Reading guide
Practice as a term, not merely a synonym
Paṭipadā (practice, the way one proceeds) carries a slightly different emphasis than SN 45.21's own “way” (magga-adjacent micchatta/sammatta) or SN 45.22's own “qualities” — less a static description and more an ongoing activity, though the discourse itself draws no explicit contrast between the terms.
Setting up SN 45.24's own extension
This discourse's own bare definition, without elaboration, is immediately followed by SN 45.24, which takes the identical paṭipadā framing and adds an explicit claim about laypeople and renunciates — confirmed by reading both discourses together, this discourse functions as the foundation SN 45.24 builds on rather than a fully independent teaching.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the wrong practice and the right practice. Listen … And what’s the wrong practice? It is wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion. This is called the wrong practice. And what’s the right practice? It is right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is called the right practice.”
Self-check quiz
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