THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[THE FEELING AGGREGATE / VEDANAKKHANDHA]
125. Now it was said above, * Whatever has the characteristic of being
felt should be understood, all taken together, as the feeling aggregate'
(§81). And here too, what is said to have the characteristic of being felt
is feeling itself, according as it is said, 'It is felt, friend, that is why it is
called feeling' (M.i,293).
126. But though it is singlefold according to its individual essence as the
characteristic of being felt, it is nevertheless threefold as to kind, that is
to say, profitable, unprofitable, and indeterminate. Herein, it should be
understood that when associated with the profitable consciousness de-
scribed in the way beginning *(l)-(8) That of the sense sphere is eight-
fold, being classified according to joy, equanimity, knowledge, and
prompting' (§83), it is profitable;
5
* that associated with unprofitable con-
sciousness is unprofitable', that associated with indeterminate conscious-
ness is indeterminate. [461]
127. It is fivefold according to the analysis of its individual essence into
[bodily] pleasure, [bodily] pain, [mental] joy, [mental] grief, and equa-
nimity.
Herein, pleasure is associated with profitable resultant body-con-
sciousness (38) and pain with unprofitable resultant body-consciousness
(54). Joy is associated with 62 kinds of consciousness, namely, as to
sense sphere, with 4 kinds of profitable (l)-(4), with 4 resultant with
root-cause (42)-(45), with 1 resultant without root-cause (40), with 4
functional with root-cause (73)-(76), with 1 functional without root-cause
(72), and with 4 unprofitable (22)-(25); and as to the fine-material-sphere,
with 4 kinds of profitable (9)-(12), 4 resultant (57)-(60), and 4 functional
(81)-(84), leaving out that of the fifth jhana in each case; but there is
no supramundane without jhana and consequently the [eight] kinds of
supramundane (18)-(21) and (66)-(69) multiplied by the five jhanas
make forty; but leaving out the eight associated with the fifth jhana, it is
associated with the remaining 32 kinds of profitable resultant. Grief is
associated with two kinds of unprofitable (30)-(31). Equanimity is asso-
ciated with the remaining fifty-five kinds of consciousness.
128. Herein, pleasure has the characteristic of experiencing a desirable
tangible datum. Its function is to intensify associated states. It is mani-
fested as bodily enjoyment. Its proximate cause is the body faculty.
Pain has the characteristic of experiencing an undesirable tangible
datum. Its function is to wither associated states. It is manifested as
bodily affliction. Its proximate cause is the body faculty.
Joy has the characteristic of experiencing a desirable object. Its
function is to exploit
55
in one way or another the desirable aspect. It is
manifested as mental enjoyment. Its proximate cause is tranquillity.
Grief has the characteristic of experiencing an undesirable object.
Its function is to exploit in one way or another the undesirable aspect. It
is manifested as mental affliction. Its proximate cause is invariably the
heart-basis.
Equanimity has the characteristic of being felt as neutral. Its func-
tion is not to intensify or wither associated states much. It is manifested
as peacefulness. Its proximate cause is consciousness without happi-
ness.
56
This is the section of the detailed explanation dealing with the feel-
ing aggregate.
[THE PERCEPTION AGGREGATE / SANNAKKHANDHA]
129. Now it was said above, 'Whatever has the characteristic of perceiv-
ing should be understood, all taken together, as the perception aggregate'
(§81). And here too, what is said to have the characteristic of perceiving
is perception itself, according as it is said, 'It perceives, friend, that is
why it is called perception' (M.i,293).
But though it is singlefold according to its individual essence as the
characteristic of perceiving, it is nevertheless threefold as to kind, that is
to say, profitable, unprofitable, and indeterminate. Herein, [462] that
associated with profitable consciousness is profitable, that associated
with unprofitable consciousness is unprofitable, that associated with in-
determinate consciousness is indeterminate. Since there is no conscious-
ness dissociated from perception, perception therefore has the same num-
ber of divisions as consciousness [that is to say, eighty-nine].
130. But though classed in the same way as consciousness, nevertheless,
as to characteristic, etc., it all has just the characteristic of perceiving.
Its function is to make a sign as a condition for perceiving again that
'this is the same', as carpenters, etc., do in the case of timber, and so on.
It is manifested as the action of interpreting by means of the sign as ap-
prehended, like the blind who 'see' an elephant (Ud. 68-69). Its proxi-
mate cause is an objective field in whatever way that appears, like the
perception that arises in fawns that see scarecrows as men.
This is the section of the detailed explanation dealing with the per-
ception aggregate.
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