These eight principles were later organized in three stages, as follows:
(1) Morality (shila): speech, action, livelihood
(2) Meditation (dhyana): effort, mindfulness, concentration
(3) Insight or wisdom (prajna): views and thought.
The Theravada Buddhist commentator known as Buddhaghosa (5th century CE) followed this arrangement in theorizing the stages of reaching enlightenment.
In this scheme, the Eightfold Path entails a moral progression as the foundation for meditation.