The History of Buddhist Thought c12.8

c12.8

But in order to practise concentration of mind (*samādhi*) rightly, and acquire the states of trance (*jhāna*) and higher attainments (*samāpatti*), training in morality is presupposed. This leads to the threefold division of the disciple’s training into morality (*sīla*), concentration (*samādhi*), and full knowledge (*paññā*).¹ This is the scheme as we find it given repeatedly in the two most authoritative collections of the Doctrine, the first two Nikāyas or Āgamas. On these the following account is based.