Item 2 in Noble Eightfold Path

Right Intention

Cultivate intentions of renunciation, goodwill and harmlessness rather than greed, ill will and cruelty.

Position
2
Form
Step in a path
Obligation
Recommended
Wording status
Editorial paraphrase
Intended audience
Buddhist practitioners, with interpretations adapted to monastic and lay life
Last reviewed
28 June 2026

Names and terminology

Canonical name: Right Intention

Original term: Sammā-saṅkappa

Source wording

Editorial paraphrase: Cultivate intentions of renunciation, goodwill and harmlessness rather than greed, ill will and cruelty.

Editorial paraphrase

Literal meaning

Cultivate intentions of renunciation, goodwill and harmlessness rather than greed, ill will and cruelty.

Broader interpretation

Interpretation depends on the framework's historical purpose, intended audience and relationship to its other principles.

Ethical purpose

To address the motives from which speech and action arise.

Modern application

Modern application requires attention to consent, rights, evidence, foreseeable harm and changing social conditions.

Criticism and difficult cases

Application can become difficult when this principle conflicts with another duty, when harm is indirect, or when ancient social assumptions do not fit modern conditions.

Truth By Reason analysis

Truth By Reason assesses this principle according to evidence, rights, intentions, foreseeable consequences and consistency with the treatment of all affected beings.

Ethical themes

  • Nonviolence
  • Compassion
  • Self-control

Sources