Visuddhimagga - THE AGGREGATES - Understanding

THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka


PART III
UNDERSTANDING
(Panna)


CHAPTER XIV
THE AGGREGATES
(Khandha-niddesa)

[A. UNDERSTANDING]
1. [436] Now concentration was described under the heading of con-
sciousness in the stanza:
4
When a wise man, established well in virtue,
Develops consciousness and understanding* (Ch. I, §1).
And that has been developed in all its aspects by the bhikkhu who is thus
possessed of the more advanced development of concentration that has
acquired with direct-knowledge the benefits [described in Chs. XII and
Xin]. But understanding comes next. And that has still to be developed.
Now that is not easy, firstly even to know about, let alone to develop,
when it is taught very briefly. In order, therefore, to deal with the de-
tailed method of its development there is the following set of questions:
(i) What is understanding?
(ii) In what sense is it understanding?
(iii) What are its characteristic, function, manifestation, and
proximate cause?
(iv) How many kinds of understanding are there?
(v) How is developed?
(vi) What are the benefits of developing understanding?
2. Here are the answers:
(i) WHAT IS UNDERSTANDING? Understanding (pannd) is of
many sorts and has various aspects. An answer that attempted to explain
it all would accomplish neither its intention nor its purpose, and would,
besides, lead to distraction; so we shall confine ourselves to the kind
intended here, which is understanding consisting in insight knowledge
associated with profitable consciousness.
3. (ii) IN WHAT SENSE IS IT UNDERSTANDING? It is under-
standing (panna) in the sense of act of understanding (pajdnand)} What
is this act of understanding? It is knowing (jdnana) in a particular mode
separate from the modes of perceiving (sahjdnana) and cognizing
(yijdnana). [437] For though the state of knowing (jdnana-bhdva) is
equally present in perception (sannd), in consciousness (vinhdna), and in
understanding (pannd), nevertheless perception is only the mere perceiv-
ing of an object as, say, 'blue' or 'yellow'; it cannot bring about the
penetration of its characteristics as impermanent, painful, and not-self.


Consciousness knows the objects as blue or yellow, and it brings about
the penetration of its characteristics, but it cannot bring about, by en-
deavouring, the manifestation of the [supramundane] path. Understand-
ing knows the object in the way already stated, it brings about the pene-
tration of the characteristics, and it brings about, by endeavouring, the
manifestation of the path.
4. Suppose there were three people, a child without discretion, a vil-
lager, and a money-changer, who saw a heap of coins lying on a money-
changer's counter. The child without discretion knows merely that the
coins are figured and ornamented, long, square or round; he does not
know that they are reckoned as valuable for human use and enjoyment.
And the villager knows that they are figured and ornamented, etc., and
that they are reckoned as valuable for human use and enjoyment; but he
does not know such distinctions as *This one is genuine, this is false, this
is half-value*. The money-changer knows all those kinds, and he does so
by looking at the coin, and by listening to the sound of it when struck,
and by smelling its smell, tasting its taste, and weighing it in his hand,
and he knows that it was made in a certain village or town or city or on a
certain mountain or by a certain master. And this may be understood as
an illustration.
5. Perception is like the child without discretion seeing the coin, be-
cause it apprehends the mere mode of appearance of the object as blue
and so on. Consciousness is like the villager seeing the coin, because it
apprehends the mode of the object as blue, etc., and because it extends
further, reaching the penetration of its characteristics. Understanding is
like the money-changer seeing the coin, because, after apprehending the
mode of the object as blue, etc., and extending to the penetration of the
characteristics, it extends still further, reaching the manifestation of the
path.
That is why this act of understanding should be understood as 'know-
ing in a particular mode separate from the modes of perceiving and cog-
nizing'. For that is what the words 'it is understanding in the sense of act
of understanding' refer to.
6. However, it is not always to be found where perception and con-
sciousness are.
2
[438] But when it is, it is not disconnected from those
states. And because it cannot be taken as disconnected thus, 'This is
perception, this is consciousness, this is understanding', its difference is
consequently subtle and hard to see. Hence the venerable Nagasena said:
'A difficult thing, O King, has been done by the Blessed One.—What,
venerable Nagasena, is the difficult thing that has been done by the
Blessed One?—The difficult thing, O King, done by the Blessed One
was the defining of the immaterial states of consciousness and its


concomitants, which occur with a single object, and which he declared
thus: "This is contact, this is feeling, this is perception, this is volition,
this is consciousness" ' (Miln. 87).
7. (iii) WHAT ARE ITS CHARACTERISTIC, FUNCTION, MANI-
FESTATION AND PROXIMATE CAUSE? Understanding has the char-
acteristic of penetrating the individual essences of states.
3
Its function
is to abolish the darkness of delusion, which conceals the individual
essences of states. It is manifested as non-delusion. Because of the words
'One who is concentrated knows and sees correctly' (A.v,3), its proxi-
mate cause is concentration.
8. (iv) HOW MANY KINDS OF UNDERSTANDING ARE THERE?
1. Firstly, as having the characteristic of penetrating the individual
essences of states, it is of one kind.
2. As mundane and supramundane it is of two kinds.
3. Likewise as subject to cankers and free from cankers, and soon,
4. As the defining of mentality and of materiality,
5. As accompanied by joy or by equanimity,
6. As the planes of seeing and of development.
7. It is of three kinds as consisting in what is reasoned, consisting in
what is leamt (heard), and consisting in development.
8. Likewise as having a limited, exalted, or measureless object,
9. As skill in improvement, detriment, and means,
10. As interpreting the internal, and so on.
11. It is of four kinds as knowledge of the four truths,
12. And as the four discriminations.
4
9. 1. Herein, the singlefold section is obvious in meaning.
2. As regards the twofold section, the mundane is that associated
with the mundane path and the supramundane is that associated with the
supramundane path. So it is of two kinds as mundane and supramun-
dane.
10. 3. In the second dyad, that subject to cankers is that which is the
object of cankers. That free from cankers is not their object. This dyad is
the same in meaning as the mundane and supramundane. The same
method applies to the dyads * subject to cankers and free from cankers,
associated with cankers and dissociated from cankers' (Dhs. p. 3), and so
on. So it is of two kinds as subject to cankers and free from cankers, and
so on.
11. 4. In the third dyad, when a man wants to begin insight, his under-
standing of the defining of the four immaterial aggregates is understand-
ing as defining of mentality, [439] and his understanding of the defining
of the material aggregate is understanding as defining of materiality. So
it is of two kinds as the defining of mentality and of materiality.


12. 5. In the fourth dyad, understanding belonging to two of the kinds
of sense-sphere profitable consciousness, and belonging to sixteen5
of
the kinds of path consciousness with four of the jhanas in the fivefold
method, is accompanied by joy. Understanding belonging to two of the
kinds of sense-sphere profitable consciousness, and belonging to (the
remaining) four kinds of path consciousness with the fifth jhana is
accompanied by equanimity. So it is of two kinds as accompanied by joy
or by equanimity.
13. 6. In the fifth dyad, understanding belonging to the first path is the
plane of seeing. Understanding belonging to the remaining three paths is
the plane of development (see Ch. XXII, §127). So it is of two kinds as
the planes of seeing and of development.
14. 7. As regards the triads, understanding acquired without hearing
from another is that consisting in what is reasoned because it is pro-
duced by one's own reasoning. Understanding acquired by hearing from
another is that consisting in what is heard, because it is produced by
hearing. Understanding that has reached absorption, having been some-
how produced by (meditative) development, is that consisting in devel-
opment. And this is said: * Herein, what is understanding consisting in
what is reasoned? In the spheres of work invented by ingenuity, or in the
spheres of craft invented by ingenuity, or in the sorts of science invented
by ingenuity, any preference, view, choice, opinion, judgment, liking for
pondering over things, that concerns ownership of deeds (kamma) or
is in conformity with truth or is of such kind as to conform with (the
axioms) "Materiality is impermanent" or "Feeling ... perception ... for-
mations ... consciousness is impermanent" that one acquires without hear-
ing it from another—that is called understanding consisting in what is
reasoned.
'(In the spheres ... ) that one acquires by hearing it from another—
that is called understanding consisting in What is learnt (heard).
'And all understanding in anyone who has attained (an attainment)
is understanding consisting in development' (Vbh. 324-25).
So it is of three kinds as consisting in what is thought out, in what is
heard, and in development.
15. 8. In the second triad, the understanding that occurs contingent
upon sense-sphere states has a limited object. That which occurs contin-
gent upon fine-material-sphere states or immaterial-sphere states has an
exalted object. That is mundane insight. That which occurs contingent
upon nibbana has a measureless object. That is supramundane insight.
So it is of three kinds as having a limited, an exalted, or a measureless
object.
16. 9, In the third triad, it is increase that is called improvement. That


is twofold as the elimination of harm and the arousing of good. Skill in
improvement is skill in these, according as it is said: 'Herein, what is
skill in improvement? When a man brings these things to mind both
unarisen unprofitable things do not arise and arisen unprofitable things
are abandoned in him; or when he brings these things to mind [440] both
unarisen profitable things arise and arisen profitable things advance to
growth, increase, development, and perfection in him. Whatever here is
understanding, act of understanding ... [for words elided see Dhs. §16]
... non-delusion, investigation of states, right view, is called skill in im-
provement' (Vbh. 325-26).
17. Non-increase is what is called detriment. That also is twofold as the
diminution of good and the arousing of harm. Skill in detriment is skill
in these, according as it is said: 'Herein, what is skill in detriment?
When a man brings these things to mind, both unarisen profitable things
do not arise ...' (Vbh. 326), and so on.
18. But in either of these cases any skill in means to cause the produc-
tion of such and such things, which skill occurs at that moment and is
aroused on that occasion, is what is called skill in means, according as it
is said: 'And all understanding of means thereto is skill in means'
(Vbh. 326).
So it is of three kinds as skill in improvement, in detriment, and in
means.
19. 10. In the fourth triad, insight-understanding initiated by appre-
hending one's own aggregates is interpreting the internal.
6
That initiated
by apprehending another's aggregates or external materiality not bound
up with the faculties, [that is, inanimate matter], is interpreting the exter-
nal. That initiated by apprehending both is interpreting the internal and
external. So it is of three kinds as interpreting the internal, and so on.
20. 11. As regards the tetrads, in the first tetrad, knowledge that oc-
curs contingent upon the truth of suffering is knowledge of suffering;
knowledge that occurs contingent upon the origin of suffering is knowl-
edge of the origin of suffering; knowledge that occurs contingent upon
the cessation of suffering is knowledge of the cessation of suffering; and
knowledge that occurs contingent upon the way leading to the cessation
of suffering is knowledge of the way leading to the cessation of suffer-
ing. So it is of four kinds as knowledge of the four truths.
21. 12. In the second tetrad, the four kinds of knowledge classed as
that concerned with meaning, etc., are called the four discriminations.
For this is said: 'Knowledge about meaning is the discrimination of
meaning (attha-patisambhida). Knowledge about law is the discrimina-
tion of law (dhamma-patisambhida). Knowledge about enunciation of
language dealing with meaning and law is the discrimination of language


(nirutti-patisambhida). Knowledge about kinds of knowledge is discrimi-
nation of perspicuity (patibhdna-patisambhidaY (Vbh. 293).
22. Herein, meaning (atthd) is briefly a term for the fruit of a cause
(hetu). For in accordance with the cause it is served,
7
arrived at, reached,
therefore it is called 'meaning' (or 'purpose'). But in particular the five
things, namely, (i) anything conditionally produced, [441] (ii) nibbana,
(iii) the meaning of what is spoken, (iv) (kamma-) result, and (v) func-
tional (consciousness), should be understood as meaning. When anyone
reviews that meaning, any knowledge of his, falling within the category
(pabheda) concerned with meaning, is the discrimination of meaning.
23. Law (dhamma) is briefly a term for a condition (paccaya). For since
a condition necessitates (dahati) whatever it may be, makes it occur or
allows it to happen, it is therefore called 'law' {dhamma). But in particu-
lar the five things, namely, (i) any cause that produces fruit, (ii) the
noble path, (iii) what is spoken, (iv) what is profitable, and (v) what is
unprofitable, should be understood as law. When anyone reviews that
law, any knowledge of his, falling within the category concerned with
law, is the discrimination of law.
24. This same meaning is shown in the Abhidhamma by the following
analysis:
(a) 'Knowledge about suffering is the discrimination of meaning.
Knowledge about the origin of suffering is the discrimination of law.
[Knowledge about the cessation of suffering is the discrimination of
meaning. Knowledge about the way leading to the cessation of suffering
is the discrimination of law] ...
(b) 'Knowledge about cause is the discrimination of law. Knowl-
edge about the fruit of a cause is the discrimination of meaning ...
(c) 'Knowledge about whatever things are born, become, brought to
birth, produced, completed, made manifest, is the discrimination of mean-
ing. Knowledge about the things from which those things were born,
became, were brought to birth, produced, completed, made manifest, is
the discrimination of law ...
(d) 'Knowledge about ageing and death is the discrimination of
meaning. Knowledge about the origin of ageing and death is the dis-
crimination of law. [Knowledge about the cessation of ageing and death
is the discrimination of meaning. Knowledge about the way leading to
the cessation of ageing and death is the discrimination of law. Knowl-
edge about birth ... becoming ... clinging ... craving ... feeling ...
contact... the sixfold base ... mentality-materiality ... consciousness ...
knowledge about formations is the discrimination of meaning. Knowl-
edge about the origin of formations is the discrimination of law.] Knowl-
edge about the cessation of formations is the discrimination of meaning.


Knowledge about the way leading to the cessation of formations is the
discrimination of law ...
(e) 'Here a bhikkhu knows the Dhamma (Law)—the Discourses,
Songs, [Expositions, Stanzas, Exclamations, Sayings, Birth Stories, Mar-
vels, and] Answers to Questions—this is called the discrimination of
law. He knows the meaning of whatever is said thus: "This is the mean-
ing of this that was said; this is the meaning of this that was said"—this
is called the discrimination of meaning .. .
(f) *What states are profitable? On an occasion when profitable
consciousness of the sense sphere has arisen [that is accompanied by joy
and associated with knowledge, having a visible datum as its object ...
or a mental datum as its object, or contingent upon whatever it may be,
on that occasion there is contact ... (for elision see Dhs. §1) ... there is
non-wavering]—these things are profitable. Knowledge about these things
is the discrimination of law. Knowledge about their result is the dis-
crimination of meaning' ... (Vbh. 293-95).
8
25. Knowledge about enunciation of language dealing with meaning
and law (§21): there is the language that is individual essence, the usage
that has no exceptions,
9
and deals with that meaning and that law. Any
knowledge falling within the category concerned with the enunciation of
that, with the speaking, with the utterance of that, concerned with the
root-speech of all beings, the Magadhan language that is individual
essence, in other words, the language of law (dhamma), [any knowledge
that] as soon as it hears it spoken, pronounced, uttered, knows, 'This is
the individual-essence language; this is not the individual-essence lan-
guage'—[such knowledge] is discrimination of language.
10
[442] One
who has reached the discrimination of language knows, on hearing the
words 'phasso, vedand\ etc., that that is the individual-essence lan-
guage, and on hearing 'phassd, vedano\ etc., he knows that that is not
the individual-essence language.
26. Knowledge about kinds of knowledge (§21): when a man is review-
ing and makes any of the foregoing kinds of knowledge the object [of his
knowledge], then any knowledge in him that has knowledge as its object
is discrimination of perspicuity, and so is any knowledge about these
aforesaid kinds of knowledge, which is concerned with details of their
individual domains, functions, and so on.
27. And these four kinds of discrimination can be placed in two catego-
ries: the plane of the trainer and the plane of the non-trainer. Herein,
those of the chief disciples and great disciples come into the category of
the non-trainer's plane. Those of the Elder Ananda, the householder
Citta, the layman Dhammika, the householder Upali, the laywoman
Khujjuttara, etc., come into the category of the trainer's plane.


28. And though they come into the categories of the two planes thus,
they are nevertheless distinguishable in five aspects, that is to say, as
achievement, mastery of scriptures, hearing, questioning, and prior ef-
fort. Herein, achievement is the reaching of Arahantship. Mastery of
scriptures is mastery of the Buddha's word. Hearing is learning the
Dhamma carefully and attentively. Questioning is discussion of knotty
passages and explanatory passages in the texts, commentaries, and so on.
Prior effort is devotion to insight in the dispensation of former Buddhas,
up to the vicinity of [the stages of] conformity and change-of-lineage by
one who has practised [the duty of] going [with the meditation subject
on alms round] and coming back [with it].
11
29. Others have said:
'A prior effort, and great knowledge,
[Knowledge of] dialects, of scriptures,
And questioning, and then achievement,
And likewise waiting on a teacher,
Success in friends—these are conditions
Productive of discriminations'.
30. Herein, prior effort is the same as that already stated. Great learning
is skill in some science or sphere of craft. Dialects means skill in the
hundred-and-one tongues, particularly in that of Magadha. Scriptures
means mastery of the Buddha's word, even if only of the Chapter of
Similes.
12
Questioning is questioning about defining the meaning of even
a single stanza. Achievement is stream-entry ... or Arahantship. Waiting
on a teacher is living with very learned intelligent teachers. Success in
friends is acquisition of friends such as that. [443]
31. Herein, Buddhas and Paccekabuddhas reach the discriminations
through prior effort and through achievement. Disciples do so through
all these means. And there is no special way of developing a meditation
subject in order to attain discriminations. But in trainers the attaining of
the discriminations comes about next upon the liberation consisting in
trainers' fruition, and in non-trainers it does so next upon the liberation
consisting in non-trainers' fruition. For the discriminations come to suc-
cess in noble ones only through the noble fruition as the ten powers do in
Perfect Ones.
So these were the discriminations referred to when it was said above
'It is of four kinds ... as the four discriminations' (§8).
32. (v) HOW IS IT DEVELOPED? Now the things classed as aggre-
gates, bases, elements, faculties, truths, dependent origination, etc., are
the soil of this understanding, and the [first] two purifications, namely,
purification of virtue and purification of consciousness, are its roots,


while the five purifications, namely, purification of view, purification by
overcoming doubt, purification by knowledge and vision of what is the
path and what is not the path, purification by knowledge and vision of
the way, and purification by knowledge and vision, are the trunk. Conse-
quently, one who is perfecting these should first fortify his knowledge
by learning and questioning about those things that are the 'soil' after he
has perfected the two purifications that are the 'roots', then he can de-
velop the five purifications that are the 'trunk'. This is in brief. The
detail is as follows.