Grammatical Analysis
Sammākammanta: [m.] Right Action; Correct Bodily Conduct. Formed by sammā (correctly) + kammanta (action, business, execution).
Orthodox Definition
Sammākammanta is the fourth limb of the Noble Eightfold Path, forming the central pillar of the moral discipline division (sīla-sikkhā). In the Abhidhamma, it is classified as one of the three beautiful mental factors of abstinence (virati-cetasika), explicitly managing physical bodily output.
The path defines Right Action through three primary modes of abstinence:
- Abstaining from the destruction of living beings (pāṇātipātā).
- Abstaining from taking what is not given (adinnādānā).
- Abstaining from sexual misconduct and unrighteous bodily sensuality (kāmesumicchācārā).
The commentaries clarify that true Sammākammanta is not merely the passive absence of doing bad; it is the active, deliberate presence of the wholesome intention to abstain (virati-cetanā) when an opportunity for transgression presents itself. At the supramundane level, it cuts the capacity for unwholesome physical choices out of the character permanently.
Textual References
- Sutta: Cunda Kammarāputta Sutta (AN 10.176) – Detailed canonical contrast comparing clean, righteous physical deeds against the stained, bloody actions of unvirtuous persons.
- Abhidhamma: Vibhaṅga (Magga-vibhaṅga section).
- Commentary: Atthasālinī – Structural analysis detailing how physical abstinence coordinates with the underlying volitional stream.