Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

3.6.14   Discerning Wrong Livelihood and Developing Right Livelihood¹

“Therefore right view is a forerunner. And how is, O Bhikkhus, right view a forerunner? He perceives properly wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood and right livelihood as right livelihood - in this way he is one with right view.

And what, Bhikkhus, is wrong livelihood? It is deception, flattery, insinuation, disparaging, pursuing gain with gain, all out of covetousness (for offerings), this Bhikkhus is wrong livelihood!’

And what, Bhikkhus, is right livelihood? Right livelihood, I say, Bhikkhus, is twofold – is the right livelihood that is influenced by dormant impurities and partaking of merit with attachment ripening, and it is right livelihood that is noble, free from impurities, supramundane and a factor of the path.

What, Bhikkhus, is the right livelihood that is influenced by dormant impurities and partaking of merit with attachment ripening? Abstaining from all kinds of wrong sustenance and pursuing modes of right sustenance, this, Bhikkhus is called right livelihood, that is influenced by dormant impurities and partaking of merit with attachment ripening.

And what, Bhikkhus, is right livelihood that is noble, free from impurities, supramundane and a factor of the path. There is someone, O’ Bhikkhus, of noble mind without any dormant mental impurities, endowed in the Noble Path and developing it, abstaining from, refraining, leaving completely behind and staying away from all ways of wrong sustenance. This is, Bhikkhus, is called right livelihood that is noble, free from impurities, supramundane and a factor of the path.

In this way he strives hard to avoid wrong livelihood, to get established in right livelihood, in this way he is one with right effort. Thus fully aware he abandons wrong livelihood and acquires right livelihood and dwells therein he is one with right awareness. These three states follow and circle around right livelihood, these are: right view, right effort and right awareness……”

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