THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
Visuddhimagga - Purification By Knowledge and Vision - Change-of-lineage, paths and fruits
CHAPTER XXII
PURIFICATION BY KNOWLEDGE AND VISION
(Nanadassana-visuddhi-niddesa)
[I. CHANGE-OF-LINEAGE, PATHS AND FRUITS]
1. [672] Change-of-lineage knowledge comes next. Its position is to
advert to the path, and so it belongs neither to purification by knowledge
and vision of the way nor to purification by knowledge and vision, but
being intermediate, it is unassignable. Still it is reckoned as insight be-
cause it falls in line with insight.
2. Purification by knowledge and vision properly consists in knowl-
edge of the four paths, that is to say, the path of stream-entry, the path of
once-return, the path of non-return, and the path of Arahantship.
[THE FIRST PATH — FIRST NOBLE PERSON]
3. Herein, nothing further needs to be done by one who wants to achieve,
firstly, the knowledge of the first path. For what he needs to do has
already been done by arousing the insight that ends in conformity knowl-
edge.
4. As soon as conformity knowledge has arisen in him in this way, and
the thick murk that hides the truths has been dispelled by the respective
force peculiar to each of the three kinds of conformity (see Ch. XXI,
§129f.), then his consciousness no longer enters into or settles down on
or resolves upon any field of formations at all, or clings, cleaves or
clutches on to it, but retreats, retracts and recoils as water does from a
lotus leaf, and every sign as object, every occurrence as object, appears
as an impediment.
5. Then, while every sign and occurrence appears to him as an impedi-
ment, when conformity knowledge's repetition has ended, change-of-
lineage knowledge arises in him, which takes as its object the signless,
non-occurrence, non-formation, cessation, nibbana,—which knowledge
passes out of the lineage, the category, the plane, of the ordinary man
and enters the lineage, the category, the plane, of the noble ones,—
which, being the first adverting, the first concern, the first reaction, to
nibbana as object, fulfils the state of a condition for the path in six ways,
as proximity, [673] contiguity, repetition, decisive-support, absence, and
disappearance conditions,—which is the culminating peak of insight,—
which is irrevocable,—of which it is said:
'How is it that understanding of emergence and turning away from
the external
1
is change-of-lineage knowledge?
'It overcomes arising, thus it is change-of-lineage. It overcomes
occurrence ... [the sign ... accumulation ... rebirth-linking ... destiny ...
generation ... re-arising ... birth ... ageing ... sickness ... death ...
sorrow ... lamentation ...] . It overcomes despair, thus it is change-of-
lineage. It overcomes the sign of formations externally, thus it is change-
of-lineage.
4
It enters into2
non-arising, thus it is change-of-lineage. It enters into
non-occurrence, thus it is change-of-lineage ... (etc.) ... It enters into
non-despair, thus it is change-of-lineage. It enters into cessation, nib-
bana, thus it is change-of-lineage.
* Having overcome arising, it enters into non-arising, thus it is change-
of-lineage ... ' (Ps.i,56), and so on, all of which should be quoted.
6. Here is a simile that illustrates how conformity and change-of-line-
age occur with different objects though occurring in a single cognitive
series with a single adverting. Suppose a man wanted to leap across a
broad stream and establish himself on the opposite bank, he would run
fast, and seizing a rope fastened to the branch of a tree on the stream's
near bank and hanging down, or a pole, he would leap with his body
tending, inclining and leaning towards the opposite bank, and when he
had arrived above the opposite bank, he would let go, fall on to the
opposite bank, staggering first and then steady himself there; so too this
meditator, who wants to establish himself on nibbana, the bank opposite
to the kinds of becoming, generation, destiny, station, and abode, runs
fast by means of the contemplations of rise and fall, etc., and seizing
with conformity's adverting to impermanence, pain or not-self the rope
of materiality fastened to the branch of his selfhood and hanging down,
or one among the poles beginning with feeling, he leaps with the first
conformity consciousness without letting go and with the second he
tends, inclines and leans towards nibbana, like the body that was tend-
ing, inclining and leaning towards the opposite bank; then, being with
the third next to nibbana, which is now attainable, like the other's arriv-
ing above the opposite bank, he lets go that formation as object with
the ceasing of that consciousness, and with the change-of-lineage con-
sciousness he falls on to the unformed nibbana, the bank opposite; but
staggering, as the man did, for lack of [previous] repetition, he is not
yet properly steady on the single object. After that he is steadied by
path knowledge.
7. Herein, conformity is able to dispel the murk of defilements that
conceals the truths, but it is unable to make nibbana its object. Change-
of-lineage is only able to make nibbana its object, but it is unable to
dispel the murk that conceals the truths.
8. Here is a simile. [674] A man with eyes went out at night, it seems,
to find out the conjunction of the stars, and he looked up to see the
moon. It was invisible because it was concealed by clouds. Then a wind
sprang up and blew away the thick clouds; another blew away the me-
dium clouds; and another blew away the fine clouds as well. Then the
man saw the moon in the sky free from clouds, and he found out the
conjunction of the stars*
9. Herein, the thick, medium and fine kinds of darkness that conceal
the truths are like the three kinds of cloud. The three kinds of conformity
consciousness are like the three winds. Change-of-lineage knowledge is
like the man with eyes. Nibbana is like the moon. The dispelling of the
murk that conceals the truths by each kind of conformity consciousness
is like the successive blowing away of the clouds by each wind. Change-
of-lineage knowledge's seeing the clear nibbana when the murk that
concealed the truths has disappeared is like the man's seeing the clear
moon in the sky free from cloud.
10. Just as the three winds are able only to blow away the clouds that
conceal the moon but cannot see the moon, so the three kinds of confor-
mity are able only to dispel the murk that conceals the truths but cannot
see nibbana. Just as the man can only see the moon but cannot blow
away the clouds, so change-of-lineage knowledge can only see nibbana
but cannot dispel the defilements. Hence it is called 'adverting to the
path'.
11. For although it is not adverting, it occupies the position of advert-
ing; and then, after, as it were, giving a sign to the path to come into
being, it ceases. And without pausing after the sign given by that change-
of-lineage knowledge, the path follows upon it in uninterrupted continu-
ity, and as it comes into being it pierces and explodes the mass of greed,
the mass of hate, and the mass of delusion never pierced and exploded
before (cf. Ps.ii,20).
12. Here is a simile for this. An archer, it seems, had a target
3
set up at a
distance of eight usabhas (about 100 yards), and wrapping his face in a
cloth and arming himself with an arrow, he stood on a wheel contrivance
(a revolving platform). Another man turned the wheel contrivance, and
when the target was opposite the archer, he gave him a sign with a stick.
Without pausing after the sign the archer shot the arrow and hit the
target.
13. Herein, change-of lineage knowledge is like the sign with the stick.
Path knowledge is like the archer. Path knowledge's [675] making nib-
bana its object without pausing after the sign given by change-of-line-
age, and its piercing and exploding the mass of greed, hate and delusion
never pierced and exploded before, is like the archer's hitting the target
without pausing after the sign.
14. And not only does it cause the piercing of this mass of greed, etc.,
but it also dries up the ocean of suffering of the round in the begin-
ningless round of rebirths. It closes all doors to the states of loss. It
provides actual experience of the seven noble treasures.
4
It abandons the
eightfold wrong path. It allays all enmity and fear.
5
It leads to the state
of the Fully Enlightened One's breast-born son (see S.ii,221). And it
leads to the acquisition of many hundred other blessings. So it is the
knowledge associated with the path of stream-entry, the provider of many
hundred blessings, that is called knowledge of the path of stream-entry.
The first kind of knowledge is ended.
[THE FIRST FRUITION — SECOND NOBLE PERSON]
15. Immediately next to that knowledge, however, there arise either
two or three fruition consciousnesses, which are its result. For it is owing
to this very fact that supramundane profitable [consciousness] results
immediately that it is said, 'And which he called the concentration with
immediate result' (Sn. 226), and 'Sluggishly he reaches what has imme-
diate result for the destruction of the cankers' (A.ii,149), and so on.
16. Some, however, say that there are one, two, three, four, or five
fruition consciousnesses. That is inadmissible. For change-of-lineage
knowledge arises at the end of conformity's repetition, so at the mini-
mum there must be two conformity consciousnesses, since one alone
does not act as repetition condition. And a single series of impulsions
has a maximum of seven [impulsion] consciousnesses. Consequently,
that series which has two conformities and change-of-lineage as third
and path consciousness as fourth has three fruition consciousnesses.
That which has three conformities and change-of-lineage as fourth and
path consciousness as fifth has two fruition consciousnesses. That is why
it was said above, 'There arise either two or three fruition conscious-
nesses .'.
17. Then some say that that which has four conformities and change-of-
lineage as fifth and path consciousness as sixth has one fruition con-
sciousness. But that is refuted because it is the fourth or the fifth [impul-
sion] that reaches [the path], not those after that, owing to their nearness
to the life-continuum (see Ch. IV, §75). So that cannot be accepted as
correct. [676]
18. And at this point this stream-enterer is called the second noble per-
son. However negligent he may be, he is bound to make an end of
suffering when he has travelled and traversed the round of rebirths among
deities and human beings for the seventh time.
19. At the end of the fruition his consciousness enters the life-contin-
uum. After that, it arises as mind-door adverting interrupting the life-
continuum for the purpose of reviewing the path. When that has ceased,
seven impulsions of path reviewing arise. After re-entry into the life-
continuum, adverting, etc., arise again in the same way for the purpose
of reviewing fruition, and so on. With the arising of these he reviews the
path, he reviews the fruition, he reviews the defilements abandoned, he
reviews the defilements still remaining, and he reviews nibbana.
20. He reviews the path in this way, 'So this is the path I have come
by'. Next he reviews the fruition after that in this way, 'This is the
blessing I have obtained'. Next he reviews the defilements that have
been abandoned, These are the defilements abandoned in me'. Next he
reviews the defilements still to be eliminated by the three higher paths,
'These are the defilements still remaining in me'. And lastly he reviews
the deathless nibbana in this way, 'This is the state (dhamma) that has
been penetrated by me as object'. So the noble disciple who is a stream-
enterer has five kinds of reviewing.
21. And as in the case of the stream-enterer, so also in the cases of the
once-retumer and non-returner. But the Arahant has no reviewing of re-
maining defilements. So all the kinds of reviewing total nineteen. This is
the maximum number. Trainers may or may not have the reviewing of
the defilements abandoned and those still remaining. In fact it was owing
to the absence of such reviewing that MahAnAma asked the Blessed One,
'What state is there still unabandoned by me internally owing to which
at times states of greed invade my mind and remain?' (M.i,91), all of
which should be quoted.
[THE SECOND PATH —THIRD NOBLE PERSON]
22. However, after reviewing in this way, either while sitting in the
same session or on another occasion, the noble disciple who is a stream-
enterer makes it his task to reach the second plane by attenuating both
greed for sense desires and ill will. He brings to bear the faculties,
6
the
powers, and the enlightenment factors, and he works over and turns up
that same field of formations, classed as materiality, feeling, perception,
formations, and consciousness, with the knowledge that they are imper-
manent, painful, not-self, and he embarks upon the progressive series of
insights.
23. When he has [677] done so, and when, at the end of equanimity
about formations, conformity and change-of-lineage
7
knowledge have
arisen in a single adverting in the way already described, then the path of
once-return arises next to change-of-lineage. The knowledge associated
with that is knowledge of the path of once-return.
The second kind of knowledge is ended.
[THE SECOND FRUITION — FOURTH NOBLE PERSON]
24. The fruition consciousness should be understood to follow immedi-
ately upon this knowledge in the same way as before. And at this point
this once-returner is called the fourth noble person. He is bound to make
an end of suffering after returning once to this world. Next there comes
reviewing in the way already described.
[THE THIRD PATH —FIFTH NOBLE PERSON]
25. Now after reviewing in this way, either while sitting in the same
session or on another occasion, this noble disciple who is a once-returner
makes it his task to reach the third plane by abandoning, without remain-
der, both greed for sense desires and ill will. He brings to bear the
faculties, the powers, and the enlightenment factors, and he works over
and turns up that same field of formations with the knowledge that they
are impermanent, painful, not-self, and he embarks upon the progressive
series of insights.
26. When he has done so, and when, at the end of equanimity about
formations, conformity and change-of-lineage have arisen in a single
adverting in the way already described, then the path of non-return arises
next to change-of-lineage. The knowledge associated with that is knowl-
edge of the path of non-return. The third kind of knowledge is ended.
[THE THIRD FRUITION — SIXTH NOBLE PERSON]
27. The fruition consciousnesses should be understood to follow im-
mediately upon this knowledge in the same way as before. And at this
point this non-returner is called the sixth noble person. [After death] he
reappears apparitionally [elsewhere] and attains complete extinction
there without ever returning, without ever coming to this world again
through rebirth-linking. Next there comes reviewing in the way already
described.
[THE FOURTH PATH —SEVENTH NOBLE PERSON]
28. Now after reviewing in this way, either while sitting in the same
session or on another occasion, this noble disciple who is a non-returner
makes it his task to reach the fourth plane by abandoning, without re-
mainder, greed for the fine-material and immaterial, conceit (pride), agi-
tation, and ignorance. He brings to bear the faculties, the powers, and the
enlightenment factors, and he works over [678] and turns up that same
field of formations with the knowledge that they are impermanent, pain-
ful, not-self, and he embarks upon the progressive series of insights.
29. When he has done so, and when, at the end of equanimity about
formations, conformity and change-of-lineage have arisen in a single ad-
verting, then the path of Arahantship arises next to change-of-lineage.
The knowledge associated with that is knowledge of the path of Arahant-
ship.
The fourth kind of knowledge is ended.
[THE FOURTH FRUITION — EIGHTH NOBLE PERSON]
30. The fruition consciousness should be understood to follow immedi-
ately upon this knowledge in the same way as before. And at this point
this Arahant is called the eighth noble person. He is one of the Great
Ones with cankers destroyed, he bears his last body, he has laid down
the burden, reached his goal and destroyed the fetter of becoming, he is
rightly liberated with [final] knowledge and worthy of the highest offer-
ings of the world with its deities.
31. So when it was said above, * However, purification by knowledge
and vision properly consists in knowledge of the four paths, that is to
say, the path of stream-entry, the path of once-return, the path of non-
return, and the path of Arahantship' (§2), that referred to these four
kinds of knowledge to be reached in this order.
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