Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.121 10. Dutiyagaṅgāpeyyālavagga Paṭhamasamuddaninnasutta

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī samuddaninnā samuddapoṇā samuddapabbhārā;

“Mendicants, the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the ocean.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvento ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro.

In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvento ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro?

And how does a mendicant who develops the noble eightfold path slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti amatogadhaṁ amataparāyanaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ.

It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, whose objective, destination, and culmination is freedom from death.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvento ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.

That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”

Paṭhamaṁ.