Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( A Manual of Abhidhamma )
Translated by Narada Maha Thera
Published By the Buddhist Missionary Society
Section 6
Notes:—
24.Vipassana or Insight is the third and final stage on
the Path of Sainthood. The chief object of Insight is
to understand things as they truly are.
25.Anicca, i. e., the fleeting nature of both mind and
matter. Changeableness is a characteristic of every-
thing that is conditioned. All conditioned things are
constantly changing, not remaining static for two
consecutive moments. Mind, in fact, changes even
faster than matter. Normally matter endures only for
seventeen thought-moments. Commentators state
that, during the time occupied by a flash of lightning,
billions of thought-moments may arise.
26.Dukkha—All conditioned things are subject to suf-
fering. Birth is suffering, decay is suffering, disease is
suffering, death is suffering. Union with the unpleas-
ant is suffering. Separation from the pleasant is suf-
fering. Not to get what one desires is suffering. In
brief, the five aggregates of attachment are suffering.
27.Anatta—or Soullessness is the crux of Buddhism. As
there is no permanent entity in matter, so also there is
no unchanging entity in mind conceived as an ‘ego’ or
‘soul’. In everything mundane and supramundane, con-
ditioned and non-conditioned, there is no permanent
soul. Hence the Buddha in the Dhammapada stated —
‘sabbe dhamma anatta—all Dhammas are soulless’.
With regard to Anicca and Dukkha the Buddha said—
‘sankhara—conditioned things’. With regard to Anatta,
the Buddha employed the term dhamma to include
supramundane unconditioned Nibbana as well.
It may be mentioned that it was after hearing the
‘Anattalakkhana Sutta’, the discourse on soulless-
ness, that the first five monks attained Arahantship.
The aspirant does not usually meditate on all
these three characteristics. Of them, he takes only
that which appeals to him most. Deliverance, gained
by meditating on each of them, is named accordingly.
28.Sammasananana—Lit., ‘handling-knowledge’, is the in-
vestigation of aggregates as composite (kalapavasena).
29.Patisankhanana—is the re-contemplation of condi-
tioned things in order to find out the means to escape
therefrom.
30.Sankharupekkhanana—is perfect equanimity to-
wards all conditioned things, having neither attach-
ment nor aversion, resulting from developing the
foregoing different kinds of Insight.
31.Anulomanana—is the ‘adaptation knowledge’
gained by perfecting the foregoing nine kinds of
Insight. It is so called because it conforms itself to the
37 Factors of Enlightenment and qualifies the aspir-
ant for the higher path.
32.Vimokkha—so called because they deliver one from
the ten Fetters etc.
33.Sunnata—devoid of a soul. Emancipation gained by
meditating on soullessness (anatta) is called Sunnata-
vimokkha.
34.Animitta—free from the signs of permanence etc.
Emancipation gained by meditating on ‘imperma-
nence’ (anicca) is called Animittavimokkha.
35.Appanihita—free from the hankering of craving.
Emancipation gained by meditating on ‘suffering’
(dukkha) is called Appanihitavimokkha.
36.Silavisuddhi—Purity of Morals, is the first of seven
‘Purities’. It consists of four kinds, all pertaining to
the life of a Bhikkhu.
The first is Patimokkhasamvarasila. ‘That which
saves one who observes it from woeful states’ is the
commentarial explanation of ‘Patimokkha’. Pa is also
explained as the Buddha’s Teaching. Atipamokkha
means extremely important. Patimokkha therefore
means “Fundamental Teaching” or “Fundamental Pre-
cepts”. It deals with 220137 disciplinary rules which
every Bhikkhu is expected to observe. As it restrains
one from evil deeds etc., it is termed ‘samvara’. Sila is
used in the sense of ‘composure’ (samadhana) and
‘support’ (upadharana). It is so called because it tends
to discipline thoughts, words, and deeds and because
it acts as a support for other virtues. Indriyasamvara-
sila, the second Sila, deals with the control of the six
senses. âjivaparisuddhisila, the third Sila, deals with
the right livelihood of a Bhikkhu. In obtaining the nec-
essaries of life, a Bhikkhu should not act in an unbe-
coming way. Paccayasannissitasila, the fourth Sila, is
concerned with the unselfish use of the four requi-
sites—robes, alms, lodging, and medicine.
37.Cittavisuddhi—is the second ‘Purity’. It is the purity
of mind, gained by developing the Jhanas, temporar-
ily inhibiting the Hindrances. A purified mind is like a
polished mirror where everything is reflected in its
true perspective. With a purified mind one can see
things as they truly are.
38.Ditthivisuddhi—is the third purity. It is so called
137.227 including seven ways of settling disputes (adhikarana samatha dhamma)
because it purifies one from the false theory of a per-
manent soul. This correct comprehension results from
investigating mind and matter as regards their salient
characteristics (lakkhana), function or essential prop-
erties (rasa), the way, of manifestation (paccu-
patthana), and their immediate cause (padatthana).
39.Kankhavitaranavisuddhi—is the fourth ‘Purity’ which
attempts to transcend sceptical doubts as regards cause
and effect, the past, the present, and the future. This is
called a purity because it removes the stain of errone-
ous views of ‘chance’, ‘causelessness’, etc.
To achieve this purity one meditates on the vari-
ous causes that tend to produce present mind and
matter, and on the causes that sustain them in the
present. He understands that present mind and mat-
ter at conception were conditioned by past igno-
rance, craving, grasping and Kamma, and, during
lifetime, matter is conditioned by kamma, mind, sea-
sonal phenomena, and edible food, while mind is
sustained by the senses and their corresponding
objects. Thus he realizes the second noble truth of
the cause of suffering and rids himself of doubts.
40.Maggamaggananadassanavisuddhi—This is the fifth
‘Purity’.
The aspirant who has cleared his doubts meditates
again with better understanding on the three charac-
teristics of anicca, dukkha, and anatta. He realizes that
life is a mere flowing, a continuous undivided move-
ment. He finds no genuine happiness, for every form
of pleasure is only a prelude to pain. What is transient
is painful, and where change and sorrow prevail there
cannot be a permanent ego or soul. The arising and
passing away of conditioned things become very con-
spicuous to him. As he is thus absorbed in meditation
he witnesses an aura (obhaso) emanating from his
body as a result of his keen insight. He experiences
also an unprecedented joy (piti), happiness (sukha)
and quietude (passaddhi). He becomes strenuous
(paggaho) and even-minded (upekkha). His religious
fervour increases (adhimokkha), mindfulness (sati)
strengthens, and wisdom (nana) ripens. Labouring
under the misconception that he has attained Saint-
hood, chiefly owing to the presence of the aura, he
yearns (nikanti) for this state of mind. Soon he real-
izes that these temptations are only impedi-
ments(upakkilesa) to Insight and that he has not
really attained Sainthood. Accordingly he endeavours
to distinguish between the right and wrong path
(maggamaggananadassana). It is called a ‘purity’
because it clears up the misconception as regards the
actual ‘path’. He understands, ‘This is the right path,
that is the wrong path’.
41.Patipadananadassanavisuddhi—is the sixth ‘purity’.
This term is collectively applied to the nine kinds of
Insight beginning with the knowledge as regards the
arising and passing away of conditioned things and
ending with the knowledge of adaptation that occurs
in the Path thought-moment immediately preceding
the Gotrabhu moment. (See p. 461, f.n. 136.)
42.Appana, the supramundane Path (lokuttaramagga).
43. See pp. 248, 461.
44.Vutthanagaminivipassana—is the name given to
both Sankharupekkhanana and Anulomanana of the
tens kinds of Insight. It is so called because it leads to
the Path emerging from woeful states and signs of
conditioned things.
45.Gotrabhu—lit., means ‘overcoming the worldly line-
age’. The object of this thought-moment is Nibbana,
but the actual realization of Nibbana by the eradication
of passions occurs at the Path thought-moment that
immediately follows. This particular thought-moment
in the three higher stages of Sainthood is termed
‘vodana’ (pure) as the aspirant is already an Ariya.
46. Immediately after the Gotrabhu thought-moment
there arises the Path thought-moment of the Sota-
panna. It is at this stage that one comprehends the
Truth of Suffering, eradicates craving, the cause of
suffering, and actually realizes Nibbana for the first
time in his life. The eight factors that constitute the
Noble Path are also fully developed at this stage.
This particular thought-moment is termed ‘Sotapat-
timagga.’ Sota here means the stream that leads to
Nibbana. It is the Noble Eightfold Path. âpatti
means ‘entering for the first time’. It is called
‘magga’ because it arises, destroying the passions.
This Path thought-moment arises only once in the
course of one’s lifetime, and is immediately fol-
lowed by two or three ‘Fruit’ (phala) moments
before the stream of consciousness lapses into bha-
vanga. This is the reason why the Dhamma is called
‘akalika’ (immediately effective).
47.Paccavekkhanananani—As a rule after each of the
four stages of Sainthood one reflects on the Path and
Fruit one has attained, on the Nibbana one has real-
ized, on the defilements one has destroyed, and, in
the case of the first three stages, on the defilements
one has yet to destroy. An Arahant who has no more
defilements to destroy knows that he is delivered.
There are altogether 19 kinds of such reflective
knowledge, 15 pertaining to the first three stages of
Sainthood, and 4 to the last stage.
The Pali phrase—n’aparam itthatthaya—No more
of this state again—refers to this process of reflection.
48.Nanadassanavisuddhi is the name given to the con-
templative knowledge, a mental state of wisdom found
in Path-Consciousness. It is called a ‘purity’ because it
is completely free from all stains or defilements, result-
ing from the realization of the four Truths.
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