Hi friends,
To my knowledge, there are two discourses (MN 117 and SĀ 785) that discuss the factors of noble eight-fold path in terms of mundane path factors and supramundane path factors.
In both discourses, mundane right view is different from supramundane right view. Supramundane right view is not defined as the four noble truths in SĀ 785, although SĀ 785 does mention the noble disciples think about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation while establishing right view:
SĀ 785:
“何等為正見有漏、有取，向於善趣？若彼見有施、有說， 乃至知世間有阿羅漢，不受後有，是名世 間正見，世、俗，有漏、有取，向於善趣。何等為正 見是聖、出世間，無漏、不取，正盡苦，轉向苦邊？ 謂聖弟子苦苦思惟，集、滅、道道思惟，無漏思惟相應，於法選擇，分別推求，覺知黠慧，開覺觀察，是名正見是聖、出世間，無漏、不取，正 盡苦，轉向苦邊。”
MN 117:
“And what, bhikkhus, is right view that is affected by the taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? ‘There is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed; there is fruit and result of good and bad actions; there is this world and the other world; there is mother and father; there are beings who are reborn spontaneously; there are in the world good and virtuous recluses and brahmins who have realised for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.’ This is right view affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions.
“And what, bhikkhus, is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor, the path factor of right view in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.”
The definition of supramundane right view as the four noble truths actually comes from MN 141.
In both MN 117 and SĀ 785, mundane right intention is different from supramundane right intention:
SĀ 785:
“何等 為正志有世、俗，有漏、有取，向於善趣？謂正志 出要覺*、無恚覺**、不害覺，是名正志世、俗， 有漏、有取，向於善趣。何等為正志是聖、出世 間，無漏、不取，正盡苦，轉向苦邊？謂聖弟子苦 苦思惟，集、滅、道道思惟，無漏思惟相應心法， 分別自決意解，計數立意，是名正志是聖、出 世間，無漏、不取，正盡苦，轉向苦邊。”
MN 117:
“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? The intention of renunciation, the intention of non-ill will, and the intention of non-harming: this is right intention that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.
“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? The thinking, thought, intention, mental absorption, mental fixity, directing of mind, verbal formation in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right intention that is noble…a factor of the path.”
As you can see, the intention of renunciation, the intention of non-ill will, and the intention of non-harming belong to mundane right intention, while in both MN 117 and SĀ 785 supramundane right intention is different.
Therefore, the current N8P (Noble Eight-fold Path) is a combination of supramundane right view with mundane right intention.
MA 189, the agama parallel of MN 117, does not distinguish between supramundane path factors and mundane path factors. Right view is presented as the mundane right view defined in MN 117. Right intention is presented as the mundane right intention (renunciation, non-ill will, and non-harming). This sequence actually makes more sense than the current N8P (supramundane right view plus mundane right intention). A noble disciple who has supramundane right view (who understands the four noble truths) should have no intention of harming. Then it’s not necessary for him to practice the intention of non-harming. In addition, mundane right view leads to mundane right intention, which leads to right speech, action, and livelihood; this sequence actually flows much better and makes more sense than the combination of supramundane right view with mundane right intention.
While different sequences and different definitions of N8P suggests N8P is a later development, this comparative study shows the possibility that initially N8P was composed with mundane right view and mundane right intention, but was later changed into the current combination. This change occurred gradually, and passed a middle phase represented by SĀ 785, when supramundane right view was not defined as the four noble truths, although SĀ 785 does mention the noble disciples think about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation while establishing right view.