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Grammatical Analysis

Sammāājīva: [m.] Right Livelihood; Correct Way of Living. Formed by sammā (correctly) + ājīva (livelihood, means of support, subsistence).

Orthodox Definition

Sammāājīva is the fifth limb of the Noble Eightfold Path, completing the moral discipline division (sīla-sikkhā). It ensures that a practitioner’s economic support, trades, and basic lifestyle choices do not inflict harm upon other living beings or compromise ethical boundaries.

For lay disciples, the Buddha isolated five specific toxic trades that must be completely avoided:

  1. Trading in weapons (sattha-vaṇijjā).
  2. Trading in living beings/slaves (satta-vaṇijjā).
  3. Trading in meat/slaughtering (maṃsa-vaṇijjā).
  4. Trading in intoxicants (majja-vaṇijjā).
  5. Trading in poisons (visa-vaṇijjā).

For monastics (bhikkhus), Right Livelihood is defined through the strict parameters of the Vinaya code, prohibiting wrong ways of acquiring requisites—such as hypocrisy, flattery, hinting, hinting for gifts, or practicing low arts like astrology or fortune-telling for gain. It is driven by the abstinence factor sammā-ājīva-virati.

Quote

7. vaṇijjāsuttaṃ
“7. The Discourse on Trade”

177. ‘‘pañcimā, bhikkhave, vaṇijjā upāsakena akaraṇīyā.
“177. ‘Monks, these five trades should not be engaged in by a lay follower.’”

katamā pañca?
“Which five?”

satthavaṇijjā, sattavaṇijjā, maṃsavaṇijjā, majjavaṇijjā, visavaṇijjā – imā kho, bhikkhave, pañca vaṇijjā upāsakena akaraṇīyā’’ti.
“Trade in weapons, trade in living beings, trade in meat, trade in intoxicants, and trade in poison—these five trades, monks, should not be engaged in by a lay follower.”

— Pañcakanipātapāḷi (AN 5.177)

Textual References

  • Sutta: Vanijja Sutta (AN 5.177) – The concise canonical source listing the five illegal trades for lay practitioners.
  • Sutta: Mahācattārīsaka Sutta (MN 117) – Showing how right view, right effort, and right mindfulness run circles around right livelihood to maintain its purity.
  • Commentary: Sammohavinodanī – Detailed evaluation charting the borders of blameless vocational tracking.

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