[704] "And what, friends, is the noble truth (ariyasacca) of the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering (dukkha)? It is just this Noble Eightfold Path (magga), namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration (samādhi).
"And what, friends, is right view? Knowledge (ñāṇa) of suffering, knowledge of the origin (samudaya) of suffering, knowledge of the cessation (nirodha) of suffering, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering — this, friends, is called right view.
"And what, friends, is right intention? The intention of renunciation (nekkhamma), the intention of non-ill will (byāpāda), the intention of non-harming — this, friends, is called right intention.
"And what, friends, is right speech? Abstinence from false speech, abstinence from divisive speech, abstinence from harsh speech, abstinence from idle chatter — this, friends, is called right speech.
"And what, friends, is right action? Abstinence from the destruction of life, abstinence from taking what is not given, abstinence from misconduct in sensual pleasures — this, friends, is called right action.
"And what, friends, is right livelihood? Here, friends, a noble disciple, having abandoned wrong livelihood, makes his living by right livelihood — this, friends, is called right livelihood.
"And what, friends, is right effort? Here, friends, a bhikkhu generates desire (chanda), strives, arouses energy (vīriya), exerts his mind (citta), and endeavours for the non-arising of evil, unwholesome states that have not yet arisen. He generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and endeavours for the abandoning of evil, unwholesome states that have arisen. He generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and endeavours for the arising of wholesome states that have not yet arisen. He generates desire, strives, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and endeavours for the persistence, non-confusion, increase, abundance, development, and fulfilment of wholesome states that have arisen. This, friends, is called right effort.
"And what, friends, is right mindfulness (sati)? Here, friends, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body (kāyānupassanā), ardent (ātāpī), clearly comprehending (sampajāno), possessed of mindfulness, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world (abhijjhā-domanassa); he dwells contemplating feelings (vedanā) in feelings …; he dwells contemplating the mind in the mind …; he dwells contemplating dhammas in dhammas, ardent, clearly comprehending, possessed of mindfulness, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world. This, friends, is called right mindfulness.
"And what, friends, is right concentration? Here, friends, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture (pīti) and happiness born of seclusion. With the subsiding of applied thought and sustained thought, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of concentration … the third jhāna … he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. This, friends, is called right concentration.
"This, friends, is called the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.