The Buddha distinguishes the wrong way of practice and the right way of practice.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthi.
“Micchāpaṭipadañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, sammāpaṭipadañca. Taṁ suṇātha.
“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the |wrong way of practice::wrong path of action [micchāpaṭipadā]| and the |right way of practice::right path of action [sammāpaṭipadā]|. Listen to it.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipadā? Seyyathidaṁ—micchādiṭṭhi micchāsankappo micchāvācā micchākammanto micchājīvo micchāvāyāmo micchāsati micchāsamādhi. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipadā.
And what, bhikkhus, is the wrong way of practice? It is: |wrong view::a distorted perception, an untrue view, a false belief [micchādiṭṭhi]|, |wrong intention::wrong notion, wrong idea [micchāsaṅkappa]|, |wrong speech::speech that is false, divisive, harsh, or frivolous; communication rooted in deceit, hostility, or heedlessness [micchāvācā]|, |wrong action::bodily conduct that causes harm—acts of killing, stealing, or sexual misconduct; behavior contrary to harmlessness and restraint [micchākammanta]|, |wrong livelihood::earning a living or seeking support through deceitful or manipulative means—by cheating, flattery, hinting, disparaging others, or scheming for gain [micchāājīva]|, |wrong effort::energy directed toward unwholesome aims; striving that strengthens greed, hatred, and delusion [micchāvāyāma]|, |wrong mindfulness::imperfect memory, misinformed recollection that reinforces delusion or distraction [micchāsati]|, and |wrong collectedness::wrong concentration that can cause harm to oneself, destabilize the mind, or lead to furthering of delusion [micchāsamādhi]|. This is called, bhikkhus, the wrong way of practice.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipadā? Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappo sammāvācā sammākammanto sammāājīvo sammāvāyāmo sammāsati sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipadā”ti.
And what, bhikkhus, is the right way of practice? It is: |right view::view that is in line with the Dhamma - teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [sammādiṭṭhi]|, |right intention::intention of renunciation, goodwill, and harmlessness; the resolve to let go of craving, ill will, and cruelty, cultivating thoughts that lead to peace and liberation [sammāsaṅkappa]|, |right speech::speech that is purified by abstaining from falsehood, divisive talk, harsh words, and idle chatter [sammāvācā]|, |right action::action that upholds ethical integrity by abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; bodily conduct aligned with harmlessness and honesty [sammākammanta]|, |right livelihood::means of living that does not cause harm to others or oneself; earning a living ethically without deceit, exploitation, or violence [sammāājīva]|, |right effort::energy and effort directed toward abandoning unwholesome mental states and qualities, and cultivating wholesome ones [sammāvāyāma]|, |right mindfulness::perfect memory of the Dhamma; correct recollection of the exact instructions to guide one’s practice [sammāsati]|, and |right collectedness::correct mental composure that stabilizes the mind and supports clarity of thoughts [sammāsamādhi]|. This is called, bhikkhus, the right way of practice.”
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the |wrong way of practice::wrong path of action [micchāpaṭipadā]| and the |right way of practice::right path of action [sammāpaṭipadā]|. Listen to it.
And what, bhikkhus, is the wrong way of practice? It is: |wrong view::a distorted perception, an untrue view, a false belief [micchādiṭṭhi]|, |wrong intention::wrong notion, wrong idea [micchāsaṅkappa]|, |wrong speech::speech that is false, divisive, harsh, or frivolous; communication rooted in deceit, hostility, or heedlessness [micchāvācā]|, |wrong action::bodily conduct that causes harm—acts of killing, stealing, or sexual misconduct; behavior contrary to harmlessness and restraint [micchākammanta]|, |wrong livelihood::earning a living or seeking support through deceitful or manipulative means—by cheating, flattery, hinting, disparaging others, or scheming for gain [micchāājīva]|, |wrong effort::energy directed toward unwholesome aims; striving that strengthens greed, hatred, and delusion [micchāvāyāma]|, |wrong mindfulness::imperfect memory, misinformed recollection that reinforces delusion or distraction [micchāsati]|, and |wrong collectedness::wrong concentration that can cause harm to oneself, destabilize the mind, or lead to furthering of delusion [micchāsamādhi]|. This is called, bhikkhus, the wrong way of practice.
And what, bhikkhus, is the right way of practice? It is: |right view::view that is in line with the Dhamma - teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [sammādiṭṭhi]|, |right intention::intention of renunciation, goodwill, and harmlessness; the resolve to let go of craving, ill will, and cruelty, cultivating thoughts that lead to peace and liberation [sammāsaṅkappa]|, |right speech::speech that is purified by abstaining from falsehood, divisive talk, harsh words, and idle chatter [sammāvācā]|, |right action::action that upholds ethical integrity by abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; bodily conduct aligned with harmlessness and honesty [sammākammanta]|, |right livelihood::means of living that does not cause harm to others or oneself; earning a living ethically without deceit, exploitation, or violence [sammāājīva]|, |right effort::energy and effort directed toward abandoning unwholesome mental states and qualities, and cultivating wholesome ones [sammāvāyāma]|, |right mindfulness::perfect memory of the Dhamma; correct recollection of the exact instructions to guide one’s practice [sammāsati]|, and |right collectedness::correct mental composure that stabilizes the mind and supports clarity of thoughts [sammāsamādhi]|. This is called, bhikkhus, the right way of practice.”
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
“Micchāpaṭipadañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi, sammāpaṭipadañca. Taṁ suṇātha.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipadā? Seyyathidaṁ—micchādiṭṭhi micchāsankappo micchāvācā micchākammanto micchājīvo micchāvāyāmo micchāsati micchāsamādhi. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipadā.
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipadā? Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappo sammāvācā sammākammanto sammāājīvo sammāvāyāmo sammāsati sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipadā”ti.