THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
210. These in-breaths and out-breaths occur striking the tip of the nose in
a long-nosed man [284] and the upper lip in a short-nosed man. So he
should fix the sign thus: 'This is the place where they strike'. This was
why the Blessed One said: 'Bhikkhus, I do not say of one who is forget-
ful, who is not fully aware, [that he practises] development of mindful-
ness of breathing' (M.iii,84).
211. Although any meditation subject, no matter what, is successful only
in one who is mindful and fully aware, yet any meditation subject other
than this one gets more evident as he goes on giving it his attention. But
this mindfulness of breathing is difficult, difficult to develop, a field in
which only the minds of Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and Buddhas' sons
are at home. It is no trivial matter, nor can it be cultivated by trivial
persons. In proportion as continued attention is given to it, it becomes
more peaceful and more subtle. So strong mindfulness and understand-
ing are necessary here.
212. Just as when doing needlework on a piece of fine cloth a fine needle
is needed, and a still finer instrument for boring the needle's eye, so too,
when developing this meditation subject, which resembles fine cloth,
both the mindfulness, which is the counterpart of the needle, and the
understanding associated with it, which is the counterpart of the instru-
ment for boring the needle's eye, need to be strong. A bhikkhu must
have the necessary mindfulness and understanding and must look for the
in-breaths and out-breaths nowhere else than the place normally touched
by them.
213. Suppose a ploughman, after doing some ploughing, sent his oxen
free to graze and sat down to rest in the shade, then his oxen would soon
go into the forest. Now a skilled ploughman who wants to catch them
and yoke them again does not wander through the forest following their
tracks, but rather he takes his rope and goad and goes straight to the
drinking place where they meet, and he sits or lies there. Then after the
oxen have wandered about for a part of the day, they come to the drink-
ing place where they meet and they bathe and drink, and when he sees
that they have come out and are standing about, he secures them with the
rope, and prodding them with the goad, he brings them back, yokes
them, and goes on with his ploughing. So too, the bhikkhu should not
look for the in-breaths and out-breaths anywhere else than the place nor-
mally touched by them. And he should take the rope of mindfulness and
the goad of understanding, and fixing his mind on the place normally
touched by them, he should go on giving his attention to that. [285] For
as he gives his attention in this way they reappear after no long time, as
the oxen did at the drinking place where they met. So he can secure them
with the rope of mindfulness, and yoking them in that same place and
prodding them with the goad of understanding, he can keep on applying
himself to the meditation subject.
214. When he does so in this way, the sign58
soon appears to him. But it
is not the same for all; on the contrary, some say that when it appears it
does so to certain people producing a light touch like cotton or silk-
cotton or a draught.
215. But this is the exposition given in the commentaries: It appears to
some like a star or a cluster of gems or a cluster of pearls, to others with
a rough touch like that of silk-cotton seeds or a peg made of heartwood,
to others like a long braid string or a wreath of flowers or a puff of
smoke, to others like a stretched-out cobweb or a film of cloud or a lotus
flower or a chariot wheel or the moon's disk or the sun's disk.
216. In fact this resembles an occasion when a number of bhikkhus are
sitting together reciting a suttanta. When a bhikkhu asks, 'What does this
sutta appear like to you?', one says, 'It appears to me like a great moun-
tain torrent', another 'To me it is like a line of forest trees', another 'To
me it is like a spreading fruit tree giving cool shade'. For the one sutta
appears to them differently because of the difference in their perception.
Similarly this single meditation subject appears differently because of
difference in perception.
59
It is born of perception, its source is percep-
tion, it is produced by perception. Therefore it should be understood that
when it appears differently it is because of difference in perception.
217. And here, the consciousness that has in-breath as its object is one,
the consciousness that has out-breath as its object is another, and the
consciousness that has the sign as its object is another. For the medita-
tion subject reaches neither absorption nor even access in one who has
not got these three things [clear]. But it reaches access and also absorp-
tion in one who has got these three things [clear]. For this is said:
'Sign, in-breath, out-breath, are not object
Of a single consciousness;
By one who knows not these three things
Development is not obtained.
'Sign, in-breath, out-breath, are not object
Of a single consciousness;
By one who does know these three things
Development can be obtained' (Ps.i,170). [286]
218. And when the sign has appeared in this way, the bhikkhu should go
to the teacher and tell him, 'Venerable sir, such and such has appeared to
me'. But [say the Digha reciters] the teacher should say neither 'This is
the sign' nor 'This is not the sign'; after saying 'It happens like this,
friend', he should tell him, 'Go on giving it attention again and again';
for if he were told 'It is the sign', he might [become complacent and]
stop short at that (see M.i,193f.), and if he were told 'It is not the sign',
he might get discouraged and give up; so he should encourage him to
keep giving it his attention without saying either. So the Digha reciters
say, firstly. But the Majjhima reciters say that he should be told, 'This is
the sign, friend. Well done. Keep giving attention to it again and again'.
219. Then he should fix his mind on that same sign; and so from now on,
his development proceeds by way of fixing. For the Ancients said this:
'Fixing his mind upon the sign
And putting away60
extraneous aspects,
The clever man anchors his mind
Upon the breathings in and out'.
220. So as soon as the sign appears, his hindrances are suppressed, his de-
filements subside, his mindfulness is established, and his consciousness
is concentrated in access concentration.
221. Then he should not give attention to the sign as to its colour, or
review it as to its [specific] characteristic. He should guard it as carefully
as a king's chief queen guards the child in her womb due to become a
Wheel-turning Monarch,
61
or as a farmer guards the ripening crops; and
he should avoid the seven unsuitable things beginning with the unsuit-
able abode and cultivate the seven suitable things. Then, guarding it
thus, he should make it grow and improve with repeated attention, and
he should practise the tenfold skill in absorption (Ch. IV, §42) and bring
about evenness of energy (Ch. IV, §66).
222. As he strives thus, fourfold and fivefold jhana is achieved by him on
that same sign in the same way as described under the earth kasina.
5-8. (See §189) However, when a bhikkhu has achieved the fourfold
and fivefold jhana and wants to reach purity by developing the medita-
tion subject through observing and through turning away, he should
make that jhana familiar by attaining mastery in it in the five ways (Ch.
IV, §131), and then embark upon insight by defining mentality-material-
ity. How?
223. On emerging from the attainment, [287] he sees that the in-breaths
and out-breaths have the physical body and the mind as their origin; and
that just as, when a blacksmith's bellows are being blown, the wind
moves owing to the bag and to the man's appropriate effort, so too, in-
breaths and out-breaths are due to the body and the mind.
Next, he defines the in-breaths and out-breaths and the body as
'materiality', and the consciousness and the states associated with the
consciousness as 'the immaterial [mind]'. This is in brief (cf. MA.i,249);
but the details will be explained later in the defining of mentality-materi-
ality (Ch. XVIII, §3f.).
224. Having defined mentality-materiality in this way, he seeks its condi-
tion. With search he finds it, and so overcomes his doubts about the way
of mentality-materiality's occurrence in the three divisions of time
(Ch. XIX).
His doubts being overcome, he attributes the three characteristics
[beginning with that of suffering to mentality and materiality], compre-
hending [them] by groups (Ch. XX, §2f.); he abandons the ten imperfec-
tions of insight beginning with illumination, which arise in the first
stages of the contemplation of rise and fall (Ch. XX, §105f.), and he de-
fines as 'the path' the knowledge of the way that is free from these
imperfections (Ch. XX, §126f.).
He reaches contemplation of dissolution by abandoning [attention
to] arising. When all formations have appeared as terror owing to the
contemplation of their incessant dissolution, he becomes dispassionate
towards them (Ch. XXI), his greed for them fades away, and he is liber-
ated from them (Ch. XXII).
After he has [thus] reached the four noble paths in due succession
and has become established in the fruition of Arahantship, he at last
attains to the nineteen kinds of reviewing knowledge (Ch. XXII, §19f.),
and he becomes fit to receive the highest gifts from the world with its
deities.
225. At this point his development of concentration through mindfulness
of breathing, beginning with counting and ending with looking back
(§189) is completed. This is the commentary on the first tetrad in all
aspects.
[Word Commentary Continued—Second Tetrad]
226. Now since there is no separate method for developing the medita-
tion subject in the case of the other tetrads, their meaning therefore
needs only to be understood according to the word commentary.
(v) He trains thus: 7shall breathe in ... shall breathe out experienc-
ing happiness', that is, making happiness known, making it plain. Herein,
the happiness is experienced in two ways: (a) with the object, and (b)
with non-confusion.
62
227. (a) How is the happiness experienced with the object? He attains the
two jhanas in which happiness is present. At the time when he has
actually entered upon them the happiness is experienced with the object
owing to the obtaining of the jhana, because of the experiencing of the
object, (b) How with non-confusion? When, after entering upon and
emerging from one of the two jhanas accompanied by happiness, [288]
he comprehends with insight that happiness associated with the jhana as
liable to destruction and to fall, then at the actual time of the insight the
happiness is experienced with non-confusion owing to the penetration of
its characteristics [of impermanence, and so on].
228. For this is said in the PatisambhidA: 'When he knows unification of
mind and non-distraction through long in-breaths, mindfulness is estab-
lished in him. By means of that mindfulness and that knowledge that
happiness is experienced. When he knows unification of mind and non-
distraction through long out-breaths ... through short in-breaths ... through
short out-breaths ... through in-breaths ... out-breaths experiencing the
whole body ... through in-breaths ... out-breaths tranquillizing the bod-
ily formation, mindfulness is established in him. By means of that mind-
fulness and that knowledge that happiness is experienced.
'It is experienced by him when he adverts, when he knows, sees,
reviews, steadies his mind, resolves with faith, exerts energy, establishes
mindfulness, concentrates his mind, understands with understanding, di-
rectly knows what is to be directly known, fully understands what is to
be fully understood, abandons what is to be abandoned, develops what is
to be developed, realizes what is to be realized. It is in this way that that
happiness is experienced* (Ps.i,187).
229. (vi)-(viii) The remaining [three] clauses should be understood in the
same way as to meaning; but there is this difference here. The experienc-
ing of bliss must be understood to be through three jhanas, and that of
the mental formation through four. The mental formation consists of the
two aggregates of feeling and perception. And in the case of the clause,
experiencing bliss, it is said in the Patisambhida in order to show the
plane of insight here [as well]: ' "Bliss": there are two kinds of bliss,
bodily bliss and mental bliss' (Ps.i,188). Tranquillizing the mental for-
mation: tranquillizing the gross mental formation; stopping it, is the
meaning. And this should be understood in detail in the same way as
given under the bodily formation (see §§176-85).
230. Here, moreover, in the 'happiness' clause feeling [which is actually
being contemplated in this tetrad] is stated under the heading of 'happi-
ness' [which is a formation] but in the 'bliss' clause feeling is stated in
its own form. In the two 'mental-formation' clauses the feeling is that
[necessarily] associated with perception because of the words, 'Percep-
tion and feeling belong to the mind, these things being bound up with the
mind are mental formations' (Ps.i,188). [289]
So this tetrad should be understood to deal with contemplation of
feeling.
[Word Commentary Continued—Third Tetrad]
231. (ix) In the third tetrad the experiencing of the [manner of\ con-
sciousness must be understood to be through four jhanas.
(x) Gladdening the [manner of] consciousness: he trains thus: 'Making
the mind glad, instilling gladness into it, cheering it, rejoicing it, I shall
breathe in, shall breathe out'. Herein, there is gladdening in two ways,
through concentration and through insight.
How through concentration? He attains the two jhanas in which hap-
piness is present. At the time when he has actually entered upon them he
inspires the mind with gladness, instils gladness into it, by means of the
happiness associated with the jhana. How through insight? After enter-
ing upon and emerging from one of the two jhanas accompanied by
happiness, he comprehends with insight that happiness associated with
the jhana as liable to destruction and to fall; thus at the actual time of
insight he inspires the mind with gladness, instils gladness into it, by
making the happiness associated with the jhana the object.
It is of one progressing in this way that the words, 'He trains thus: "I
shall breathe in ... shall breathe out gladdening the [manner of] con-
sciousness" \ are said.
232. (xi) Concentrating (samddaham) the [manner of] consciousness:
evenly (samarti) placing (ddahanto) the mind, evenly putting it on its
object by means of the first jhana and so on. Or alternatively, when,
having entered upon those jhanas and emerged from them, he compre-
hends with insight the consciousness associated with the jhana as liable
to destruction and to fall, then at the actual time of insight momentary
unification of the mind63
arises through the penetration of the character-
istics [of impermanence, and so on]. Thus the words, 'He trains thus: "I
shall breathe in ... shall breathe out concentrating the [manner of] con-
sciousness" \ are said also of one who evenly places the mind, evenly
puts it on its object by means of the momentary unification of the mind
arisen thus.
233. (xii) Liberating the [manner of\ consciousness: he both breathes in
and breathes out delivering, liberating, the mind from the hindrances by
means of the first jhana, from applied and sustained thought by means of
the second, from happiness by means of the third, from pleasure and
pain by means of the fourth. Or alternatively, when, having entered upon
those jhanas and emerged from them, he comprehends with insight the
consciousness associated with the jhana as liable to destruction and to
fall, then at the actual time of insight he delivers, liberates, the mind
from the perception of permanence by means of the contemplation of
impermanence, from the perception of pleasure by means of the contem-
plation of pain, from the perception of self by means of the contempla-
tion of not self, from delight by means of the contemplation of dispas-
sion, from greed by means of the contemplation of fading away, from
arousing by means of the contemplation of cessation, from grasping by
means of the contemplation of relinquishment. Hence it is said: [290]
'He trains thus: "I shall breathe in ... shall breathe out liberating the
[manner of] consciousness" \
64
So this tetrad should be understood to deal with contemplation of
mind.
[Word Commentary Continued—Fourth Tetrad]
234. (xiii) But in the fourth tetrad, as to contemplating impermanence,
here firstly, the impermanent should be understood, and impermanence,
and the contemplation of impermanence, and one contemplating imper-
manence.
Herein, the five aggregates are the impermanent. Why? Because
their essence is rise and fall and change. Impermanence is the rise and
fall and change in those same aggregates, or it is their non-existence
after having been; the meaning is, it is the breakup of produced aggre-
gates through their momentary dissolution since they do not remain in
the same mode. Contemplation of impermanence is contemplation of
materiality, etc., as 'impermanent' in virtue of that impermanence. One
contemplating impermanence possesses that contemplation. So it is when
one such as this is breathing in and breathing out that it can be under-
stood of him: 'He trains thus: "I shall breathe in ... shall breathe out
contemplating impermanence" \
65
235. (xiv) Contemplating fading away: there are two kinds of fading
away, that is, fading away as destruction, and absolute fading away.
66
Herein, 'fading away as destruction' is the momentary dissolution of
formations. *Absolute fading away' is nibbana. Contemplation of fading
away is insight and it is the path, which occur as the seeing of these two.
It is when he possesses this twofold contemplation that it can be under-
stood of him: 'He trains thus: "I shall breathe in ... shall breathe out con-
templating fading away" \
(xv) The same method of explanation applies to the clause, contem-
plating cessation.
236. (xvi) Contemplating relinquishment: relinquishment is of two kinds
too, that is to say, relinquishment as giving up, and relinquishment as en-
tering into. Relinquishment itself as [a way of] contemplation is 'con-
templation of relinquishment'. For insight is called both 'relinquishment
as giving up' and 'relinquishment as entering into' since [firstly], through
substitution of opposite qualities, it gives up defilements with their ag-
gregate-producing kamma formations, and [secondly], through seeing
the wretchedness of what is formed, it also enters into nibbana by inclin-
ing towards nibbana, which is the opposite of the formed (Ch. XXI, 18).
Also the path is called both 'relinquishment as giving up' and 'relin-
quishment as entering into' since it gives up defilements with their ag-
gregate-producing kamma-formations by cutting them off, and it enters
into nibbana by making it its object. Also both [insight and path knowl-
edge] are called contemplation \anupassana) because of their re-seeing
successively (anu anu passand) each preceding kind of knowledge.
67
[291] It is when he possesses this twofold contemplation that it can be
understood of him: 'He trains thus: "I shall breathe in ... shall breathe
out contemplating relinquishment"'.
237. This tetrad deals only with pure insight while the previous three deal
with serenity and insight.
This is how the development of mindfulness of breathing with its
sixteen bases in four tetrads should be understood.
[Conclusion]
This mindfulness of breathing with its sixteen bases thus is of great
fruit, of great benefit.
238. Its great beneficialness should be understood here as peacefulness
both because of the words 'And, bhikkhus, this concentration through
mindfulness of breathing, when developed and much practised, is both
peaceful and sublime' (S.v,321), etc., and because of its ability to cut off
applied thoughts; for it is because it is peaceful, sublime, and an unadul-
terated blissful abiding that it cuts off the mind's running hither and
thither with applied thoughts obstructive to concentration, and keeps the
mind only on the breaths as object. Hence it is said: 'Mindfulness of
breathing should be developed in order to cut off applied thoughts'
(A.iv,353).
239. Also its great beneficialness should be understood as the root condi-
tion for the perfecting of clear vision and deliverance; for this has been
said by the Blessed One: 'Bhikkhus, mindfulness of breathing, when de-
veloped and much practised, perfects the four foundations of mindful-
ness. The four foundations of mindfulness, when developed and much
practised, perfect the seven enlightenment factors. The seven enlighten-
ment factors, when developed and much practised, perfect clear vision
and deliverance' (M.iii,82).
240. Again its great beneficialness should be understood to reside in the
fact that it causes the final in-breaths and out-breaths to be known; for
this is said by the Blessed One: 'Rahula, when mindfulness of breathing
is thus developed, thus practised much, the final in-breaths and out-
breaths, too, are known as they cease, not unknown' (M.i,425-26).
241. Herein, there are three kinds of [breaths that are] final because of
cessation, that is to say, final in becoming, final in jhana, and final in
death. For, among the various kinds of becoming (existence), in-breaths
and out-breaths occur in the sensual-sphere becoming, not in the fine-
material and immaterial kinds of becoming. That is why there are final
ones in becoming. In the jhanas they occur in the first three but not in the
fourth. That is why there are final ones in jhana. Those that arise along
with the sixteenth consciousness preceeding the death consciousness [292]
cease together with the death consciousness. They are called 'final in
death'. It is these last that are meant here by 'final'.
242. When a bhikkhu has devoted himself to this meditation subject, it
seems, if he adverts, at the moment of arising of the sixteenth conscious-
ness before the death consciousness, to their arising, then their arising is
evident to him; if he adverts to their presence, then their presence is
evident to him; if he adverts to their dissolution, then their dissolution is
evident to him; and it is so because he has thoroughly discerned in-
breaths and out-breaths as object.
243. When a bhikkhu has attained Arahantship by developing some other
meditation subject than this one, he may be able to define his life term or
not. But when he has reached Arahantship by developing this mindful-
ness of breathing with its sixteen bases, he can always define his life
term. He knows, 'My vital formations will continue now for so long and
no more'. Automatically he performs all the functions of attending to the
body, dressing and robing, etc., after which he closes his eyes, like the
Elder Tissa who lived at the Kotapabbata Monastery, like the Elder
Maha-Tissa who lived at the Maha-Karanjiya Monastery, like the Elder
Tissa the alms-food eater in the kingdom of Devaputta, like the elders
who were brothers and lived at the Cittalapabbata monastery.
244. Here is one story as an illustration. After reciting the Patimokkha, it
seems, on the Uposatha day of the full moon, one of the two elders who
were brothers went to his own dwelling place surrounded by the Com-
munity of Bhikkhus. As he stood on the walk looking at the moonlight
he calculated his own vital formations, and he said to the Community of
Bhikkhus, 'In what way have you seen bhikkhus attaining nibbana up till
now?'. Some answered, 'Till now we have seen them attain nibbana
sitting in their seats'. Others answered, 'We have seen them sitting cross-
legged in the air'. The elder said, 'I shall now show you one attaining
nibbana while walking'. He then drew a line on the walk, saying, 'I shall
go from this end of the walk to the other end and return; when I reach
this line I shall attain nibbana'. So saying, he stepped on to the walk and
went to the far end. On his return he attained nibbana in the same
moment in which he stepped on the line. [293]
So let a man, if he is wise,
Untiringly devote his days
To mindfuness of breathing, which
Rewards him always in these ways.
This is the section dealing with mindfulness of breathing in the de-
tailed explanation.
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