References: MN 44.11, 117, 141
See also the steps in the Gradual Training.
(condense this list later into the most important discourses) MN 32ff, 9.11, 19.26, 33.24, 44.5, 44.9ff, 77.21, 83.21, 103.3, 104.5, 115.13. 126.14, 149.10, n. 1341, 151.18; as Middle Way, 3.8ff, 139.5; as way to end suffering, 9.18, 141.23; detailed analysis, 117.3ff, 141.23ff.
The Three Main Aspects of the Path are Moral Discipline (sila), Concentration (samadhi), and Insight or Wisdom (pana). MN 44.11
1. Right View (sama diti) Insight
2. Right Intention (sama sankapa) Insight
3. Right Speech (sama vacha) Moral Conduct
4. Right Action (sama kamanta) Moral Conduct
5. Right Livelihood (sama ajiva) Moral Conduct
6. Right Effort (sama vayana) Concentration
7. Right Mindfulness (sama sati) Concentration
8. Right Concentration (sama samadi) Concentration
Insight (the path starts with insight and ends with insight)
1. Right View (sama diti) MN 9
Know what is wholesome and unwholesome (killing living beings, taking what is not given, misconduct in sensual pleasures, false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, gossip, consuming intoxicating drugs, alcohol or smoking).
Understand the four noble truths (suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, the way leading to the cessation of suffering).
Understand the three marks of existence (impermanence, suffering and not self)
2. Right Intention (sama sankapa) MN 19
Resolve to abandon the five hindrances (thoughts of sensual desire, ill will, sleepiness, restlessness, doubt).
Moral Conduct
3. Right Speech (sama vacha)
Abstain from false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech and gossip.
Speech should fulfill three criteria: be truthful, beneficial and pleasant.
If both truthful and beneficial but not pleasant, know the appropriate time to say it.
4. Right Action (sama kamanta)
Moral conduct (as above).
5. Right Livelihood (sama ajiva)
For lay people, abstain from dealing in arms, beings, meat, intoxicants and poisons.
Concentration
6. Right Effort (sama vayana)
7. Right Mindfulness (sama sati) MN 10 (The Four Foundations of Mindfulness) Contemplate:
I. The body
1. breathing
2. the four postures (walking, standing, sitting, lying down)
3. clear comprehension of activities
4. organs and tissues, parts of the body (antidote for lust)
5. composed of the four elements (fire, water, earth, wind)
6. charnel ground
7. corpses decomposing
II. Feelings (pleasant, painful, neutral)
III. Mood (observe if the mind is with or without lust, hatred, delusion, distracted, concentrated)
IV. Phenomena (the five hindrances, the five aggregates, the six internal and external sense bases,
the seven factors of enlightenment, the four noble truths)
8. Right Concentration (sama samadi)
The four jhanas.
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