At Savatthī. “Bhikkhus, whatever beings there are—whether those without feet or those with two feet or those with four feet or those with many feet, whether consisting of form or formless, whether percipient, sn.v.42 nonpercipient, or neither percipient nor nonpercipient—the Tathagata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is declared to be the chief among them. So too, whatever wholesome states there are, they are all rooted in diligence, converge upon diligence, and diligence is declared to be the chief among them. When a bhikkhu is diligent, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path.
“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu who is diligent develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu who is diligent develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path.”
… “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion….” sn.v.43
… “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal….”
… “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna….”
Each of the following suttas, §§140–148, is to be elaborated in accordance with the fourfold method of §139.