THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[D. CLASSES OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE AGGREGATES]
Having understood this, again as regards these same aggregates:
Knowledge of aggregates is classed
(1) As to order, and (2) distinction,
(3) As to neither less nor more,
(4) And likewise as to simile,
(5) And twice as to how to be seen,
(6) And as to good for one seeing thus—
This is the way of exposition
That a wise man should rightly know.
211. 1. Herein, as to order: order is of several kinds, namely, order of
arising, order of abandoning, order of practice, order of plane, order of
teaching.
Herein, 'First there comes to be the fetus in the first stage, then there
comes to be the fetus in the second stage' (S.i,206), etc., is order of
arising. 'Things to be abandoned by seeing, things to be abandoned by
development' (Dhs., p.l), etc., is order of abandoning. 'Purification of
virtue [477] ... purification of consciousness' (M.i,148), etc., is order of
practice. 'The sense sphere, the fine-material sphere' (Ps.i,83) etc., is
order of plane. 'The four foundations of mindfulness, the four right
efforts' (D.ii,120), etc., or 'Talk on giving, talk on virtue' (M.i,379), etc.,
is order of teaching.
212. Of these, firstly, order of arising is not applicable here because the
aggregates do not arise in the order in which they are successively dealt
with, as is the case with 'the fetus in the first stage', etc., nor is order of
abandoning applicable, because the profitable and indeterminate are not
to be abandoned; nor is order of practice, because what is unprofitable is
not to be practised; nor is order of plane, because feeling, etc., are
included in all four planes.
213. Order of teaching is appropriate however, for there are those people
who, while teachable, have fallen into assuming a self among the five
aggregates owing to failure to analyse them; and the Blessed One is
desirous of releasing them from the assumption by getting them to see
how the [seeming] compactness of mass [in the five aggregates] is re-
solved; and being desirous of their welfare, he first, for the purpose of
their easy apprehension, taught the materiality aggregate, which is gross,
being the objective field of the eye, etc.; and after that, feeling, which
feels matter as desirable and undesirable; then perception, which appre-
hends the aspects of feeling's objective field, since * What one feels, that
one perceives* (M.i,293); then formations, which form volitionally through
the means of perception; and lastly, consciousness, which these things
beginning with feeling have as their support, and which dominates them.
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This in the first place is how the exposition should be known as to order.
214. 2. As to distinction: as to the distinction between aggregates and ag-
gregates-as-objects-of-clinging. But what is the distinction between them?
Firstly, aggregates is said without distinguishing. Aggregates [as objects]
of clinging is said distinguishing those that are subject to cankers and are
liable to the clingings, according as it is said: 'Bhikkhus, I shall teach
you the five aggregates and the five aggregates [as objects] of clinging.
Listen ... And what, bhikkhus, are the five aggregates? Any kind of
materiality whatever, bhikkhus, whether past, future or present... far or
near: this is called the materiality aggregate. Any kind of feeling what-
ever ... Any kind of perception whatever ... Any kind of formations
whatever ... Any kind of consciousness whatever ... far or near: this is
called the consciousness aggregate. These, bhikkhus, are called the five
aggregates. And what, bhikkhus, are the five aggregates [as objects] of
clinging? Any kind of materiality whatever ... far or near, that is subject
to cankers and liable to the clingings: this is called the materiality aggre-
gate [as object] of clinging. Any kind of feeling whatever ... Any kind
of perception whatever ... Any kind of formations whatever ... Any kind
of consciousness whatever ... far or near, that is subject to cankers and
liable to the clingings: this is called the consciousness aggregate [as
object] of clinging. These, bhikkhus, are called the five aggregates [as
objects] of clinging' (S.iii, 47). [478]
215. Now while there is feeling, etc., both free from cankers [and subject
to them],
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not so materiality. However, since materiality can be de-
scribed as a [simple] aggregate in the sense of a total, it is therefore
mentioned among the [simple] aggregates. And since it can be described
as an aggregate [that is the object] of clinging in the sense of a total and
in the sense of being subjected to cankers, that [same materiality] is
therefore mentioned among the aggregates [as objects] of clinging too.
But feeling, etc., are only mentioned among the [simple] aggregates
when they are free from cankers. When they are subject to cankers, they
are mentioned among the aggregates [as objects] of clinging. And here
the meaning of the term 'aggregates as objects of clinging' should be
regarded as this: aggregates that are the resort of clinging are aggregates
of clinging. But here all these taken together are intended as aggregates.
216. 3. As to neither less nor more: but why are five aggregates, neither
less nor more, mentioned by the Blessed One? (a) Because all formed
things that resemble each other fall into these groups, (b) because that is
the widest limit as the basis for the assumption of self and what pertains
to self, and (c) because of the inclusion80
by them of the other sorts of
aggregates.
217. (a) When the numerous categories of formed states are grouped to-
gether according to similarity,
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materiality forms one aggregate through
being grouped together according to similarity consisting in materiality;
feeling forms one aggregate through being grouped together according to
similarity consisting in feeling; and so with perception and the other two.
So they are stated as five because similar formed things fall into groups.
218. (b) And this is the extreme limit as the basis for the assumption of
self and what pertains to self, that is to say, the five beginning with
materiality. For this is said: 'Bhikkhus, when matter exists, it is through
clinging to matter, through insisting upon (interpreting) matter, that such
a view as this arises: "This is mine, this is I, this is my self. When
feeling exists .. . When perception exists .. . When formations exist .. .
When consciousness exists, it is through clinging to consciousness, through
insisting upon (interpreting) consciousness, that such a view as this arises:
"This is mine, this is I, this is my sel f ' (S.iii,181-82). So they are stated
as five because this is the widest limit as a basis for the assumption of
self and what pertains to self.
219. (c) And also, since those other [sorts of aggregates] stated as the
five aggregates of things beginning with virtue
82
are comprised within
the formations aggregate, they are included here too. Therefore they are
stated as five because they include the other sorts.
This is how the exposition should be known as to neither less nor
more.
220. 4. As to simile: the materiality aggregate [as object] of clinging is
like a sick-room because it is the dwelling-place, as physical basis, door,
and object, of the sick man, namely, the consciousness aggregate as
object of clinging. The feeling aggregate as object of clinging is like the
sickness because it afflicts. The perception aggregate as object of cling-
ing is like the provocation of the sickness because it gives rise to feeling
associated with greed, etc., owing to perception of sense desires, and so
on. The formations aggregate as object of clinging is like having re-
course to what is unsuitable because it is the source of feeling, which is
the sickness; [479] for it is said: 'Feeling as feeling is the formed that
they form' (S.iii,87), and likewise: 'Because of unprofitable kamma hav-
ing been performed and stored up, resultant body-consciousness has arisen
accompanied by pain' (Dhs. §556). The consciousness aggregate as ob-
ject of clinging is like the sick man because it is never free from feeling,
which is the sickness.
221. Also they are (respectively) like the prison, the punishment, the
offence, the punisher, and the offender. And they are like the dish, the
food, the curry sauce [poured over the food], the server, and the eater.
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This is how the exposition should be known as to simile.
222. 5. Twice as to how to be seen: the exposition should be known
twice as to how to be seen, namely, in brief and in detail.
223. In brief [that is, collectively] the five aggregates as objects of cling-
ing should be seen as an enemy with drawn sword (S.iv,174) in the
Snake Simile, as a burden (S.iii,25) according to the Burden Sutta, as a
devourer (S.iii,87f.) according to the To-be-devoured Discourse, and as
impermanent, painful, not-self, formed, and murderous, according to the
Yamaka Sutta (S.iii,112f.).
224. In detail [that is, individually] matter should be regarded as a lump
of froth because it will not stand squeezing, feeling as a bubble on water
because it can only be enjoyed for an instant, perception as a mirage
because it causes illusion, formations as a plantain trunk because it has
no core, and consciousness as a conjuring trick because it deceives
(S.iii, 140-42).
In particular, even sublime internal materiality84
should be regarded
as foul (ugly); feeling should be regarded as painful because it is never
free from the three kinds of suffering (see Ch. XVI, §34); perception and
formations as not-self because they are unmanageable; and conscious-
ness as impermanent because it has the nature of rise and fall.
225. 6. As to good for one seeing thus: good comes to be accomplished
in one who sees in the two ways thus in brief and in detail. And the way
of definition should be known according to that, that is to say, firstly,
one who sees the five aggregates as objects of clinging in the form of an
enemy with drawn sword, etc., is not worried by the aggregates, but one
who sees materiality, etc., in detail as a lump of froth, etc., is not one
who sees a core in the coreless.
226. And in particular, [480] one who sees internal materiality as foul
(ugly) fully understands nutriment consisting of physical nutriment. He
abandons the perversion [of perceiving] beauty in the foul (ugly), he
crosses the flood of sense desire, he is loosed from the bond of sense
desire, he becomes canker-free as regards the canker of sense desire, he
breaks the bodily tie of covetousness. He does not cling with sense-
desire clinging.
227. One who sees feeling as pain fully understands nutriment consisting
of contact. He abandons the perversion of perceiving pleasure in the
painful. He crosses the flood of becoming. He is loosed from the bond of
becoming. He becomes canker-free as regards the canker of becoming.
He breaks the bodily tie of ill will. He does not cling with rites-and-ritual
clinging.
228. One who sees perception and formations as not-self fully under-
stands nutriment consisting of mental volition. He abandons the perver-
sion of perceiving self in the not-self. He crosses the flood of views. He
is loosed from the bond of views. He breaks the bodily tie of interpreta-
tions (insistence) that 'This is the truth'. He does not cling with self-
theory clinging.
229. One who sees consciousness as impermanent fully understands
nutriment consisting of consciousness. He abandons the perversion of
perceiving permanence in the impermanent. He crosses the flood of
ignorance. He is loosed from the bond of ignorance. He becomes canker-
free as regards the canker of ignorance. He breaks the bodily tie of
holding to rites and rituals. He does not [cling with false-] view clinging.
230. Such blessings there will be
From seeing them as murderers and otherwise,
Therefore the wise should see
The aggregates as murderers and otherwise.
The fourteenth chapter called 'The Descrip-
tion of the Aggregates' in the Treatise on the
Development of Understanding in the Path of
Purification composed for the purpose of glad-
dening good people.
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