Samma Sankappo is the Pali term for Right Intention or Right Resolve—the second factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. The word sankappo denotes thought, aim, or purpose, and when qualified by samma (right, complete, thorough), it signifies an intentional orientation of mind that aligns with dharma: thoughts of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness, free from sensual desire, ill will, and cruelty.

Position on the Tree of Life

Samma Sankappo appears on Path 13 of the Hermetic Qabalah, which connects Kether (the Crown) to Tiphareth (Beauty) on the Tree of Life. While this path corresponds astrologically to the Moon (Gimel) or, in some systems, to the zodiacal sign of the High Priestess, in the 777 schema path 13 is the first step from the supernal triad into the formed universe, mirroring the way Right Intention directs the raw insight of Right View (Samma Ditthi) into a concrete volitional force.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

No direct astrological or planetary attribution is given for Samma Sankappo in standard 777; the path 13 itself is lunar. However, the Noble Eightfold Path as a whole is a pedagogical tool, not a celestial entity. In Buddhist cosmology, Right Intention is a mental factor, not a planet or star. Thus it sits without a fixed planetary sign, functioning instead as the qualitative turning of the mind toward liberation.

Historical context

Samma Sankappo appears in the Buddha's first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11), as part of the Four Noble Truths' prescription for the cessation of suffering. In the Mahasatipatthana Sutta (DN 22), it is defined as the intention of renunciation (nekkhamma-sankappo), the intention of good will (abyapada-sankappo), and the intention of harmlessness (avihimsa-sankappo). The Abhidhamma texts analyze it as a wholesome mental factor (sankhara), specifically the vitakka (thought) that directs the mind toward skilful objects. In the Visuddhimagga, Buddhaghosa clarifies that Samma Sankappo is not mere intellectual assent but an active, repeated inclining of consciousness toward the wholesome.

Theravada tradition locates it as the bridge between understanding (pañña) and ethical conduct (sila)—the point where insight becomes motivation. Without Right Intention, even correct views remain inert. In Mahayana, it is subsumed into the bodhisattva's resolve for enlightenment (bodhicitta), though the classic Pali formulation remains the root.

In Liber 777

In Crowley's tabulation, Samma Sankappo occupies the thirteenth step of the Noble Eightfold Path row, corresponding to the number 13 and following Samma Vaca (12) before Samma Kammanto (14). It is assigned to the category 'The Noble Eightfold Path' as the second factor, with no additional correspondences given in the sibling cells beyond the sequential listing of the path factors. The table entry registers it as a fixed point on the path diagram, a necessary stage in the alchemy of liberation.