when he himself
is looking for ease, will meet with no ease after death.

sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena na hiṃsati.
attano sukhamesāno, pecca so labhate sukhaṃ.

Whoever doesn’t take a rod to harm living beings desiring ease, when he
himself is looking for ease, will meet with ease after death.

“idha, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā sattānaṃ viheṭhakajātiko hoti,
pāṇinā vā leḍḍunā vā daṇḍena vā satthena vā. so tena kammena evaṃ
samattena evaṃ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ
vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapajjati. no ce kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ
duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapajjati, sace manussattaṃ āgacchati yattha
yattha paccājāyati bavhābādho hoti. bavhābādhasaṃvattanikā esā, māṇava,
paṭipadā yadidaṃ sattānaṃ viheṭhakajātiko hoti pāṇinā vā leḍḍunā vā
daṇḍena vā satthena vā.

Furthermore, there is the case where a certain woman or man has a
tendency to injure living beings with the hand, with a clod, with a
stick, or with a knife. From adopting & carrying out such actions,
then on the break-up of the body, after death, this person re-appears in
the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in
hell. Or, if he/she does not reappear in the plane of deprivation, the
bad destination, the lower realms, in hell, but instead returns to the
human state, then he/she is sickly wherever reborn. This is the way
leading to being sickly, namely being one who has a tendency to injure
living beings with the hand, with a clod, with a stick, or with a knife.

“idha pana, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā sattānaṃ aviheṭhakajātiko
hoti pāṇinā vā leḍḍunā vā daṇḍena vā satthena vā. so tena kammena evaṃ
samattena evaṃ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ
lokaṃ upapajjati. no ce kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ
upapajjati, sace manussattaṃ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati
appābādho hoti. appābādhasaṃvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṃ
sattānaṃ aviheṭhakajātiko hoti pāṇinā vā leḍḍunā vā daṇḍena vā satthena
vā.

But there is the case where a certain woman or man does not have a
tendency to injure living beings with the hand, with a clod, with a
stick, or with a knife. Through having adopted & carried out such
actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a
good destination, in the heavenly world. Or, if he/she does not
reappear in the good destinations, in the heavenly world, but instead
returns to the human state, then he/she is healthy wherever reborn. This
is the way leading to being healthy, namely being one who, abandoning
the taking of life, abstains from taking life does not have a tendency
to injure living beings with the hand, with a clod, with a stick, or
with a knife.

suppabuddhaṃ pabujjhanti, sadā gotamasāvakā.
yesaṃ divā ca ratto ca, ahiṃsāya rato mano.

Those disciples of Gotama ever awaken happily whose minds by day and night delight in the practice of non-violence.

Dharmacāri Nāgapriya writes: “The early Buddhist
vocabulary includes an important class of words that, while denoting
highly positive qualities, take a grammatically negative form. Avihiṃsa
is a leading example of this. To translate the term as ‘non-violence’
doesn’t reflect the positive nuance of the quality to which it refers.
Notwithstanding, it is worth looking at the quality in question from
both a negative and a positive point of view in order to bring its
nature more clearly to light. First of all – and in negative terms –
avihiṃsa can be understood as an application of the general principle of
renunciation: the saint renounces all violence whether physical,
verbal, or emotional: Whoever in this world harms a living creature,
whether once-born or twice- born, whoever has no compassion for a living
creature, him one should know to be an outcaste. (Sn.117) He gives up
coercion of any kind and thus abandons the ‘power mode’, the style of
relating to others purely as objects and means of his own gratification,
adopting instead the ‘love mode’, the appreciation of others as
individual, feelingful subjects meriting sensitive consideration and
respect. This entails abandoning a host of negative mental states such
as kodha or fury (Sn.1), kopa or ill-temper and grudge (Sn.6), upanāha
or rancour/enmity (Sn.116), paccuṭṭapannā or hostility (Sn.245), usuyyā
or envy (Sn.245), atipāti or violent destructiveness (Sn.248), paṭigha
(Sn.148) or malicious rage, and dosa or hatred (Sn.328). One of the
distinguishing features of the Sutta-Nipāta is the plethora of different
nasty mental states that it identifies. This laid some of the
foundations for the later work of the Abhidhamma. Again the terms used
are fluid and non-technical. By considering the terms as a whole we can
get a feeling for the flavour of what the saint is enjoined to abandon.
At the same time, it is important to appreciate the positive counterpart
of this renunciation of violent negativity. This is expressed most
sublimely in the Mettā Sutta: Just as a mother would protect with her
own life her own son, her only son, so one should cultivate an unbounded
mind towards all beings, and loving-kindness towards all the world. One
should cultivate an unbounded mind, above and below and across, without
obstruction, without enmity, without rivalry. (Sn.149-50)”

avijjā: [a+vijjā]

nescience, ignorance.

Avijjā is defined at SN 12.2 as consisting of ignorance regarding the four noble truths:

“katamā ca, bhikkhave, avijjā? yaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe aññāṇaṃ,
dukkhasamudaye aññāṇaṃ, dukkhanirodhe aññāṇaṃ, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā
paṭipadāya aññāṇaṃ. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, avijjā.

And what is ignorance? Not knowing suffering, not knowing the
origination of suffering, not knowing the cessation of suffering, not
knowing the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering: This
is called ignorance.

Other definitions relating to the five khandhas can be found in the Khandha Saṃyutta.

—
“‘avijjā avijjā’ti, bhante, vuccati. katamā nu kho, bhante, avijjā, kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti?

—
‘Ignorance, ignorance’, it is said, Bhante. What, Bhante, is ignorance, and to what extent is one immersed in ignorance?

—
“idha, bhikkhu, assutavā puthujjano rūpaṃ nappajānāti, rūpasamudayaṃ
nappajānāti, rūpanirodhaṃ nappajānāti, rūpanirodhagāminiṃ paṭipadaṃ
nappajānāti;

—
Here, bhikkhu, an uninstructed ordinary person does not understand
Form, does not understand the origin of Form, does not understand the
cessation of Form, does not understand the way leading to the cessation
of Form.

vedanaṃ nappajānāti, vedanāsamudayaṃ nappajānāti, vedanānirodhaṃ nappajānāti, vedanānirodhagāminiṃ paṭipadaṃ nappajānāti;

He does not understand
Feeling, does not understand the origin of Feeling, does not understand
the cessation of Feeling, does not understand the way leading to the
cessation of Feeling.

saññaṃ nappajānāti, saññāsamudayaṃ nappajānāti, saññānirodhaṃ nappajānāti, saññānirodhagāminiṃ paṭipadaṃ nappajānāti;

He does not understand
Perception, does not understand the origin of Perception, does not
understand the cessation of Perception, does not understand the way
leading to the cessation of Perception.

saṅkhāre nappajānāti, saṅkhārasamudayaṃ nappajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhaṃ
nappajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṃ paṭipadaṃ nappajānāti;

He does not understand
Constructions, does not understand the origin of Constructions, does not
understand the cessation of Constructions, does not understand the way
leading to the cessation of Constructions.

viññāṇaṃ nappajānāti, viññāṇasamudayaṃ nappajānāti, viññāṇanirodhaṃ nappajānāti, viññāṇanirodhagāminiṃ paṭipadaṃ nappajānāti;

He does not understand
Consciousness, does not understand the origin of Consciousness, does not
understand the cessation of Consciousness, does not understand the way
leading to the cessation of Consciousness.

ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhu, avijjā. ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti.

This, bhikkhu, is called ignorance, and it is to this extent that one is immersed in ignorance.

—
“‘avijjā avijjā’ti, bhante, vuccati. katamā nu kho, bhante, avijjā, kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti?

—
‘Ignorance, ignorance’, it is said, Bhante. What, Bhante, is ignorance, and to what extent is one immersed in ignorance?

—
“idha, bhikkhu, assutavā puthujjano samudayadhammaṃ rūpaṃ
‘samudayadhammaṃ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti; vayadhammaṃ rūpaṃ
‘vayadhammaṃ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti; samudayavayadhammaṃ rūpaṃ
‘samudayavayadhammaṃ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti.

—
Here, bhikkhu, an uninstructed ordinary person does not understand Form by nature subject to arising as it really is: ‘Form is by nature subject to arising’. He does not understand Form by nature subject to passing away as it really is: ‘Form is by nature subject to passing away’. He does not understand Form by nature subject to arising & passing away as it really is: ‘Form is by nature subject to arising & passing away’.

samudayadhammaṃ vedanaṃ ‘samudayadhammā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; vayadhammaṃ vedanaṃ ‘vayadhammā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; samudayavayadhammaṃ vedanaṃ ‘samudayavayadhammā vedanā’ti
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti.

He does not understand Feeling by nature subject to arising as it really is: ‘Feeling is by nature subject to arising’. He does not understand Feeling by nature subject to passing away as it really is: ‘Feeling is by nature subject to passing away’. He does not understand Feeling by nature subject to arising & passing away as it really is: ‘Feeling is by nature subject to arising & passing away’.

samudayadhammaṃ saññaṃ ‘samudayadhammaṃ saññan’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; vayadhammaṃ saññaṃ ‘vayadhammaṃ saññan’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; samudayavayadhammaṃ saññaṃ ‘samudayavayadhammaṃ saññan’ti
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti.

He does not understand Perception by nature subject to arising as it really is: ‘Perception is by nature subject to arising’. He does not understand Perception by nature subject to passing away as it really is: ‘Perception is by nature subject to passing away’. He does not understand Perception by nature subject to arising & passing away as it really is: ‘Perception is by nature subject to arising & passing away’.

samudayadhamme saṅkhāre ‘samudayadhammā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; vayadhamme saṅkhāre ‘vayadhammā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; samudayavayadhamme saṅkhāre ‘samudayavayadhammā saṅkhārā’ti
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti.

He does not understand Constructions by nature subject to arising as it really is: ‘Constructions is by nature subject to arising’. He does not understand Constructions by nature subject to passing away as it really is: ‘Constructions is by nature subject to passing away’. He does not understand Constructions by nature subject to arising & passing away as it really is: ‘Constructions is by nature subject to arising & passing away’.

samudayadhammaṃ viññāṇaṃ ‘samudayadhammaṃ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; vayadhammaṃ viññāṇaṃ ‘vayadhammaṃ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṃ
nappajānāti; samudayavayadhammaṃ viññāṇaṃ ‘samudayavayadhammaṃ
viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhu, avijjā;
ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti.

He does not understand Consciousness by nature subject to arising as it really is: ‘Consciousness is by nature subject to arising’. He does not understand Consciousness by nature subject to passing away as it really is: ‘Consciousness is by nature subject to passing away’. He does not understand Consciousness by nature subject to arising & passing away as it really is: ‘Consciousness is by nature subject to arising & passing away’.

ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhu, avijjā. ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti.

This, bhikkhu, is called ignorance, and it is to this extent that one is immersed in ignorance.

—
“‘avijjā avijjā’ti, bhante, vuccati. katamā nu kho, bhante, avijjā, kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti?

—
‘Ignorance, ignorance’, it said, Bhante. What, Bhante, is ignorance, and to what extent is one immersed in ignorance?

—
“idhāvuso assutavā puthujjano rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, vedanāya assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, saññāya assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, saṅkhārānaṃ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca
yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti.

—
Here, friend, an uninstructed ordinary person does not understand as it
really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to
Form, he does not understand as it really is the gratification, the
danger, and the escape in regard to Feeling, he does not understand as
it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to
Perception, he does not understand as it really is the gratification,
the danger, and the escape in regard to Fabrications, he does not
understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape
in regard to Consciousness.

—
ayaṃ vuccatāvuso, avijjā; ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti.

This, friend, is called ignorance, and it is to this extent that one is immersed in ignorance.

At SN 22.84, avijjā is likened to a ‘dense thicket’ (tibbo vanasaṇḍo) along the path to nibbāna. At MN 19, it is likened to a ‘decoy’ (okacara) set up by a hunter (Māra) in order to lure a herd of deers on a false path that will bring them calamity and disaster. At MN 105, avijjā is likened to a poison (visadosa) smeared on an arrow (salla) which has wounded someone. The arrow represents taṇhā, while the poison is spread out by chanda·rāga·byāpāda.

Avijjā is one of the three āsavas, along with kāma and bhava.

Avijjā is one of the four oghas (floods), as well as one of the four yogas (bonds), and is juxtaposed in both sets with kāma, bhava and diṭṭhi.

Avijjāyogo ca kathaṃ hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco channaṃ
phassāyatanānaṃ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca
nissaraṇañca yathā·bhūtaṃ nappajānāti. Tassa channaṃ phassāyatanānaṃ
samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathā·bhūtaṃ
appajānato yā chasu phassāyatanesu avijjā aññāṇaṃ sānuseti. Ayaṃ
vuccati, bhikkhave, avijjāyogo.

“And how is there the yoke of ignorance? There is the case where a
certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the
origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, & the
escape from the six sense media. When he does not discern, as it
actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the
drawbacks, & the escape from the six sense media, then — with regard
to ignorance concerning the six sense media — he is obsessed with
not-knowing. This is the yoke of ignorance.

Avijjā is one of the uddhambhāgiyā saṃyojanā (higher fetters), along with rūpa·rāga, arūpa·rāga, māna, and uddhacca.

Avijjā is also the last of the seven anusayas, along with kāma·rāga, paṭigha, diṭṭhi, vicikiccha, māna and bhava·rāga. As an anusaya, avijjā is related to adukkham·asukhā vedanā:

adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno tassā vedanāya samudayañca
atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti.
tassa avijjānusayo anuseti.

If, when touched by a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one does not
discern, as it actually is present, the origination, passing away,
allure, drawback, or escape from that feeling, then one’s
ignorance-obsession gets obsessed.

“adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī”ti…

Ignorance-obsession gets obsessed with neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling…

“sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī”ti?…

Does ignorance-obsession get obsessed with all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?…

“na sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī”ti…

No, ignorance-obsession does not get obsessed with all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling…

“adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya kiṃ pahātabban”ti?…

What is to be abandoned with regard to neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?…

“adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo”ti…

Ignorance-obsession is to be abandoned with regard to neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling…

“sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo”ti?…

Is ignorance-obsession to be abandoned with regard to all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?…

na sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo…

No, ignorance-obsession is not to be abandoned with regard to all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling…

idhāvuso visākha, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā, dukkhassa ca pahānā,
pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamā, adukkhamasukhaṃ
upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. avijjaṃ
tena pajahati, na tattha avijjānusayo anusetī”ti.

There is the case where a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure &
pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress —
enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. With that he abandons ignorance.
No ignorance-obsession gets obsessed there.

Avijjā is also related to ‘that which is felt born of contact with ignorance’ (avijjā·samphassa·ja vedayita):

atthi, bhikkhave, mano, atthi dhammā, atthi avijjādhātu.
avijjāsamphassajena, bhikkhave, vedayitena phuṭṭhassa assutavato
puthujjanassa ‘asmī’tipissa hoti; ‘ayamahamasmī’tipissa hoti;
‘bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘na bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘rūpī
bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘arūpī bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘saññī
bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘asaññī bhavissan’tipissa hoti;
‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’tipissa hoti”.

Now, there is the intellect, there are ideas (mental qualities), there
is the property of ignorance. To an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person,
touched by experience born of the contact of ignorance, there occur
(the thoughts): ‘I am,’ ‘I am thus,’ ‘I shall be,’ ‘I shall not be,’ ‘I
shall be possessed of form,’ ‘I shall be formless,’ ‘I shall be
percipient (conscious),’ ‘I shall be non-percipient,’ or ‘I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

“tiṭṭhanteva kho, bhikkhave, tattheva pañcindriyāni. athettha sutavato
ariyasāvakassa avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjati. tassa avijjāvirāgā
vijjuppādā ‘asmī’tipissa na hoti; ‘ayamahamasmī’tipissa na hoti;
‘bhavissan’tipissa na hoti; ‘na bhavissan’tipissa na hoti; ‘rūpī
bhavissan’tipissa na hoti; ‘arūpī bhavissan’tipissa na hoti; ‘saññī
bhavissan’tipissa na hoti; ‘asaññī bhavissan’tipissa na hoti;
‘nevasaññīnāsaññībhavissan’tipissa na hotī”ti.

The five faculties, monks, continue as they were. And with regard to
them the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones abandons ignorance
and gives rise to clear knowing. Owing to the fading of ignorance and
the arising of clear knowing, (the thoughts) — ‘I am,’ ‘I am this,’ ‘I
shall be,’ ‘I shall not be,’ ‘I shall be possessed of form,’ ‘I shall be
formless,’ ‘I shall be percipient (conscious),’ ‘I shall be
non-percipient,’ and ‘I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient’ —
do not occur to him.

avijjāsamphassajena, bhikkhave, vedayitena phuṭṭhassa assutavato puthujjanassa uppannā taṇhā

To an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person, touched by that which is felt born of contact with ignorance, craving arises.

At AN 3.67, avijjā is explained as having moha for synonym, although it is arguable that, given the position of avijjā among the anusayas, it would refer to a deeper type of mental factor related to ignorance, that may not be active all the time, of which moha would be the active expression through delusion.

Avijjā is also the root cause in paṭicca·samuppāda, giving rise to saṅkhāras. As mentioned above, the term is defined in this context at SN 12.2 as not knowing the four ariya·saccas. The role that avijjā plays in regard to other akusala dhammas is also referred to outside of the context of paṭicca·samuppāda:

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kūṭāgārassa yā kāci gopānasiyo sabbā tā
kūṭaṅgamā kūṭasamosaraṇā kūṭasamugghātā sabbā tā samugghātaṃ gacchanti;
evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci akusalā dhammā sabbe te avijjāmūlakā
avijjāsamosaraṇā avijjāsamugghātā, sabbe te samugghātaṃ gacchanti.

Just as the rafters in a peak-roofed house all go to the roof-peak,
incline to the roof-peak, converge at the roof-peak, and all are removed
when the
roof-peak is removed; in the same way, all unwholesome qualities are
rooted in
ignorance and converge upon ignorance, and all are removed when
ignorance is removed.

“avijjā, bhikkhave, pubbaṅgamā akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samāpattiyā,
anvadeva ahirikaṃ anottappaṃ. avijjāgatassa, bhikkhave, aviddasuno
micchādiṭṭhi pahoti; micchādiṭṭhissa micchāsaṅkappo pahoti;
micchāsaṅkappassa micchāvācā pahoti; micchāvācassa micchākammanto
pahoti; micchākammantassa micchāājīvo pahoti; micchāājīvassa
micchāvāyāmo pahoti; micchāvāyāmassa micchāsati pahoti; micchāsatissa
micchāsamādhi pahoti.

Monks, ignorance is the leader in the attainment of unskillful
qualities, followed by lack of conscience & lack of concern. In an
unknowledgeable person, immersed in ignorance, wrong view arises. In one
of wrong view, wrong resolve arises. In one of wrong resolve, wrong
speech arises. In one of wrong speech, wrong action arises. In one of
wrong action, wrong livelihood arises. In one of wrong livelihood, wrong
effort arises. In one of wrong effort, wrong mindfulness arises. In one
of wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration arises.

Avijjā gives rise to āsavas:

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, āsavānaṃ nidānasambhavo? avijjā, bhikkhave, āsavānaṃ nidānasambhavo…

And what is the cause by which fermentations come into play? Ignorance is the cause by which fermentations come into play…

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, āsavanirodho? avijjānirodho, bhikkhave, āsavanirodho.

And what is the cessation of fermentations? From the cessation of ignorance is the cessation of fermentations

As we will see below, the relationship between avijjā and āsavas is reciprocal. Avijjā is also specificly said to give rise to craving:

avijjānivutā posā, piyarūpābhinandino.

Men hindered by ignorance
seek delight in pleasant things

“bhavataṇhāmpāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sāhāraṃ vadāmi, no anāhāraṃ. ko cāhāro bhavataṇhāya? ‘avijjā’tissa vacanīyaṃ.

I say, bhikkhus, that craving for existence has a nutriment; it is not
without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for craving for existence?
It should be said: ignorance.

Avijjā appears due to specific factors. The five nīvaraṇas:

“purimā, bhikkhave, koṭi na paññāyati avijjāya: ‘ito pubbe avijjā
nāhosi, atha pacchā samabhavī’ti. evañcetaṃ, bhikkhave, vuccati, atha ca
pana paññāyati: ‘idappaccayā avijjā’ti. avijjampāhaṃ, bhikkhave,
sāhāraṃ vadāmi, no anāhāraṃ. ko cāhāro avijjāya? ‘pañca nīvaraṇā’tissa
vacanīyaṃ.

Bhikkhus, this is said: ‘A first point of ignorance, bhikkhus, is not
seen such that before this there was no ignorance and afterward it came
into being.’ Still, ignorance is seen to have a specific condition. I
say, bhikkhus, that ignorance has a nutriment; it is not without
nutriment. And what is the nutriment for ignorance? It should be said:
the five hindrances.

Ayoniso manasikāra:

“katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā na manasikaraṇīyā ye dhamme manasi karoti?
yassa, bhikkhave, dhamme manasikaroto anuppanno vā kāmāsavo uppajjati,
uppanno vā kāmāsavo pavaḍḍhati; anuppanno vā bhavāsavo uppajjati,
uppanno vā bhavāsavo pavaḍḍhati; anuppanno vā avijjāsavo uppajjati,
uppanno vā avijjāsavo pavaḍḍhati. ime dhammā na manasikaraṇīyā ye dhamme
manasi karoti…

And what are the ideas unfit for attention that he attends to? Whatever
ideas such that, when he attends to them, the unarisen fermentation of
sensuality arises in him, and the arisen fermentation of sensuality
increases; the unarisen fermentation of becoming arises in him, and
arisen fermentation of becoming increases; the unarisen fermentation of
ignorance arises in him, and the arisen fermentation of ignorance
increases. These are the ideas unfit for attention that he attends to…

“so evaṃ ayoniso manasi karoti: ‘ahosiṃ nu kho ahaṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? na
nu kho ahosiṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ nu kho ahosiṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? kathaṃ
nu kho ahosiṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ hutvā kiṃ ahosiṃ nu kho ahaṃ
atītamaddhānaṃ? bhavissāmi nu kho ahaṃ anāgatamaddhānaṃ? na nu kho
bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṃ?
kathaṃ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ hutvā kiṃ bhavissāmi nu
kho ahaṃ anāgatamaddhānan’ti? etarahi vā paccuppannamaddhānaṃ ajjhattaṃ
kathaṃkathī hoti: ‘ahaṃ nu khosmi? no nu khosmi? kiṃ nu khosmi? kathaṃ
nu khosmi? ayaṃ nu kho satto kuto āgato? so kuhiṃ gāmī bhavissatī’ti?

“This is how he attends inappropriately: ‘Was I in the past? Was I not
in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been
what, what was I in the past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be
in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the
future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?’ Or else he is
inwardly perplexed about the immediate present: ‘Am I? Am I not? What am
I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where is it bound?’

“tassa evaṃ ayoniso manasikaroto channaṃ diṭṭhīnaṃ aññatarā diṭṭhi
uppajjati. ‘atthi me attā’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati;
‘natthi me attā’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati; ‘attanāva
attānaṃ sañjānāmī’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati; ‘attanāva
anattānaṃ sañjānāmī’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati;
‘anattanāva attānaṃ sañjānāmī’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi
uppajjati; atha vā panassa evaṃ diṭṭhi hoti: ‘yo me ayaṃ attā vado
vedeyyo tatra tatra kalyāṇapāpakānaṃ kammānaṃ vipākaṃ paṭisaṃvedeti so
kho pana me ayaṃ attā nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo sassatisamaṃ
tatheva ṭhassatī’ti. idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhigataṃ diṭṭhigahanaṃ
diṭṭhikantāraṃ diṭṭhivisūkaṃ diṭṭhivipphanditaṃ diṭṭhisaṃyojanaṃ.
diṭṭhisaṃyojanasaṃyutto, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano na parimuccati
jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi;
‘na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

“As he attends inappropriately in this way, one of six kinds of view
arises in him: The view I have a self arises in him as true &
established, or the view I have no self… or the view It is precisely
by means of self that I perceive self… or the view It is precisely by
means of self that I perceive not-self… or the view It is precisely by
means of not-self that I perceive self arises in him as true &
established, or else he has a view like this: This very self of mine —
the knower that is sensitive here & there to the ripening of good
& bad actions — is the self of mine that is constant, everlasting,
eternal, not subject to change, and will stay just as it is for
eternity. This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a
contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views. Bound by a
fetter of views, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is not freed
from birth, aging, & death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, & despair. He is not freed, I tell you, from suffering
& stress.

Āsavas:

āsavasamudayā avijjāsamudayo, āsavanirodhā avijjānirodho

With the arising of the taints there is the arising of
ignorance. With the cessation of the taints there is the cessation of
ignorance.

A number of factors leading to the cessation of avijjā are also mentioned in the suttas. Kāyagatāsati:

“ekadhamme, bhikkhave, bhāvite bahulīkate avijjā pahīyati. katamasmiṃ ekadhamme? kāyagatāya satiyā.

When one thing, bhikkhus, is developed and cultivated, ignorance is abandoned. Which thing? Mindfulness directed to the body.

Anicca·saññā:

“aniccasaññā, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā sabbaṃ kāmarāgaṃ
pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ rūparāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ bhavarāgaṃ
pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ avijjaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ asmimānaṃ samūhanati”.

Bhikkhus, when the perception of impermanence is developed and
cultivated, it eliminates all sensual lust, it eliminates all lust for
existence, it eliminates all ignorance, it uproots all conceit ‘I am.’

…

…

“kathaṃ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, aniccasaññā kathaṃ bahulīkatā sabbaṃ
kāmarāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ rūparāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ bhavarāgaṃ
pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ avijjaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ asmimānaṃ samūhanati?
‘iti rūpaṃ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā,
iti vedanāya samudayo, iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo; iti saññā, iti saññāya
samudayo, iti saññāya atthaṅgamo; iti saṅkhārā, iti saṅkhārānaṃ
samudayo, iti saṅkhārānaṃ atthaṅgamo; iti viññāṇaṃ, iti viññāṇassa
samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. evaṃ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave,
aniccasaññā evaṃ bahulīkatā sabbaṃ kāmarāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ
rūparāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ bhavarāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ avijjaṃ
pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ asmimānaṃ samūhanatī”ti.

And how, bhikkhus, is the perception of impermanence developed and
cultivated so that it eliminates all sensual lust, eliminates all lust
for existence, eliminates all ignorance, and uproots all conceit ‘I am’?
‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling,
such its origin, such its passing away; such is perception, such its
origin, such its passing away; such are volitional formations, such
their origin, such their passing away; such is consciousness, such its
origin, such its passing away’: that is how the perception of
impermanence is developed and cultivated so that it eliminates all
sensual lust, eliminates all lust for existence, eliminates all
ignorance, and uproots all conceit ‘I am.’

—
“katamo pana, bhante, eko dhammo yassa pahānā bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī”ti?

—
“And what is that one thing, venerable sir, through the abandoning of
which ignorance is abandoned by a bhikkhu and true knowledge
arises?”

—
“avijjā kho, bhikkhu, eko dhammo yassa pahānā bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī”ti.

—
“Ignorance, bhikkhu, is that one thing through the abandoning of
which ignorance is abandoned by a bhikkhu and true knowledgearises.”

—
“kathaṃ pana, bhante, jānato, kathaṃ passato bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī”ti?

—
“But, venerable sir, how should one know, how should one
see, for ignorance to be abandoned by him and true knowledge to
arise?”

—
“cakkhuṃ kho, bhikkhu, aniccato jānato passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā
uppajjati. rūpe aniccato jānato passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā
uppajjati. cakkhuviññāṇaṃ… cakkhusamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā
adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi aniccato jānato passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā
uppajjati.
sotaṃ… sadde… sotaviññāṇaṃ… sotasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
sotasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
ghānaṃ… gandhe… ghānaviññāṇaṃ… ghānasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
ghānasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
jivhaṃ… rase… jivhaviññāṇaṃ… jivhasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
jivhasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
kāyaṃ… phoṭṭhabbe… kāyaviññāṇaṃ… kāyasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
kāyasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
manaṃ… dhamme… manoviññāṇaṃ… manosamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati… vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā
adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi aniccato jānato passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā
uppajjati. evaṃ kho, bhikkhu, jānato evaṃ passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā
uppajjatī”ti.

—
“Bhikkhu, when one knows and sees the eye as impermanent, ignorance is
abandoned and true knowledge arises. When one knows and sees forms as
impermanent … When one knows and sees eye-consciousness…
eye-contact… whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as
condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-norpleasant…
the ear… sounds… ear-consciousness… ear-contact… whatever
feeling arises with ear-contact…
the nose… smells… nose-consciousness… nose-contact… whatever
feeling arises with nose-contact…
the tongue… tastes… tongue-consciousness… tongue-contact…
whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact… the body… touches…
body-consciousness… body-contact… whatever feeling arises with
body-contact…
the mind… mental objects… mind-consciousness… mind-contact… When
one knows and sees as impermanent whatever feeling arises with
mind-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or
neither-painful-norpleasant—ignorance is abandoned and true knowledge
arises. When one knows and sees thus, bhikkhu, ignorance is abandoned
and true knowledge arises.”

“kathaṃ pana, bhante, jānato, kathaṃ passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī”ti?

“But, venerable sir, how should one know, how should one
see, for ignorance to be abandoned by him and true knowledge to
arise?”

“idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno sutaṃ hoti: ‘sabbe dhammā nālaṃ
abhinivesāyā’ti. evañcetaṃ, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno sutaṃ hoti: ‘sabbe dhammā
nālaṃ abhinivesāyā’ti, so sabbaṃ dhammaṃ abhijānāti, sabbaṃ dhammaṃ
abhiññāya sabbaṃ dhammaṃ parijānāti, sabbaṃ dhammaṃ pariññāya
sabbanimittāni aññato passati, cakkhuṃ aññato passati, rūpe…
cakkhuviññāṇaṃ… cakkhusamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ cakkhusamphassapaccayā
uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi aññato
passati…
sotaṃ… sadde… sotaviññāṇaṃ… sotasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
sotasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
ghānaṃ… gandhe… ghānaviññāṇaṃ… ghānasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
ghānasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
jivhaṃ… rase… jivhaviññāṇaṃ… jivhasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
jivhasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
kāyaṃ… phoṭṭhabbe… kāyaviññāṇaṃ… kāyasamphassaṃ… yampidaṃ
kāyasamphassapaccayā uppajjati…
manaṃ aññato passati, dhamme… manoviññāṇaṃ… manosamphassaṃ…
yampidaṃ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā
adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi aññato passati. evaṃ kho, bhikkhu, jānato evaṃ
passato bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī”ti.

“Here, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering
to.’ When a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering to,’ he
directly knows everything. Having directly known everything, he
fully understands everything. Having fully understood everything, he
sees all signs differently. He sees the eye differently, he sees forms
differently… eye-consciousness… eye-contact… whatever feeling
arises with eye-contact…
the nose… smells… nose-consciousness… nose-contact… whatever
feeling arises with nose-contact…
the tongue… tastes… tongue-consciousness… tongue-contact…
whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact… the body… touches…
body-consciousness… body-contact… whatever feeling arises with
body-contact…
the mind… mental objects… mind-consciousness… mind-contact…
whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition
… that too he sees differently. When one knows and sees thus, bhikkhu,
ignorance is abandoned and true knowledge arises.”

Samādhi:

“chahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu himavantaṃ pabbatarājaṃ
padāleyya, ko pana vādo chavāya avijjāya! katamehi chahi?

“Bhikkhus, possessing six qualities, a bhikkhu could break the
Himalayas, the king of mountains, how much more then [that] low
ignorance! What six?

idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samādhissa samāpattikusalo hoti,

Here, a bhikkhu is skilled in attaining of concentration;

samādhissa ṭhitikusalo hoti,

skilled in maintaining
concentration;

samādhissa vuṭṭhānakusalo hoti,

skilled in emerging from concentration;

samādhissa kallitakusalo hoti,

skilled in fitness for concentration;

samādhissa gocarakusalo hoti,

skilled in the area of
concentration;

samādhissa abhinīhārakusalo hoti.

skilled in resolution regarding
concentration.

Paññā:

vipassanā, bhikkhave, bhāvitā kamatthamanubhoti? paññā bhāvīyati. paññā bhāvitā kamatthamanubhoti? yā avijjā sā pahīyati.

When insight is developed, what purpose does it serve? Discernment is
developed. And when discernment is developed, what purpose does it
serve? Ignorance is abandoned.

Abhiññā:

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā? avijjā ca bhavataṇhā ca

What, monks, are the states to be abandoned with higher knowledge? They are ignorance and the desire for [further] becoming.

Cultivating appamāda and being ātāpī:

ayaṃ kho me, brāhmaṇa, rattiyā paṭhame yāme paṭhamā vijjā adhigatā,
avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato āloko uppanno, yathā taṃ
appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

This was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night.
Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light
arose — as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.

āvuso: friend - usually in conversation between
bhikkhus, a form of polite address ‘friend, brother Sir’, although quite
informal since it is used by the disciple as well as the master in
return.

āyasmā: venerable - lit: old. Used as a respectful appellation of a bhikkhu of some standing.

āyatana: sphere, stretch, extent, reach, sphere of perception. The word appears mainly in two contexts:

1) as refering both to the six physical sense organs, i.e. cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, mana, as well as to their respective objects, i.e. rūpa visible objects, sadda sounds, gandha smells, rasa tastes, phoṭṭhabba tangible bodily phenomena, dhamma mental phenomena.

2) to designate each of the four formless jhānas.

ayoniso manasikāra:

inappropiate attention, unwise reflection.

The most substantial characterization of ayoniso manasikāra is provided in the Sabbāsavā Sutta:

“so evaṃ ayoniso manasi karoti: ‘ahosiṃ nu kho ahaṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? na
nu kho ahosiṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ nu kho ahosiṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? kathaṃ
nu kho ahosiṃ atītamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ hutvā kiṃ ahosiṃ nu kho ahaṃ
atītamaddhānaṃ? bhavissāmi nu kho ahaṃ anāgatamaddhānaṃ? na nu kho
bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṃ?
kathaṃ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṃ? kiṃ hutvā kiṃ bhavissāmi nu
kho ahaṃ anāgatamaddhānan’ti? etarahi vā paccuppannamaddhānaṃ ajjhattaṃ
kathaṃkathī hoti: ‘ahaṃ nu khosmi? no nu khosmi? kiṃ nu khosmi? kathaṃ
nu khosmi? ayaṃ nu kho satto kuto āgato? so kuhiṃ gāmī bhavissatī’ti?

This is how he attends inappropriately: ‘Was I in the past? Was I not in
the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been
what, what was I in the past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be
in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the
future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?’ Or else he is
inwardly perplexed about the immediate present: ‘Am I? Am I not? What am
I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where is it bound?’

“tassa evaṃ ayoniso manasikaroto channaṃ diṭṭhīnaṃ aññatarā diṭṭhi
uppajjati. ‘atthi me attā’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati;
‘natthi me attā’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati; ‘attanāva
attānaṃ sañjānāmī’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati; ‘attanāva
anattānaṃ sañjānāmī’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi uppajjati;
‘anattanāva attānaṃ sañjānāmī’ti vā assa saccato thetato diṭṭhi
uppajjati; atha vā panassa evaṃ diṭṭhi hoti: ‘yo me ayaṃ attā vado
vedeyyo tatra tatra kalyāṇapāpakānaṃ kammānaṃ vipākaṃ paṭisaṃvedeti so
kho pana me ayaṃ attā nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo sassatisamaṃ
tatheva ṭhassatī’ti. idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, diṭṭhigataṃ diṭṭhigahanaṃ
diṭṭhikantāraṃ diṭṭhivisūkaṃ diṭṭhivipphanditaṃ diṭṭhisaṃyojanaṃ.
diṭṭhisaṃyojanasaṃyutto, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano na parimuccati
jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi;
‘na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

As he attends inappropriately in this way, one of six kinds of view
arises in him: The view I have a self arises in him as true &
established, or the view I have no self… or the view It is precisely
by means of self that I perceive self… or the view It is precisely by
means of self that I perceive not-self… or the view It is precisely by
means of not-self that I perceive self arises in him as true &
established, or else he has a view like this: This very self of mine —
the knower that is sensitive here & there to the ripening of good
& bad actions — is the self of mine that is constant, everlasting,
eternal, not subject to change, and will stay just as it is for
eternity. This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a
contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views. Bound by a
fetter of views, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is not freed
from birth, aging, & death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, & despair. He is not freed, I tell you, from suffering
& stress.

According to the commentary, ayoniso manasikāra
is attention or reflection that constitutes the wrong means or the
wrong track (uppatha), that is contrary to the truth, as for example the
vipallāsas:
attention to the impermanent as permanent, the unpleasant as pleasant,
what is not self as self, and what is foul as beautiful.

The Akusalavitakka Sutta also provides a connection with the wrong type of vitakkas:

ekaṃ samayaṃ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṃ vanasaṇḍe.
tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu divāvihāragato pāpake akusale vitakke
vitakketi, seyyathidaṃ kāmavitakkaṃ, byāpādavitakkaṃ, vihiṃsāvitakkaṃ.
atha kho yā tasmiṃ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno
anukampikā atthakāmā taṃ bhikkhuṃ saṃvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu
tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṃ bhikkhuṃ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

On one occasion a certain monk was dwelling among the Kosalans in a
forest thicket. Now at that time, he spent the day’s abiding thinking
evil, unskillful thoughts: i.e., thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill
will, thoughts of doing harm. Then the devata inhabiting the forest
thicket, feeling sympathy for the monk, desiring his benefit, desiring
to bring him to his senses, approached him and addressed him with this
verse:

“ayoniso manasikārā, so vitakkehi khajjasi.

From inappropriate attention, you’re being chewed by your thoughts.

At AN 5.151, ayoniso manasikāra is juxtaposed with an·ekagga·citta (see ekagga·tā for an antonym) in one single item as an attitude preventing one who listens to the Dhamma from realizing it.

Ayoniso manasikāra prevents wholesome states from arising:

The seven bojjhaṅgas:

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppannā vā
bojjhaṅgā nuppajjanti uppannā vā bojjhaṅgā na bhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchanti
yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, ayonisomanasikāro.

Bhikkhus, I do not see any other thing because of which unarisen factors
of awakening do not arise and arisen factors of enlightenment do not go
to their completion through development so much as inappropriate
attention.

Sati·sampajañña:

asatāsampajaññampāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sāhāraṃ vadāmi, no anāhāraṃ. ko cāhāro
asatāsampajaññassa? ‘ayonisomanasikāro’’tissa vacanīyaṃ.

Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension, too, I say, has a
nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for
lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension? It should be said: careless
attention.

Ayoniso manasikāra also gives rise to other akusala dhammas:

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppannā vā
akusalā dhammā uppajjanti uppannā vā kusalā dhammā parihāyanti
yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, ayonisomanasikāro.

Bhikkhus, I do not see any other thing because of which unarisen
unwholesome states arise and arisen wholesome states decline, so much as
inappropriate attention.

In particular, in conjunction with other phenomena, it gives rise to the five nīvaraṇas:

ko ca, bhikkhave, āhāro anuppannassa vā kāmacchandassa uppādāya,
uppannassa vā kāmacchandassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya? atthi, bhikkhave,
subhanimittaṃ. tattha ayonisomanasikārabahulīkāro: ayamāhāro
anuppannassa vā kāmacchandassa uppādāya, uppannassa vā kāmacchandassa
bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.

And what is the food for the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or for
the growth & increase of sensual desire once it has arisen? There is
the theme of beauty. To foster inappropriate attention to it: This is
the food for the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or for the growth
& increase of sensual desire once it has arisen.

“ko ca, bhikkhave, āhāro anuppannassa vā byāpādassa uppādāya, uppannassa
vā byāpādassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya? atthi, bhikkhave,
paṭighanimittaṃ. tattha ayonisomanasikārabahulīkāro: ayamāhāro
anuppannassa vā byāpādassa uppādāya, uppannassa vā byāpādassa
bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.

And what is the food for the arising of unarisen ill will, or for the
growth & increase of ill will once it has arisen? There is the theme
of resistance. To foster inappropriate attention to it: This is the
food for the arising of unarisen ill will, or for the growth &
increase of ill will once it has arisen.

“ko ca, bhikkhave, āhāro anuppannassa vā thinamiddhassa uppādāya,
uppannassa vā thinamiddhassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya? atthi, bhikkhave,
arati tandi vijambhitā bhattasammado cetaso ca līnattaṃ. tattha
ayonisomanasikārabahulīkāro: ayamāhāro anuppannassa vā thinamiddhassa
uppādāya, uppannassa vā thinamiddhassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.

And what is the food for the arising of unarisen sloth & drowsiness,
or for the growth & increase of sloth & drowsiness once it has
arisen? There are boredom, weariness, yawning, drowsiness after a meal,
& sluggishness of awareness. To foster inappropriate attention to
them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen sloth &
drowsiness, or for the growth & increase of sloth & drowsiness
once it has arisen.

“ko ca, bhikkhave, āhāro anuppannassa vā uddhaccakukkuccassa uppādāya,
uppannassa vā uddhaccakukkuccassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya? atthi,
bhikkhave, cetaso avūpasamo. tattha ayonisomanasikārabahulīkāro:
ayamāhāro anuppannassa vā uddhaccakukkuccassa uppādāya, uppannassa vā
uddhaccakukkuccassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.

And what is the food for the arising of unarisen restlessness &
anxiety, or for the growth & increase of restlessness & anxiety
once it has arisen? There is non-stillness of awareness. To foster
inappropriate attention to that: This is the food for the arising of
unarisen restlessness & anxiety, or for the growth & increase of
restlessness & anxiety once it has arisen.

When it comes to vicikicchā, ayoniso manasikāra is the cause per se:

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppannā vā
vicikicchā uppajjati uppannā vā vicikicchā bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya
saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, ayonisomanasikāro.

Bhikkhus, I do not see any other thing because of which unarisen doubt
arises and arisen doubt increases and multiplies, so much as
inappropriate attention.

Ayoniso manasikāra is also the direct cause for the arising of micchā·diṭṭhi:

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppannā vā
micchādiṭṭhi uppajjati uppannā vā micchādiṭṭhi pavaḍḍhati yathayidaṃ,
bhikkhave, ayonisomanasikāro.

Bhikkhus, I do not see any other thing because of which unarisen wrong
view arises and arisen wrong view increases and multiplies, so much as
inappropriate attention.

It generally leads to ‘great harm’ (mahato anatthāya):

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ mahato
anatthāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, ayoniso manasikāro.

Bhikkhus, I do not see any other thing that leads to such great harm as inappropriate attention.

It leads particularly to the disappearance of the Dhamma (saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya):

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ saddhammassa
sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave,
ayonisomanasikāro.

Bhikkhus, I do not see any other thing that leads to the decline and
disappearance of the good Dhamma, so much as inappropriate attention.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo? Seyyathidaṃ sammādiṭṭhi,
sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammā-ājīvo, sammāvāyāmo,
sammāsati, sammāsamādhi.

Now what, monks, is the Noble Eightfold Path? Right view, right resolve,
right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi? Yaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe ñāṇaṃ,
dukkha-samudaye ñāṇaṃ , dukkha-nirodhe ñāṇaṃ, dukkha-nirodha-gāminiyā
paṭipadāya ñāṇaṃ ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi.

And what, monks, is right view? Knowledge with regard to stress,
knowledge with regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with
regard to the stopping of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of
practice leading to the stopping of stress: This, monks, is called right
view.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo? Yo kho, bhikkhave,
nekkhamma-saṅkappo , abyāpāda-saṅkappo, avihiṃsā-saṅkappo ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.

And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom
from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called right resolve.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā? Yā kho, bhikkhave, musāvādā veramaṇī,
pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī, samphappalāpā
veramaṇī ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvācā.

And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, abstaining from
divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle
chatter: This, monks, is called right speech.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammā-kammanto? Yā kho, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātā
veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, abrahmacariyā veramaṇī ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, sammā-kammanto.

And what, monks, is right action? Abstaining from taking life,
abstaining from stealing, abstaining from unchastity: This, monks, is
called right action.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammā-ājīvo? Idha, bhikkhave, ariya-sāvako
micchā-ājīvaṃ pahāya sammā-ājīvena jīvitaṃ kappeti ayaṃ vuccati,
bhikkhave, sammā-ājīvo.

And what, monks, is right livelihood? There is the case where a disciple
of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his
life going with right livelihood: This, monks, is called right
livelihood.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṃ
pāpakānaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ anuppādāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati
vīriyaṃ ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati; uppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ
akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ pahānāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati
cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati; anuppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ uppādāya
chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati;
uppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya
vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati
cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo.

And what, monks, is right effort? (i) There is the case where a monk
generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts
his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful
qualities that have not yet arisen. (ii) He generates desire, endeavors,
activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of
the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. (iii) He
generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds &
exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that
have not yet arisen. (iv) He generates desire, endeavors, activates
persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance,
non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of
skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right
effort.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāsati? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke
abhijjhā-domanassaṃ; vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno
satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhā-domanassaṃ; citte cittānupassī viharati
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhā-domanassaṃ; dhammesu
dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke
abhijjhā-domanassaṃ.
Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsati.

And what, monks, is right mindfulness? (i) There is the case where a
monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, aware,
& mindful — putting away greed & distress with reference to the
world. (ii) He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves —
ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed & distress with
reference to the world. (iii) He remains focused on the mind in & of
itself — ardent, aware, & mindful — putting away greed &
distress with reference to the world. (iv) He remains focused on mental
qualities in & of themselves — ardent, aware, & mindful —
putting away greed & distress with reference to the world. This,
monks, is called right mindfulness.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ
vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati;
vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ
avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pītisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja
viharati;
pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena
paṭisaṃvedeti yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā
sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati;
sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṃ
atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṃ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ catutthaṃ jhānaṃ
upasampajja viharati.
Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhi ti.

And what, monks, is right concentration? (i) There is the case where a
monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful
(mental) qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture
& pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought
& evaluation. (ii) With the stilling of directed thoughts &
evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture &
pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from
directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance. (iii) With the
fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and
senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third
jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he
has a pleasant abiding.’ (iv) With the abandoning of pleasure & pain
— as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he
enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This, monks, is called right
concentration.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is most famously introduced at SN 56.11 as the Middle Way (majjhimā paṭipadā), i.e. the path avoiding both hedonism and self-mortification:

Dve·me, bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā. Katame dve? Yo c·āyaṃ
kāmesu kāma·sukh·allik·ānuyogo hīno gammo pothujjaniko an·ariyo
an·attha·saṃhito, yo c·āyaṃ attakilamath·ānuyogo dukkho an·ariyo
an·attha·saṃhito. Ete kho, bhikkhave, ubho ante an·upagamma majjhimā
paṭipadā tathāgatena abhisambuddhā cakkhu·karaṇī ñāṇa·karaṇī upasamāya
abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.

These two extremes, bhikkhus, should not be adopted by one who has gone
forth from the home life. Which two? On one hand, the devotion to
hedonism towards sensuality, which is inferior, vulgar, common, ignoble,
deprived of benefit, and on the other hand the devotion to
self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, deprived of benefit.
Without going to these two extremes, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata has fully
awaken to the Middle Way, which produces vision, which produces
knowledge, and leads to appeasement, to direct knowledge, to awakening,
to Nibbāna.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is also introduced later on in that same sutta as the fourth ariya·sacca:

Idaṃ kho pana, bhikkhave, dukkha·nirodha·gāminī paṭipadā ariya·saccaṃ:
ayam·eva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṃ: sammā·diṭṭhi
sammā·saṅkappo sammā·vācā sammā·kammanto sammā·ājīvo sammā·vāyāmo
sammā·sati sammā·samādhi.

Furthermore, bhikkhus, this is the noble truth of path leading to the
cessation of suffering: just this noble eightfold path, that is to say:
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

♦ As explained above at SN 56.11, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is what leads to nibbāna. At SN 45.62, the former leads towards the latter just as the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east (seyyathāpi gaṅgā nadī pācīna·ninnā pācīna·poṇā pācīna·pabbhārā). At SN 45.86, the path is like a tree slanting, sloping and inclining towards the east (seyyathāpi rukkho pācīna·ninno pācīna·poṇo pācīna·pabbhāro) and that could only fall towards that direction if it were to be cut at the foot. It is also said to be the way leading to amata (amata·gāmi·maggo, SN 45.7), or to the unconditioned (a·saṅkhata·gāmi·maggo, SN 43.11).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga has its own entire saṃyutta (SN 45), that is rich in similes and explanations.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is given various designations. At MN 19, it is called ‘The peaceful and safe path to be followed with exaltation’ (khemo maggo sovatthiko pīti·gamanīyo). It is often identified with the brahmacariya (e.g. SN 45.6), or with asceticism (sāmañña) such as at SN 45.35, or brahminhood (brahmañña) such as at SN 45.36. At SN 12.65, it is the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the sammā·Sambuddhā of the past. At SN 35.191, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is compared to a raft to cross over from identity to ‘the other shore’, which stands for nibbāna. At SN 45.4, after Ānanda sees a brahmin on a luxurious chariot and calls it a ‘brahmic vehicle’ (brahma·yāna), the Buddha says that is actually a designation for the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, along with the ‘Dhamma vehicle’ (dhamma·yāna) and the ’supreme victory in battle’ (anuttara saṅgāma·vijaya). The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is also called rightness (sammatta, SN 45.21), kusalā dhammā (SN 45.22), the right way (sammā·paṭipada, SN 45.23) and right practice (sammā·paṭipatti, SN 45.31).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is part of a set of 37 dhammas which are sometimes listed together (e.g. at AN 10.90, SN 22.81). They are sometimes called the bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, although this expression doesn’t have a strict definition in the suttas and is loosely used to describe other sets. The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is also said at SN 45.155 to develop those bodhi·pakkhiya·dhammā.

♦ Each factor (aṅga) of the path is said to lead to the next:

“sammattaṃ, bhikkhave, āgamma ārādhanā hoti, no virādhanā. kathañca,
bhikkhave, sammattaṃ āgamma ārādhanā hoti, no virādhanā?
sammādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo pahoti, sammāsaṅkappassa
sammāvācā pahoti, sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti, sammākammantassa
sammāājīvo pahoti, sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmo pahoti, sammāvāyāmassa
sammāsati pahoti, sammāsatissa sammāsamādhi pahoti.

Having come to rightness, bhikkhus, there is success, not failure. And
how, bhikkhus, is it that having come to rightness, there is success,
not failure? For one of right view, right thought arises. For one
of right thought, right speech arises. For one of right speech, right
action arises. For one of right action, right livelihood arises. For one
of right livelihood, right effort arises. For one of right effort,
right mindfulness arises. For one of right mindfulness, right
concentration arises.

A similar progression is also notably found at SN
45.1. AN 7.45 states that all the other seven factors of the path are
the ’supports’ (upanisa) and ‘accessories’ (parikkhāra) of sammā·samādhi. MN 117 further explains how the factors interact, according to the following pattern:

“tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti. kathañca, bhikkhave,
sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti? micchāsaṅkappaṃ ‘micchāsaṅkappo’ti
pajānāti, sammāsaṅkappaṃ ‘sammāsaṅkappo’ti pajānāti, sāssa hoti
sammādiṭṭhi.

Therein, bhikkhus, right view is the forerunner. And how is right view
the forerunner? One understands wrong thought as wrong thought and right
thought as right thought: this is one’s right
view.

…

…

so micchāsaṅkappassa pahānāya vāyamati, sammāsaṅkappassa upasampadāya,
svāssa hoti sammāvāyāmo. so sato micchāsaṅkappaṃ pajahati, sato
sammāsaṅkappaṃ upasampajja viharati; sāssa hoti sammāsati. itiyime tayo
dhammā sammāsaṅkappaṃ anuparidhāvanti anuparivattanti, seyyathidaṃ
sammādiṭṭhi, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati.

One makes an effort to abandon wrong thought and to acquire right
thought: this is one’s right effort. One abandons wrong thought
mindfully, and acquires and remains in right thought mindfully: this is
one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three things rotate and circle
around right thought, that is, right view, right effort, and right
mindfulness.

♦ The enumeration of each path factor is sometimes
punctuated by four different formulas. The first one is found for
example at SN 45.2 and is in fact mainly used with the bojjhaṅgas, and occasionally with (spiritual) indriyas or balas: ‘based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release’ (viveka·nissita virāga·nissita nirodha·nissita vossagga·pariṇāmi).

The second formula can be found at SN 45.4 and says: ‘which
has the removal of avidity as its final goal, the removal of hatred as
its final goal, the removal of delusion as its final goal’ (rāga·vinaya·pariyosāna dosa·vinaya·pariyosāna moha·vinaya·pariyosāna).

The third one is found for example at SN 45.115 and says: ‘which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal’ (amat·ogadha amata·parāyana amata·pariyosāna).

The fourth is found for example at SN 45.91 and says: ‘which slants towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, inclines towards Nibbāna‘ (nibbāna·ninna nibbāna·poṇa nibbāna·pabbhāra).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, if unarisen, does not arise apart from the appearance of a Buddha (n·āññatra tathāgatassa pātubhāvā arahato sammāsambuddhassa, SN 45.14) or the Discipline of a Sublime one (n·āññatra sugata·vinaya, SN 45.15).

♦ At SN 55.5, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is what defines sotāpatti, since sota (the stream) is the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga itself, and a sotāpanna is one who possesses it:

—
“‘soto, soto’ti hidaṃ, sāriputta, vuccati. katamo nu kho, sāriputta, soto”ti?

—
It said: ‘The stream, the stream’, Sāriputta. What now, Sāriputta, is ‘the stream’?

—
“ayameva hi, bhante, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo soto

—
Bhante, the stream is just this noble eightfold path

…

…

—
“‘sotāpanno, sotāpanno’ti hidaṃ, sāriputta, vuccati. katamo nu kho, sāriputta, sotāpanno”ti?

—
It said: ‘A stream-enterer, a stream-enterer’, Sāriputta. What now, Sāriputta, is ‘a stream-enterer’?

—
“yo hi, bhante, iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato ayaṃ vuccati sotāpanno

—
Bhante, whoever is possessed of this noble eightfold path is called a stream-enterer

♦ At MN 126, the 8 factors of the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga are presented as a technology of the mind (’a proper method for procuring fruit’: yoni hesā phalassa adhigamāya)
whose results do not depend on making wishes, but instead rely solely
on the laws of nature, which is metaphorically illustrated by how one
gets sesame oil by using the right technique (pressing seeds sprinkled
with water), how one gets milk (by milking a recently calved cow),
butter (by churning curd), or fire (by rubbing a dry, sapless, piece of
wood with a proper fire-stick).

♦ At AN 4.237, the 8 factors of the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga constitute ‘kamma that is neither dark nor bright with neither-dark-nor-bright result, that leads to the destruction of kamma‘ (kammaṃ a·kaṇhā·sukkaṃ a·kaṇhā·sukka·vipākaṃ, kamma·kkhayāya saṃvattati).

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is not seldom augmented to become a tenfold set, with the addition of sammā·ñāṇa and sammā·vimutti. SN 45.26 seems to indicate that these two factors are relevant only for the arahant, as they are what makes the difference between a sappurisa and someone who is better than a sappurisa (sappurisena sappurisataro).

♦ Ten phenomena are said to be the precursors for the arising of the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, the first seven according to the following simile:

sūriyassa, bhikkhave, udayato etaṃ pubbaṅgamaṃ etaṃ pubbanimittaṃ,
yadidaṃ, aruṇuggaṃ; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ariyassa
aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa uppādāya etaṃ pubbaṅgamaṃ etaṃ pubbanimmittaṃ…

This, bhikkhus, is the forerunner and foretoken of the rising of the
sun, that is, the dawn. In the same way, bhikkhus, for a bhikkhu this is
the forerunner and foretoken of the arising of the noble eightfold
path…

In each case, it is said that when a bhikkhu satisfies the condition, ‘it
is expected that he will develop the noble eightfold path, that he will
cultivate the noble eightfold path (pāṭikaṅkhaṃ ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ
maggaṃ bhāvessati, ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkarissati).

1. Mentioned most often is kalyāṇa·mittatā (with the above sunrise simile at SN 45.49). It is most famously said at SN 45.2 to be the entire brahmacariya (sakalam·ev·idaṃ brahmacariyaṃ), since it can be expected from one who develops it that he will practice the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga, all the more that as we have seen earlier (e.g. at SN 45.6), brahmacariya is also defined as the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga itself. We find as well a formula reminiscent of the suttas found at the beginning of AN 1:

nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi, yena anuppanno vā
ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo uppajjati, uppanno vā ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo
bhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchati, yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, kalyāṇamittatā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, because of which the
unarisen noble eightfold path arises and the arisen noble eightfold path
goes to the plenitude of its development so much, bhikkhus, as because
of favorable friendship.

2. Sīla
is also mentioned a few times independently from the sunrise simile, in
the context of which it is introduced at SN 45.50 as accomplishment in
virtue (sīla·sampadā). Such examples include the following:

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ye keci balakaraṇīyā kammantā karīyanti, sabbe
te pathaviṃ nissāya pathaviyaṃ patiṭṭhāya evamete balakaraṇīyā kammantā
karīyanti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya
ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bhāveti ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ
bahulīkaroti.

Just as, bhikkhus, whatever actions are to be performed with strength
are all performed on dependence on the earth, supported by the earth; in
the same way, bhikkhus, it is on dependence on virtue, supported by
virtue, that a bhikkhu develops the noble eightfold path, that he
cultivates the noble eightfold path.

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ye kecime bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ
vepullaṃ āpajjanti, sabbe te pathaviṃ nissāya pathaviyaṃ patiṭṭhāya
evamete bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuḍḍhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjanti; evameva
kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlaṃ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ
maggaṃ bhāvento ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkaronto vuḍḍhiṃ
virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ pāpuṇāti dhammesu.

Just as, bhikkhus, whatever kinds of seed and plant life come to
development, growth, and plenitude, all come to development, growth, and
plenitude on dependence on the earth, supported by the earth; in the
same way, bhikkhus, on dependence on virtue, supported by virtue, a
bhikkhu developing the noble eightfold path, cultivating the noble
eightfold path, comes to development, growth, and plenitude in
[wholesome] mental states.

3. Appamāda
is also mentioned a few times independently from the sunrise simile, in
the context of which it is introduced at SN 45.54 as accomplishment in
assiduity (appamāda·sampadā). Such examples are found at SN 45.139 and SN 45.140.

4. Sammā·diṭṭhi (AN 10.121) or accomplishment in view (diṭṭhi·sampadā, SN 45.53),
are mentioned with the sunrise simile as precursors of the path,
without surprise since as we have seen above, each path factor leads to
the next, and sammā·diṭṭhi stands first.

5. Accomplishment in desire (chanda·sampadā) is mentioned with the sunrise simile at SN 45.51. The Commentary explains it as desire for kusalā dhammā. In a related meaning, the word chanda appears notably in the sammā·vāyāma formula.

6. Accomplishment in self (atta·sampadā), mentioned with the sunrise simile at SN 45.52. The commentary explains the expression as sampanna·citta·tā (accomplishment in mind), which suggests the attainment of samādhi (see adhi·citta·sikkhā). The expression ‘atta·ññū hoti’ (one who knows himself) may explain the term. At SN 7.68, it is explained as knowing oneself to have saddhā, sīla, learning (suta), cāga, paññā and understanding (paṭibhāna).

7. Accomplishment in appropriate attention (yoniso·manasikāra-sampadā), mentioned with the sunrise simile at SN 45.52.

8, 9 & 10. Vijjā followed by hiri and ottappa (anva·d·eva hir·ottappa) is said to be the forerunner (pubb·aṅgama) in the entry upon kusalā dhammā (kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samāpatti) at SN 45.1 and AN 10.105.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is said at AN 4.34 to be the highest (agga) of saṅkhatā dhammā and to bring the highest vipākā.

♦ As we have seen above at SN 56.11, the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga produces ñāṇa·dassana and leads to upasama, sambodhi and Nibbāna. Between SN 45.161 and SN 45.180, it is also said to lead to the direct knowledge (abhiññā), full understanding (pariññā), complete destruction (parikkhaya), and abandoning (pahāna) of various phenomena: the three discriminations (vidhā), i.e. ‘I am superior’ (‘seyyo·ham·asmī’ti), ‘I am equal’ (‘sadiso·ham·asmī’ti), ‘I am inferior’ (hīno·ham·asmī’ti); the three searches (esanā), i.e. the search for sensuality (kām·esanā), the search for [a good] existence (bhav·esanā), the search for the brahmic life (brahmacariy·esanā); the three āsavā; the three bhavā; the three sufferings (dukkhatā), i.e. the suffering from pain (dukkha·dukkhatā), the suffering from Constructions (saṅkhāra·dukkhatā), the suffering from change (vipariṇāma·dukkhatā); the three akusalamulā; the three types of vedanā; kāma, diṭṭhi and avijjā; the four upādānā; abhijjhā, byāpāda, sīla·bbata parāmāsa and adherence to [the view] ‘This [alone] is the truth’ (idaṃ·sacc·ābhinivesa); the seven anusayā; the five kāma·guṇā; the five nīvaraṇā; the five upādāna·kkhandhas; the ten saṃyojanā.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga also leads to the cessation (nirodha) of phenomena: MN 9 lists all the twelve links of paṭicca·samuppāda, the four āhārā and the three āsavā; AN 6.63 additionally speaks of the cessation of kāma and kamma; SN 22.56 mentions the cessation of each of the five upādāna·kkhandhas.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga is the tool to remove akusalā dhammā. In that respect, MN 3 directly mentions all the 16 upakkilesā (with dosa in place of byāpāda). A number of similes illustrating this point are given in the Magga Saṃyutta: at SN 45.153, akusalā dhammā
are given up by the mind like a pot turned upside down ‘gives up’ its
water; at SN 45.156, they are disintegrated like a cloud providing rain
disintegrates a dust storm; at SN 45.157, they are dispersed like a
strong wind disperses a great cloud giving rain; at SN 45.158, they are
like the ropes on a ship that rot under inclement weather.

♦ The ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga gives strength
to the mind, as explained in SN 45.27’s simile, where it is compared to
the stand of a pot that makes it difficult to get knocked over. At SN
45.160, people, powerful or not, wishing to convince a bhikkhu
cultivating the ariya aṭṭh·aṅg·ika magga to abandon monkhood by
offering him wealth will be no more successful than people wishing to
change the direction of the Ganges, because his mind is inclined to
seclusion.

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, āgantukāgāraṃ. tattha puratthimāyapi disāya
āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, pacchimāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti,
uttarāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, dakkhiṇāyapi disāya āgantvā
vāsaṃ kappenti, khattiyāpi āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, brāhmaṇāpi āgantvā
vāsaṃ kappenti, vessāpi āgantvā vāsaṃ kappenti, suddāpi āgantvā vāsaṃ
kappenti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ
bhāvento ariyaṃ aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ maggaṃ bahulīkaronto ye dhammā abhiññā
pariññeyyā, te dhamme abhiññā parijānāti, ye dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā,
te dhamme abhiññā pajahati, ye dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā, te dhamme
abhiññā sacchikaroti, ye dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā, te dhamme abhiññā
bhāveti.

Suppose, monks, there is a guest-house. Travelers come from the east,
the west, the north, the south to lodge here: nobles and Brahmans,
merchants and serfs. In the same way, monks, a monk who cultivates the
Noble Eightfold Path, who assiduously practices the Noble Eightfold
Path, comprehends with higher knowledge those states that are to be so
comprehended, abandons with higher knowledge those states that are to be
so abandoned, comes to experience with higher knowledge those states
that are to be so experienced, and cultivates with higher knowledge
those states that are to be so cultivated.

“katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pariññeyyā? pañcupādānakkhandhātissa vacanīyaṃ…

What, monks, are the states to be comprehended with higher knowledge? They are the five groups of clinging…

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā? avijjā ca bhavataṇhā ca…

What, monks, are the states to be abandoned with higher knowledge? They are ignorance and the desire for [further] becoming…

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā? vijjā ca vimutti ca…

And what, monks, are the states to be experienced with higher knowledge? They are knowledge and liberation…

katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā? samatho ca vipassanā ca.

And what, monk, are the states to be cultivated with higher knowledge? They are calm and insight.

ariyasacca: [ariya+sacca] noble truth. The four ariya·saccas are expounded by the Buddha in his very first discourse, the Dhamma-cakka’p'pavattana Sutta. It consists of:

ariyasāvaka: [ariya+sāvaka] noble disciple.

arūpabhava: [a+rūpa+bhava] existence/ becoming in the formless realm, which is taken as meaning those Brahmā-lokas which are accessible only to those who master at least the fifth jhāna. Arūpa-bhava is one of the three types of bhava.

asantuṭṭhitā: [a+santuṭṭhitā]

discontent, dissatisfaction.

asantuṭṭha:

discontent, dissatisfied

♦ Sometimes, the adjective a·santuṭṭha is used with a rather neutral connotation, as at SN 35.198, where a bhikkhu is simply not satisfied with the answers given to his question.

♦ Most of the time, the word and its lexical derivatives carry a negative (akusala) connotation:

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yena anuppannā vā
akusalā dhammā uppajjanti uppannā vā kusalā dhammā parihāyanti
yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, asantuṭṭhitā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, because of which unarisen
unwholesome mental states come to arise, or arisen wholesome mental
states come to decline, so much, bhikkhus, as because of
dissatisfaction.

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ mahato anatthāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, asantuṭṭhitā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, that leads to such great harm as discontent.

“nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, aññaṃ ekadhammampi samanupassāmi yo evaṃ saddhammassa
sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattati yathayidaṃ, bhikkhave, asantuṭṭhitā.

I do not see even one other thing, bhikkhus, that leads to the decline
and confusion of the authentic Dhamma so much as discontent.

“so vatānanda, bhikkhu ‘asantuṭṭho samāno imasmiṃ dhammavinaye vuddhiṃ virūḷhiṃ vepullaṃ āpajjissatī’ti netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.

It is impossible, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu who is not content will find growth, progress, and completion in this Dhamma-Vinaya.

When the word carries such a connotation, being a·santuṭṭha is explained as follows:

bhikkhu mahiccho hoti, vighātavā, asantuṭṭho, itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena

a bhikkhu has great desires, is annoyed and is not content with whatever
kind of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicines & provisions for
the sick [he gets]

As it is the case above, the word a·santuṭṭhitā or its lexical derivatives are very often juxtaposed with mahicchatā, which can almost be considered a synonym. In the Vinaya, lay people who are offended by bhikkhus’ behavior often say:

mahicchā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā asantuṭṭhā.

These ascetics sons of the Sakyan are of great desires, not contented.

This happens typically when misbehaving bhikkhus put
unnecessary pressure on lay supporters, either by asking more than the
strict minimum they need, or by making burdensome requests without prior
invitation. Thus, in the origin story to NP 6, the bhikkhu doesn’t want
to wait until his supporter goes back home to send him some cloth and
demands instead one of the garments he is currently wearing. At NP 8,
the bhikkhu gives instructions for getting finer cloth to the weaver
appointed by his supporters to make his robe, which ends up costing
twice as much yarn as they originally planned. At NP 10, the bhikkhu
doesn’t want to wait till the next day, which ends up costing a fine to
his supporter. At Bhikkhunis’ NP 11, some bhikkhunis ask the king for a
woolen garment (which is considered luxurious).

AN 4.157 maps the concept with others: a·santuṭṭhitā leads to evil desire (pāpika iccha) for recognition (an·avañña) and lābha·sakkāra·siloka, then to wrong effort (vāyama) and finally deceiving families by pretending to be much worthier than one actually is:

“cattārome, bhikkhave, pabbajitassa rogā. katame cattāro? idha,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu mahiccho hoti vighātavā asantuṭṭho
itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena.
so mahiccho samāno vighātavā asantuṭṭho
itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena
pāpikaṃ icchaṃ paṇidahati anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya
lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya. so uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati
anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya. so saṅkhāya
kulāni upasaṅkamati, saṅkhāya nisīdati, saṅkhāya dhammaṃ bhāsati,
saṅkhāya uccārapassāvaṃ sandhāreti. ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro
pabbajitassa rogā.

Bhikkhus, there are these four sicknesses of one gone forth. What four?
Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has great desires, is annoyed and is not
content with whatever kind of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicines
& provisions for the sick [he gets]. Having great desires, being
annoyed and not content with whatever kind of robes, almsfood, lodging,
and medicines & provisions for the sick [he gets], he generates evil
desire for recognition and for honors, gain & fame. He rouses,
applies and exerts himself to obtain recognition and honors, gain &
fame. He craftily approaches families, craftily sits down, craftily
speaks about the Dhamma, and craftily holds in his excrement and urine.
These, bhikkhus, are four sicknesses of one gone forth.

The sutta then goes on to explain the cure, which
consists in forbearance with regards to the elements of nature, animals,
other people’s words and painful feelings:

“tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṃ sikkhitabbaṃ: ‘na mahicchā bhavissāma
vighātavanto asantuṭṭhā
itarītara-cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilāna-ppaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārena,
na pāpikaṃ icchaṃ paṇidahissāma anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya
lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya, na uṭṭhahissāma na ghaṭessāma na
vāyamissāma anavañña-ppaṭilābhāya lābha-sakkāra-siloka-ppaṭilābhāya,
khamā bhavissāma sītassa uṇhassa jighacchāya pipāsāya
ḍaṃsa-makasa-vātā-tapa-sarīṃsapa-samphassānaṃ duruttānaṃ durāgatānaṃ
vacanapathānaṃ, uppannānaṃ sārīrikānaṃ vedanānaṃ dukkhānaṃ tibbānaṃ
kharānaṃ kaṭukānaṃ asātānaṃ amanāpānaṃ pāṇaharānaṃ adhivāsakajātikā
bhavissāmā’ti. evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: ‘We won’t have great
desires, be annoyed and not content with whatever kind of robes,
almsfood, lodging, and medicines & provisions for the sick [we will
get]; we won’t generate evil desire for recognition and for honors, gain
& fame; we won’t rouse, apply and exert ourselves to obtain
recognition and honors, gain & fame; we will endure cold, heat,
hunger, thirst and the contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun and
creeping animals, as well as ways of speech that are ill-spoken and
offensive; we will be patient with arisen bodily feelings that are
painful, acute, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, unpleasant and
threatening life.’ This, bhikkhus, is how you should train yourselves.

In this sense, at AN 6.114, asantuṭṭhitā is juxtaposed with mahicchatā and a·sampajañña (lack of thorough comprehension).

It serves as a criterion to know whether one can dwell on his own or should stay amid other monks:

“pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu nālaṃ saṅghamhā
vapakāsituṃ . katamehi pañcahi? idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asantuṭṭho hoti
itarītarena cīvarena, asantuṭṭho hoti itarītarena piṇḍapātena,
asantuṭṭho hoti itarītarena senāsanena, asantuṭṭho hoti itarītarena
gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārena, kāmasaṅkappabahulo ca viharati.
imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu nālaṃ
saṅghamhā vapakāsituṃ.

If he is endowed with five qualities, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is not fit to
live away from the Community. What five? He is not content with whatever
kind of robe [he gets]; he is not content with whatever kind of
almsfood [he gets]; he is not content with whatever kind of lodging [he
gets]; he is not content with whatever kind of medicines and provisions
for the sick [he gets]; and he dwells absorbed in thoughts of
sensuality. If he is endowed with these five qualities, bhikkhus, a
bhikkhu is not fit to live away from the Community.

Laypeople must also avoid this kind of asantuṭṭhitā:

“sehi dārehi asantuṭṭho, vesiyāsu padussati, dussati paradāresu, taṃ parābhavato mukhaṃ”.

Not satisfied with one’s own wives, he is seen among the whores and the wives of others — this is the cause of his downfall.

♦ Although the word is mostly used with this negative connotation, it is also occasionally used with a positive (kusala) connotation. At AN 7.56 the devas who are content with their Brahmā state and do not know a higher escape (nissaraṇa) do not understand what those who are not content with that state and do know something higher may understand:

ye kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā brahmena āyunā
santuṭṭhā… te uttari nissaraṇaṃ yathābhūtaṃ nappajānanti, tesaṃ na
evaṃ ñāṇaṃ hoti… ye ca kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā
brahmena āyunā asantuṭṭhā… te ca uttari nissaraṇaṃ yathābhūtaṃ
pajānanti, tesaṃ evaṃ ñāṇaṃ hoti…

Sir Moggallāna, the devas of Brahmā’s retinue who are content with a
brahmā’s longevity… and who do not know, as it actually is, an escape
higher than this, do not have such a knowledge… But the devas of
Brahmā’s retinue who are not content with a brahmā’s longevity… and
who know, as it actually is, an escape higher than this, have such a
knowledge…

At AN 2.5, asantuṭṭhitā applied to wholesome states (kusalā dhammā) is presented as very important for developing further on the path:

dvinnāhaṃ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṃ upaññāsiṃ: yā ca asantuṭṭhitā kusalesu dhammesu, yā ca appaṭivānitā padhānasmiṃ.

Bhikkhus, I have come to know two qualities: non-contentment with wholesome states and tirelessness in exertion.

At SN 55.40, being satisfied with the four usual sot·āpattiy·aṅgas leads to not making an effort (vāyama) in solitude (paviveka), and then to successively miss on pāmojja, pīti and passaddhi, and finally dwell in dukkha, which is considered living with pamāda, while not being satisfied with them prompts one to make the effort in solitude and experience successively pāmojja, pīti, passaddhi, sukha, samādhi, the fact that phenomena have become manifest, and finally living with appamāda.

At AN 6.80, the word is interestingly surrounded by related concepts:

chahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu nacirasseva mahantattaṃ
vepullattaṃ pāpuṇāti dhammesu. katamehi chahi? idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
ālokabahulo ca hoti yogabahulo ca vedabahulo ca asantuṭṭhibahulo ca
anikkhittadhuro ca kusalesu dhammesu uttari ca patāreti.

If he is endowed with six qualities, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu attains in no
long time greatness and fullness in [wholesome] states. What six? Here,
bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is full of light, full of endeavor, full of
enthusiasm, full of dissatisfaction [with wholesome states already
attained], he doesn’t shirk his task in wholesome states, and he keeps
progressing further.

asappurisa: [a+sappurisa]

bad person.

The word is always contrasted with sappurisa. Bāla is sometimes explicitly mentioned as a synonym:

‘bālo ayaṃ bhavaṃ asappuriso’’ti.

‘This individual is a fool, a bad person’.

The term is defined multiple times. We find in the suttas three main ways to define it. According to the micchā·paṭipadā:

katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappuriso? idha, bhikkhave, ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko
hoti, micchāsaṅkappo, micchāvāco, micchākammanto, micchāājīvo,
micchāvāyāmo, micchāsati, micchāsamādhi. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave,
asappuriso”.

And what, bhikkhus, is a bad person? Here, bhikkhus, someone is of wrong
view, wrong aspiration, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood,
wrong effort, wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration. This, bhikkhus,
is what is called a bad person.

“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro? idha, bhikkhave,
ekacco micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, micchāsaṅkappo, micchāvāco, micchākammanto,
micchāājīvo, micchāvāyāmo, micchāsati, micchāsamādhi, micchāñāṇī,
micchāvimutti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asappurisena asappurisataro.