Visuddhimagga - THE DIVINE ABIDINGS - General

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


[GENERAL]
91. Now having thus known these divine abidings
Told by the Divine (brahma) One supremely [wise],
There is this general explanation too
Concerning them that he should recognize.
[Meanings]
92. Now as to the meaning firstly of lovingkindness, compassion, glad-
ness and equanimity: it fattens (mejjati), thus it is lovingkindness (metta);
it is solvent (siniyhati) is the meaning. Also: it comes about with respect
to a friend (mitta), [318] or it is behaviour towards a friend, thus it is
lovingkindness (metta).
When there is suffering in others it causes (karoti) good people's
hearts to be moved (kampana), thus it is compassion (karuna). Or alter-
natively, it combats (kinati)
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others' suffering, attacks and demolishes
it, thus it is compassion. Or alternatively, it is scattered (kiriyati) upon
those who suffer, it is extended to them by pervasion, thus it is compas-
sion (karuna).
Those endowed with it are glad (modanti), or itself is glad (modati),
or it is the mere act of being glad (modana), thus it is gladness (mudita).
It looks on at (upekkhati), abandoning such interestedness as think-
ing 'May they be free from enmity' and having recourse to neutrality,
thus it is equanimity (upekkha).
[Characteristic, Etc.]
93. As to the characteristic, etc., lovingkindness is characterized here as
promoting the aspect of welfare. Its function is to prefer welfare. It is
manifested as the removal of annoyance. Its proximate cause is seeing
lovableness in beings. It succeeds when it makes ill will subside, and it
fails when it produces (selfish) affection.
94. Compassion is characterized as promoting the aspect of allaying
suffering. Its function resides in not bearing others' suffering. It is mani-
fested as non-cruelty. Its proximate cause is to see helplessness in those
overwhelmed by suffering. It succeeds when it makes cruelty subside
and it fails when it produces sorrow.
95. Gladness is characterized as gladdening (produced by others' suc-


cess).
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Its function resides in being unenvious. It is manifested as the
elimination of aversion (boredom). Its proximate cause is seeing beings'
success. It succeeds when it makes aversion (boredom) subside, and it
fails when it produces merriment.
96. Equanimity is characterized as promoting the aspect of neutrality to-
wards beings. Its function is to see equality in beings. It is manifested as
the quieting of resentment and approval. Its proximate cause is seeing
ownership of deeds (kamma) thus: 'Beings are owners of their deeds.
Whose
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[if not theirs] is the choice by which they will become happy, or
will get free from suffering, or will not fall away from the success they
have reached?'. It succeeds when it makes resentment and approval sub-
side, and it fails when it produces the equanimity of unknowing, which
is that [worldly-minded indifference of ignorancp] based on the house
life.
[Purpose]
97. The general purpose of these four divine abidings is the bliss of
insight and an excellent (form of future) existence. That peculiar to each
is respectively the warding off of ill will, and so on. For here lovingkind-
ness has the purpose of warding off ill will, while the others have the
respective purposes of warding off cruelty, aversion (boredom), and greed
or resentment. And this is said too: Tor this is the escape from ill will,
friends, that is to say, the mind-deliverance of lovingkindness ... For this
is the escape from cruelty, friends, that is to say, the mind-deliverance of
compassion ... For this is the escape from aversion (boredom), friends,
that is to say, the mind-deliverance of gladness ... For this is the escape
from greed, friends, that is to say, the mind-deliverance of equanimity
(D.iii,248X
[The Near and Far Enemies]
98. And here each one has two enemies, one near and one far.
The diving abiding of lovingkindness [319] has greed as its near
enemy,
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since both share in seeing virtues. Greed behaves like a foe
who keeps close by a man, and it easily finds an opportunity. So lov-
ingkindness should be well protected from it. And ill will, which is
dissimilar to the similar greed, is its far enemy like a foe ensconced in a
rock wilderness. So lovingkindness must be practised free from fear of
that; for it is not possible to practise lovingkindness and feel anger si-
multaneously (see D.iii, 247-48).
99. Compassion has grief based on the home life as its near enemy,
since both share in seeing failure. Such grief has been described in the
way beginning, 'When a man either regards as a privation failure to ob-


tain visible objects cognizable by the eye that are sought after, desired,
agreeable, gratifying and associated with worldliness, or when he recalls
those formerly obtained that are past, ceased and changed, then grief
arises in him. Such grief as this is called grief based on the home life'
(M.iii,218). And cruelty, which is dissimilar to the similar grief, is its far
enemy. So compassion must be practised free from fear of that; for it is
not possible to practise compassion and be cruel to breathing things
simultaneously.
100. Gladness has joy based on the home life as its near enemy, since
both share in seeing success. Such joy has been described in the way
beginning, 'When a man either regards as gain the obtaining of visible
objects cognizable by the eye that are sought ... and associated with
worldliness, or recalls those formerly obtained that are past, ceased, and
changed, then joy arises in him. Such joy as this is called joy based on
the home life' (M.iii,217). And aversion (boredom), which is dissimilar
to the similar joy, is its far enemy. So gladness should be practised free
from fear of that; for it is not possible to practise gladness and be discon-
tented with remote abodes and things connected with the higher profita-
bleness simultaneously.
101. Equanimity has the equanimity of unknowing based on the home
life as its near enemy, since both share in ignoring faults and virtues.
Such unknowing has been described in the way beginning, 'On seeing a
visible object with the eye equanimity arises in the foolish infatuated
ordinary man, in the untaught ordinary man who has not conquered his
limitations, who has not conquered future [kamma] result, who is unper-
ceiving of danger. Such equanimity as this does not surmount the visible
object. Such equanimity as this is called equanimity based on the home
life' (M.iii,219). And greed and resentment, which are dissimilar to the
similar unknowing, are its far enemies. Therefore equanimity must be
practised free from fear of that; [320] for it is not possible to look on
with equanimity and be inflamed with greed or be resentful15 simultane-
ously.
[The Beginning, Middle and End, Etc.]
102. Now zeal consisting in desire to act is the beginning of all these
things. Suppression of the hindrances, etc., is the middle. Absorption is
the end. Their object is a single living being or many living beings, as a
mental object consisting in a concept.
[The Order in Extension]
103. The extension of the object takes place either in access or in absorp-
tion. Here is the order of it. Just as a skilled ploughman first delimits an


area and then does his ploughing, so first a single dwelling should be de-
limited and lovingkindness developed towards all beings there in the
way beginning 'In this dwelling may all beings be free from enmity'.
When his mind has become malleable and wieldy with respect to that, he
can then delimit two dwellings. Next he can successively delimit three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, one street, half the village, the
whole village, the district, the kingdom, one direction, and so on up to
one world-sphere, or even beyond that, and develop lovingkindness to-
wards the beings in such areas. Likewise with compassion and so on.
This is the order in extending here.
[The Outcome]
104. Just as the immaterial states are the outcome of the kasinas, and the
base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception is the outcome
of concentration, and fruition attainment is the outcome of insight, and
the attainment of cessation is the outcome of serenity coupled with in-
sight, so the divine abiding of equanimity is the outcome of the first
three divine abidings. For just as the gable rafters cannot be placed in the
air without having first set up the scaffolding and built the framework of
beams, so it is not possible to develop the fourth (jhana in the fourth
divine abiding) without having already developed the third jhana in the
earlier (three divine abidings).
[Four Questions]
105. And here it may be asked: But why are lovingkindness, compassion,
gladness, and equanimity, called divine abidings? And why are they only
four? And what is their order? And why are they called measureless
states in the Abhidhamma?
106. It may be replied: The divineness of the abiding (brahmaviharata)
should be understood here in the sense of best and in the sense of
immaculate. For these abidings are the best in being the right attitude
towards beings. And just as Brahma gods abide with immaculate minds,
so the meditators who associate themselves with these abidings abide on
an equal footing with Brahma gods. So they are called divine abidings in
the sense of best and in the sense of immaculate. [321]
107. Here are the answers to the questions beginning with 'Why are they
only four?*:
Their number four is due to paths to purity
And other sets of four; their order to their aim
As welfare and the rest. Their scope is found to be
Immeasurable, so 'measureless states' their name.


108. For among these, lovingkindness is the way to purity for one who
has much ill will, compassion is that for one who has much cruelty,
gladness is that for one who has much aversion (boredom), and equa-
nimity is that for one who has much greed. Also attention given to
beings is only fourfold, that is to say, as bringing welfare, as removing
suffering, as being glad at their success, and as unconcern, [that is to say,
impartial neutrality]. And one abiding in the measureless states should
practise lovingkindness and the rest like a mother with four sons, namely,
a child, an invalid, one in the flush of youth, and one busy with his own
affairs; for she wants the child to grow up, wants the invalid to get well,
wants the one in the flush of youth to enjoy for long the benefits of
youth, and is not at all bothered about the one who is busy with his own
affairs. That is why the measureless states are only four as 'due to paths
to purity and other sets of four'.
109. One who wants to develop these four should practise them towards
beings first as the promotion of the aspect of welfare—and lovingkind-
ness has the promotion of the aspect of welfare as its characteristic; and
next, on seeing or hearing or judging16
that beings whose welfare has
been thus wished for are at the mercy of suffering, they should be prac-
tised as the promotion of the aspect of the removal of suffering—and
compassion has the promotion of the aspect of the removal of suffering
as its characteristic; and then, on seeing the success of those whose
welfare has been wished for and the removal of whose suffering has
been wished for, they should be practised as being glad—and gladness
has the act of gladdening as its characteristic; but after that there is
nothing to be done and so they should be practised as the neutral aspect,
in other words, the state of an onlooker—and equanimity has the promo-
tion of the aspect of neutrality as its characteristic; therefore, since their
respective aims are the aspect of welfare, etc., their order should be un-
derstood to correspond, with lovingkindness stated first, then compas-
sion, gladness and equanimity.
110. All of them, however, occur with a measureless scope, for their
scope is measureless beings; and instead of assuming a measure such as
'Lovingkindness, etc., should be developed only towards a single being,
or in an area of such an extent', they occur with universal pervasion.
That is why it was said: [322]
Their number four is due to paths to purity
And other sets of four, their order to their aim
As welfare and the rest. Their scope is found to be
Immeasurable, so "measureless states" their name'.


[As Producing Three Jhanas and Four Jhanas]
111. Though they have a single characteristic in having a measureless
scope, yet the first three are only of triple and quadruple jhana [respec-
tively in the fourfold and fivefold reckonings]. Why? Because they are
not dissociated from joy. But why are their aims not dissociated from
joy? Because they are the escape from ill will, etc., which are originated
by grief. But the last one belongs only to the remaining single jhana.
Why? Because it is associated with equanimous feeling. For the divine
abiding of equanimity that occurs in the aspect of neutrality towards
beings does not exist apart from equanimous [that is to say, neither-
painfiil-nor-pleasant] feeling.
112. However, someone might say this: 'It has been said by the Blessed
One in the Book of Eights, speaking of the measureless states in general:
"Next, bhikkhu, you should develop the concentration with applied thought
and sustained thought, and you should develop it without applied thought
and with sustained thought only, and you should develop it without
applied thought and without sustained thought, and you should develop
it with happiness, and you should develop it without happiness, and you
should develop it accompanied by gratification, and you should develop
it accompanied by equanimity" (A.iv,300). Consequently all four meas-
ureless states have quadruple and quintuple jhana'.
113. He should be told: 'Do not put it like that. For if that were so, then
contemplation of the body, etc., would also have quadruple and quin-
tuple jhana. But there is not even the first jhana in the contemplation
of feeling or in the other two.
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So do not misrepresent the Blessed One
by adherence to the letter. The Enlightened One's word is profound
and should be taken as it is intended, giving due weight to the teachers'.
114. And the intention here is this: The Blessed One, it seems, was asked
to teach the Dhamma thus: 'Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed
One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the
Blessed One's Dhamma, I may dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent
and self-exerted' (A.iv,299). But the Blessed One had no confidence yet
in that bhikkhu, since although he had already heard the Dhamma he had
nevertheless gone on living there instead of going to do the ascetic's
duties, [and the Blessed One expressed his lack of confidence] thus: 'So
too, some misguided men merely question me, and when the Dhamma is
expounded [to them], they still fancy that they need not follow me'
(A.iv,299). However, the bhikkhu had the potentiality for the attainment
of Arahantship, and so he advised him again, [323] saying: 'Therefore,
bhikkhu, you should train thus: "My mind shall be steadied, quite stead-
ied internally, and arisen evil unprofitable things shall not obsess my


mind and remain". You should train thus' (A.iv,299). But what is stated
in that advice is basic concentration consisting in mere unification of
mind18
internally in the sense of in oneself (see Ch. XIV, n.75).
115. After that he told him about its development by means of lovingkind-
ness in order to show that he should not rest content with just that much
but should intensify his basic concentration in this way: *As soon as your
mind has become steadied, quite steadied internally, bhikkhu, and arisen
evil unprofitable things do not obsess your mind and remain, then you
should train thus: "The mind-deliverance of lovingkindness will be de-
veloped by me, frequently practised, made the vehicle, made the founda-
tion, established, consolidated, and properly undertaken". You should
train thus, bhikkhu' (A.iv,299-300), after which he said further: * As soon
as this concentration has been thus developed by you, bhikkhu,
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and fre-
quently practised, then you should develop this concentration with ap-
plied thought and sustained thought... and you should develop it accom-
panied by equanimity' (A.iv,300).
116. The meaning is this: 'Bhikkhu, when this basic concentration has
been developed by you by means of lovingkindness, then, instead of
resting content with just that much, you should make this basic concen-
tration reach quadruple and quintuple jhana in other objects by [further]
developing it in the way beginning "With applied thought" '.
117. And having spoken thus, he further said: *As soon as this concentra-
tion has been thus developed by you, bhikkhu, and frequently practised,
then you should train thus: "The mind-deliverance of compassion will be
developed by me ..."' (A.iv,300), etc., pointing out that 'you should
effect its [further] development by means of quadruple and quintuple
jhana in other objects, this [further] development being preceded by the
remaining divine abidings of compassion and the rest*.
118. Having thus shown how its [further] development by means of quad-
ruple and quintuple jhana is preceded by lovingkindness, etc., and hav-
ing told him, 'As soon as this concentration has been developed by you,
bhikkhu, and frequently practised, then you should train thus: "I shall
dwell contemplating the body as a body" ', etc., he concluded the dis-
course with Arahantship as its culmination thus: 'As soon as this concen-
tration has been developed by you, bhikkhu, completely developed, then
wherever you go you will go in comfort, wherever you stand you will
stand in comfort, wherever [324] you sit you will sit in comfort, wher-
ever you make your couch you will do so in comfort' (A.iv,301). From
that it must be understood that the [three] beginning with lovingkindness
have only triple-quadruple jhana, and that equanimity has only the single
remaining jhana. And they are expounded in the same way in the
Abhidhamma as well.


[The Highest Limit of Each]
119. And while they are twofold by way of the triple-quadruple jhana
and the single remaining jhana, still they should be understood to be
distinguishable in each case by a different efficacy consisting in having
'beauty as the highest', etc. For they are so described in the Haliddavasana
Sutta, according as it is said: 'Bhikkhus, the mind-deliverance of lov-
ingkindness has beauty as the highest, I say ... The mind-deliverance of
compassion has the base consisting of boundless space as the highest, I
say... The mind-deliverance of gladness has the base consisting of bound-
less consciousness as the highest I say ... The mind-deliverance of equa-
nimity has the base consisting of nothingness as the highest, I say'
(S.v,119-21).
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120. But why are they described in this way? Because each is the respec-
tive basic support for each. For beings are unrepulsive to one who abides
in lovingkindness. Being familiar with the unrepulsive aspect, when he
applies his mind to unrepulsive pure colours such as blue-black, his
mind enters into them without difficulty. So lovingkindness is the basic
support for the liberation by the beautiful (see M.ii,12; MA.iii,256), but
not for what is beyond that. That is why it is called 'having beauty as the
highest'.
121. One who abides in compassion has come to know thoroughly the
danger in materiality, since compassion is aroused in him when he sees
the suffering of beings that has as its material sign (cause) beating with
sticks, and so on. So, well knowing the danger in materiality, when he
removes whichever kasina [concept he was contemplating], whether that
of the earth kasina or another, and applies his mind to the space [that re-
mains (see Ch. X, §6)], which is the escape from materiality, then his
mind enters into that [space] without difficulty. So compassion is the
basic support for the sphere of boundless space, but not for what is
beyond that. That is why it is called 'Having the base consisting of
boundless space as the highest'.
122. When he abides in gladness, his mind becomes familiar with appre-
hending consciousness, since gladness is aroused in him when he sees
beings' consciousness arisen in the form of rejoicing over some reason
for joy. Then when he surmounts the sphere of boundless space that he
had already attained in due course and applies his mind to the conscious-
ness that had as its object the sign of space, [325] his mind enters into it
without difficulty. So gladness is the basic support for the base consist-
ing of boundless consciousness, but not for what is beyond that. That is
why it is called 'having the sphere of boundless consciousness as the
highest'.


123. When he abides in equanimity, his mind becomes skilled21
in appre-
hending what is (in the ultimate sense) non-existent, because his mind
has been diverted from apprehension of (what is existent in) the ultimate
sense, namely, pleasure, (release from) pain, etc., owing to having no
further concern such as 'May beings be happy' or 'May they be released
from pain' or 'May they not lose the success they have obtained'. Now
his mind has become used to being diverted from apprehension of (what
is existent in) the ultimate sense, and his mind has become skilled in
apprehending what is non-existent in the ultimate sense, (that is to say,
living beings, which are a concept), and so when he surmounts the base
consisting of boundless consciousness attained in due course and applies
his mind to the absence, which is non-existent as to individual essence,
of consciousness, which is a reality (is become—see M.i,260) in the
ultimate sense, then his mind enters into that (nothingness, that non-
existence) without difficulty (see Ch. X, §32). So equanimity is the basic
support for the base consisting of nothingness, but not for what is be-
yond that. That is why it is called 'having the base consisting of nothing-
ness as the highest*.
124. When he has understood thus that the special efficacy of each re-
sides respectively in 'having beauty as the highest', etc., he should be-
sides understand how they bring to perfection all the good states begin-
ning with giving. For the Great Beings' minds retain their balance by
giving preference to beings' welfare, by dislike of beings' suffering, by
desire for the various successes achieved by beings to last, and by impar-
tiality towards all beings. And to all beings they give gifts, which are a
source a pleasure, without discriminating thus: 'It must be given to this
one; it must not be given to this one'. And in order to avoid doing harm
to beings they undertake the precepts of virtue. They practise renuncia-
tion for the purpose of perfecting their virtue. They cleanse their under-
standing for the purpose of non-confusion about what is good and bad
for beings. They constantly arouse energy, having beings' welfare and
happiness at heart. When they have acquired heroic fortitude through su-
preme energy, they become patient with beings' many kinds of faults.
They do not deceive when promising 'We shall give you this; we shall
do this for you'. They are unshakably resolute upon beings' welfare and
happiness. Through unshakable lovingkindness they place them first [be-
fore themselves]. Through equanimity they expect no reward. Having
thus fulfilled the [ten] perfections, these [divine abidings] then perfect
all the good states classed as the ten powers, the four kinds of fearless-
ness, the six kinds of knowledge not shared [by disciples], and the eight-
een states of the Enlightened One.
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This is how they bring to perfection
all the good states beginning with giving.


The ninth chapter called 'The Description of
the Divine Abidings' in the Treatise on the Devel-
opment of Concentration in the Path of Purifica-
tion composed for the purpose of gladdening good
people.