Reading guide
Three names, one identical practice
Sāmañña (the ascetic life), brahmañña (the brahmin life), and brahmacariya (the spiritual path) are confirmed by direct comparison to each receive the identical eightfold-path definition across this vagga's own six closing discourses — three culturally loaded terms, each stripped of its own particular external connotation and redefined as the same single practice.
A design, not a coincidence
By this discourse, the pattern (three names, each crossed with fruits and goal) is confirmed systematic rather than accidental — this vagga's own closing six discourses map a genuine 3×2 grid rather than drifting through loosely related material.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the spiritual path and the fruits of the spiritual path. Listen … And what is the spiritual path? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is called the spiritual path. And what are the fruits of the spiritual path? The fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection. These are called the fruits of the spiritual path.”
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