Effluent
Āsava Sutta (SN 38:8)
On one occasion Ven. Sāriputta was staying in Magadha near Nāla Village. Then Jambukhādaka the wanderer went to Ven. Sāriputta and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Sāriputta: “‘Effluent, effluent,’ it is said, my friend Sāriputta. Which effluent (are they referring to)?”
“There are these three effluents: the effluent of sensuality, the effluent of becoming, the effluent of ignorance. These are the three effluents.”
“But is there a path, is there a practice for the abandoning1 of these effluents?”
“Yes, there is a path, there is a practice for the abandoning of these effluents.”
“Then what is the path, what is the practice for the abandoning of these effluents?”
“Precisely this noble eightfold path, my friend: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning of these effluents.”
“It’s an auspicious path, my friend, an auspicious practice for the abandoning of these effluents—enough for the sake of heedfulness.”
Note
1. Abandoning is the duty with regard to the second noble truth.
