THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[INSIGHT LEADING TO EMERGENCE]
83. Now when this clansman has reached equanimity about formations
thus, his insight has reached its culmination and leads to emergence.
'Insight that has reached culmination' or 'insight leading to emergence'
are names for the three kinds of knowledge beginning with equanimity
about formations, [that is, equanimity about formations, conformity, and
change-of-lineage]. It has 'reached its culmination' because it has reached
the culminating final stage. It is called 'leading to emergence' because it
goes towards emergence. The path is called 'emergence' because it
emerges externally from the objective basis interpreted as a sign and also
internally from occurrence [of defilement].
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It goes to that, thus it leads
to emergence; the meaning is that it joins with the path.
84. Herein, for the purpose of clarification there is this list of the kinds
of emergence classed according to the manner of interpreting: (1) after
interpreting the internal
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it emerges from the internal, (2) after interpret-
ing the internal it emerges from the external, (3) after interpreting the
external it emerges from the external, (4) after interpreting the external it
emerges from the internal; (5) after interpreting the material it emerges
from the material, (6) after interpreting the material it emerges from the
immaterial, (7) after interpreting the immaterial it emerges from the
immaterial, (8) after interpreting the immaterial it emerges from the
material; (9) it emerges at one stroke from the five aggregates; (10) after
interpreting as impermanent it emerges from the impermanent, (11) after
interpreting as impermanent it emerges from the painful, (12) after inter-
preting as impermanent it emerges from the not-self; (13) after interpret-
ing as painful it emerges from the painful, (14) after interpreting as
painful it emerges from the impermanent, (15) after interpreting as pain-
ful it emerges from the not-self, (16) after interpreting as not-self it
emerges from the not-self, (17) after interpreting as not-self it emerges
from the impermanent, (18) after interpreting as not-self it emerges from
the painful. How?
85. Here (1) someone does his interpreting at the start with his own
internal formations. After interpreting them he sees them. But emergence
of the path does not come about through seeing the bare internal only
since the external must be seen too, so he sees that another's aggregates,
as well as unclung-to formations [inanimate things], are impermanent,
painful, not-self. At one time [662] he comprehends the internal and at
another time the external. As he does so, insight joins with the path
while he is comprehending the internal. It is said of him that 'after
interpreting the internal it emerges from the internal'. (2) If his insight
joins with the path at the time when he is comprehending the external, it
is said of him that 'after interpreting the internal it emerges from the
external'. (3) Similarly in the case of 'after interpreting the external it
emerges from the external', and (4) 'from the internal'.
86. (5) Another does his interpreting at the start with materiality. When
he has done that, he sees the materiality of the primaries and the materi-
ality derived from them all together. But emergence does not come about
through the seeing of bare materiality only since the immaterial must be
seen too, so he sees as the immaterial [mentality] the feeling, perception,
formations and consciousness that have arisen by making that materiality
their object. At one time he comprehends the material and at another the
immaterial. As he does so, insight joins with the path while he is com-
prehending materiality. It is said of him that 'after interpreting the mate-
rial it emerges from the material'. (6) But if his insight joins with the
path at the time when he is comprehending the immaterial, it is said of
him that 'after interpreting the material it emerges from the immaterial'.
(7) Similarly in the case of 'after interpreting the immaterial it emerges
from the immaterial', and (8) 'from the material'.
87. (9) When he has done his interpreting in this way, 'All that is
subject to arising is subject to cessation' (M.i,380), and so too at the time
of emergence, it is said that 'it emerges at one stroke from the five ag-
gregates'.
88. (10) One man comprehends formations as impermanent at the start.
But emergence does not come about through mere comprehending as
impermanent since there must be comprehension of them as painful and
not-self too, so he comprehends them as painful and not-self. As he does
so, emergence comes about while he is comprehending them as imper-
manent. It is said of him that 'after interpreting as impermanent it emerges
from the impermanent'. (11)-(12) But if emergence comes about in him
while he is comprehending them as painful ... as not-self, then it is said
that 'after interpreting as impermanent it emerges from the painful ...
from the not-self. Similarly in the cases of emergence after interpreting
(13)-(15) as painful and (16)-(18) as not-self.
89. And whether they have interpreted [at the start] as impermanent or
as painful or as not-self, when the time of emergence comes, if the emer-
gence takes place [while contemplating] as impermanent, then all three
persons acquire the faculty of faith since they have great resolution; they
are liberated by the signless liberation, and so they become faith devo-
tees at the moment of the first path; and in the remaining seven stages
they are liberated by faith. [663] If the emergence is from the painful,
then the three persons acquire the faculty of concentration since they
have great tranquillity; they are liberated by the desireless liberation, and
in all eight states they are body witnesses. Of them, the one who has an
immaterial jhana as the basis for his insight is, in the case of the highest
fruition, both-ways liberated. And then if the emergence takes place
[while contemplating] as not-self, the three persons acquire the faculty
of understanding since they have great wisdom; they are liberated by the
void liberation. They become Dhamma devotees at the moment of the
first path. In the next six instances they become attained to vision. In the
case of the highest fruit they are liberated by understanding.
[THE TWELVE SIMILES]
90. Now twelve similes should be understood in order to explain this
insight leading to emergence and the kinds of knowledge that precede
and follow it. Here is the list:
(1) The bat, (2) the black snake, and (3) the house,
(4) The oxen, (5) and the ghoul, (6) the child,
(7) Hunger, and (8) thirst, and (9) cold, and (10) heat,
And (11) darkness, and (12) by poison, too.
A pause can be made to bring in these similes anywhere among the
kinds of knowledge from appearance as terror onwards. But if they are
brought in here, then all becomes clear from appearance as terror up to
fruition knowledge, which is why it was said that they should be brought
in here.
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91. ' 1. The Bat. There was a bat, it seems. She had alighted on a
madhuka tree with five branches, thinking 4
I shall find flowers or fruits
here'. She investigated one branch but saw no flowers or fruits there
worth taking. And as with the first so too she tried the second, the third,
the fourth, and the fifth, but saw nothing. She thought, 'This tree is
barren; there is nothing worth taking here', so she lost interest in the
tree. She climbed up on a straight branch, and poking her head through a
gap in the foliage, she looked upwards, flew up into the air and alighted
on another tree.
92. Herein the meditator should be regarded as like the bat. The five
aggregates as objects of clinging are like the madhuka tree with the five
branches. The meditator's interpreting of the five aggregates is like the
bat's alighting on the tree. His comprehending the materiality aggregate
and, seeing nothing there worth taking, comprehending the remaining
aggregates is like her trying each branch and, seeing nothing there worth
taking, trying the rest. His triple knowledge beginning with desire for
deliverance, after he has become dispassionate towards the five aggre-
gates [664] through seeing their characteristic of impermanence, etc., is
like her thinking 'This tree in barren; there is nothing worth taking here'
and losing interest. His conformity knowledge is like her climbing up the
straight branch. His change-of-lineage knowledge is like her poking her
head out and looking upwards. His path knowledge is like her flying up
into the air. His fruition knowledge is like her alighting on a different
tree.
93. 2. The Black Snake, This simile has already been given (§49). But
the application of the simile here is this. Change-of-lineage knowledge is
like throwing the snake away. Path knowledge is like the man's standing
and looking back whence he had come after getting free from it. Fruition
knowledge is like his standing in a place free from fear after he had got
away. This is the difference.
94. 3. The House, The owner of a house, it seems, ate his meal in the
evening, climbed into his bed and fell asleep. The house caught fire.
When he woke up and saw the fire, he was frightened. He thought, 'It
would be good if I could get out without getting burnt'. Looking round,
he saw a way. Getting out, he quickly went away to a safe place and
stayed there.
95. Herein the foolish ordinary man's taking the five aggregates as T
and 'mine' is like the houseowner's falling asleep after he had eaten and
climbed into bed. Knowledge of appearance as terror after entering upon
the right way and seeing the three characteristics is like the time when
the man was frightened on waking up and seeing the fire. Knowledge of
desire for deliverance is like the man's looking for a way out. Confor-
mity knowledge is like the man's seeing the way. Change-of-lineage is
like the man's going away quickly. Fruition knowledge is like his stay-
ing in a safe place.
96. 4. The Oxen. One night, it seems, while a farmer was sleeping his
oxen broke out of their stable and escaped. When he went there at dawn
and looked in, he found that they had escaped. Going to find them, he
saw the king's oxen. He thought that they were his and drove them back.
When it got light, he recognized that they were not his but the king's
oxen. He was frightened. Thinking 'I shall escape before the king's men
seize me for a thief and bring me to ruin and destruction', he abandoned
the oxen. Escaping quickly, he stopped in a place free from fear.
97. Herein, the foolish ordinary man's taking the five aggregates as T
and 'mine' is like the man's taking the king's oxen. The meditator's rec-
ognizing the five aggregates as impermanent, painful, and not-self by
means of the three characteristics is like the man's recognizing the oxen
as the king's when it got light. Knowledge of appearance as terror is like
the time when the man was frightened. Desire for deliverance is like the
man's desire to leave them and go away. Change-of-lineage is like the
man's actual leaving. The path is like his escaping. Fruition is like the
man's staying in a place without fear after escaping. [665]
98. 5. The Ghoul. A man went to live wjth a ghoul, it seems. At night,
thinking he was asleep, she went to the place where the dead were ex-
posed and ate human flesh. He wondered where she was going and
followed her. When he saw her eating human flesh, he knew that she
was a non-human being. He was frightened, and he thought, 'I shall
escape before she eats me'. Quickly escaping, he went to a safe place
and stayed there.
99. Herein, taking the aggregates as T and 'mine' is like the man's
living with the ghoul. Recognizing the aggregates as impermanent, etc.,
by seeing the three characteristics is like the man's recognizing that she
was a ghoul on seeing her eating human flesh in the place for the dead.
Appearance as terror is like the time when the man was frightened.
Desire for deliverance is like his desire to escape. Change-of-lineage is
like his leaving the place for the dead. The path is like his escaping
quickly. Fruition is like his standing in the place without fear.
100. 6. The Child. A woman was very fond of her son, it seems. While
sitting on an upper floor she heard the sound of a child in the street.
Wondering 'Is someone hurting my child?', she hurried down. Mistaking
the child for her own son, she picked up someone else's son. Then she
recognized that it was someone else's son, and she was ashamed and
looked about her. She thought, 'Let no one say I am a baby thief and
she put the child down there and then, and she quickly returned to the
upper floor and sat down.
101. Herein, taking the five aggregates as T and 'mine' is like the
woman's mistaking someone else's child for her own. The recognition
that 'This is not I, not mine' by means of the three characteristics is like
her recognizing it as someone else's child. Knowledge of desire for de-
liverance is like her looking about her. Conformity knowledge is like her
putting the child down there and then. Change-of-lineage is like the time
when she stood in the street after putting the child down. The path is like
her return to the upper floor. Fruition is like her sitting down after
returning.
102. 7-12. Hunger, Thirst, Cold, Heat, Darkness, and By Poison. These
six similes, however, are given for the purpose of showing that one with
insight that leads to emergence tends, inclines and leans in the direction
of the supramundane states.
103. 7. Just as a man faint with hunger and famished longs for delicious
food, so too the meditator famished with the hunger of the round of
rebirths longs for the food consisting of mindfulness occupied with the
body, which tastes of the deathless.
104. 8. Just as a thirsty man whose throat and mouth are parched longs
for a drink with many ingredients, so too this meditator [666] who is
parched with the thirst of the round of rebirths longs for the noble drink
of the Eightfold Path.
105. 9. Just as a man frozen by cold longs for heat, so too this medita-
tor frozen by the cold of craving and [selfish] affection in the round of
rebirths longs for the fire of the path that burns up the defilements.
106. 10. Just as a man faint with heat longs for cold, so too this medita-
tor scorched by the burning of the eleven fires (see S.iv,19) in the round
of rebirths longs for nibbana.
107. 11. Just as a man smothered in darkness longs for light, so too this
meditator wrapped and enveloped in the darkness of ignorance longs for
the light of knowledge consisting in path development.
108. 12. Just as a man sick with poison longs for an antidote, so too this
meditator sick with the poison of defilement longs for nibbana, the death-
less medicine that destroys the poison of defilement.
109. That is why it was said above: 'When he knows and sees thus, his
heart retreats, retracts and recoils from the three kinds of becoming, the
four kinds of generation, the five kinds of destiny, the seven stations of
consciousness, and the nine abodes of beings; his heart no longer goes
out to them. Just as water drops retreat, retract and recoil on a lotus leaf
that slopes a little ... ' (§63), all of which should be given in the way
already stated.
110. But at this point he is called 'one who walks aloof, with reference
to whom it is said:
'When a bhikkhu keeps apart
And cultivates seclusion of the mind,
It will befit him, as they say,
To show himself no more in this becoming' (Sn. 810).
[THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NOBLE PATH'S FACTORS, ETC.]
111. This knowledge of equanimity about formations governs the fact
that the meditator keeps apart. It furthermore governs the difference in
the [number of the] noble path's enlightenment factors, path factors, and
jhana factors, the mode of progress, and the kind of liberation. For while
some elders say that it is the jhana used as the basis for insight [leading
to emergence] that governs the difference in the [number of] enlighten-
ment factors, path factors, and jhana factors, and some say that it is the
aggregates made the object of insight that govern it, and some say that it
is the personal bent that governs it,
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yet it is only this preliminary
insight and insight leading to emergence that should be understood to
govern it in their doctrine.
112. To deal with these [three theories] in order: According to govern-
ance by insight, the path arisen in a bare-insight (dry-insight) worker,
and the path arisen in one who possesses a jhana attainment but who has
not made the jhana the basis for insight, and the path made to arise by
comprehending unrelated formations after using the first jhana as the
basis for insight, are [667] paths of the first jhana only. In each case
there are seven enlightenment factors, eight path factors, and five jhana
factors. For while their preliminary insight can be accompanied by joy
and it can be accompanied by equanimity, when their insight reaches the
state of equanimity about formations at the time of emergence it is
accompanied by joy.
113. When paths are made to arise by using the second, third, and fourth
jhanas in the fivefold reckoning as the basis for insight, then the jhana in
those paths has respectively four, three, and two factors. In each case,
however, the path factors number seven, and in the fourth case there are
six enlightenment factors. This difference is due both to governance by
the basic jhana and to governance by insight. For again, while their pre-
liminary insight can be accompanied by joy and it can be accompanied
by equanimity, their insight leading to emergence is accompanied by joy
only.
114. However, when the path is produced by making the fifth jhana the
basis for insight, then the jhana factors number two, that is, equanimity
and unification of the mind, and there are six enlightenment factors and
seven path factors. This difference too is due to both kinds of govern-
ance. For in this case the preliminary insight is either accompanied by
joy or accompanied by equanimity, but that leading to emergence is
accompanied by equanimity only. The same method applies in the case
of the path made to arise by making the immaterial jhanas the basis for
insight.
Also when, after emerging from jhana made the basis for insight,
the path has been produced by comprehending no matter what forma-
tions [unrelated to that jhana], then it is the attainment emerged from at
the point nearest to the path that makes it like itself, as the colour of the
soil does an iguana's colour.
115. But in the case of the second elder's theory the path is like the at-
tainment, whatever it may be, which was instrumental in producing the
path through the comprehension of any of its states after emergence from
it. And here governance by insight should be understood in the same
way as before.
116. In the case of the third elder's theory the path is like that jhana,
whichever it may be, that suits the personal bent, which jhana was
instrumental in producing the path through the comprehension of any
of its states in using it as the basis for insight. But this is not accom-
plished by mere bent alone unless the jhana has been made the basis for
insight or unless the jhana has been comprehended; and this meaning
should be illustrated by the NandakovAda Sutta (see M.iii,277, and
Commentary). And here too, governance by insight should be under-
stood in the same way as before.
This, firstly, is how it should be understood that equanimity about
formations governs the [numbers of] enlightenment factors, path factors,
and jhana factors.
117. [Progress.] But if [insight] has from the start only been able to
suppress defilements with difficulty, with effort and with prompting,
then it is called 'of difficult progress'. [668] The opposite kind is called
'of easy progress*. And when the manifestation of the path, the goal of
insight, is slowly effected after defilements have been suppressed, then it
is called 'of sluggish direct-knowledge'. The opposite kind is called 'of
swift direct-knowledge'. So this equanimity about formations stands at
the arrival point and gives its own name to the path in each case, and so
the path has four names [according to the kind of progress] (see D.iii,228).
118. For one bhikkhu this progress is different in the four paths, while for
another it is the same. For Buddhas, however, the four paths are of easy
progress and swift direct-knowledge. Likewise in the case of the General
of the Dhamma [the Elder SAriputta]. But in the Elder MahA-MoggallAna's
case the first path was of easy progress and swift direct-knowledge, but
the others were of difficult progress and sluggish direct-knowledge.
119. [Predominance.] And as with the kinds of progress, so also with the
kinds of predominance,
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which are different in the four paths for one
bhikkhu and the same for another. So it is equanimity about formations
that governs the difference in the progress.
[Liberation.] But it has already been told how it governs the differ-
ence in the liberation [§66f.].
120. Furthermore, the path gets its names for five reasons, that is to say,
(1) owing to its own nature, or (2) owing to what it opposes, or (3)
owing to its own special quality, or (4) owing to its object, or (5) owing
to the way of arrival.
121. 1. If equanimity about formations induces emergence by compre-
hending formations as impermanent, liberation takes place with the
signless liberation. If it induces emergence by comprehending them as
painful, liberation takes place with the desireless liberation. If it induces
emergence by comprehending them as not-self, liberation takes place
with the void liberation. This is its name according to its own nature.
122. 2. When this path is arrived at with the abandoning of the signs of
permanence, lastingness, and eternalness, by effecting the resolution of
the compact in formations by means of the contemplation of imperma-
nence, it is then called signless. When it is arrived at with the drying up
of desire and longing, by abandoning perception of pleasure by means of
the contemplation of pain, it is then called desireless. When formations
are seen as void by abandoning perception of self, of a living being, of a
person, by means of the contemplation of not-self, it is then called void.
This is its name according to what it opposes,
123. 3. It is void because void of greed, and so on. It is signless owing
either to absence of the sign of materiality, etc., or to absence only of the
sign of greed, and so on. It is desireless because of absence of desire as
greed, and so on. This is its name according to its own special quality.
124. 4. It is called void, signless, and desireless, too, because it makes
the void, signless, desireless nibbana its object. This is its name accord-
ing to its object. [669]
125. 5. The way of arrival is twofold, namely, insight's way of arrival
applies to the path, and the path's way of arrival applies to fruition.
Now contemplation of not-self is called void and the path [arrived
at] by void insight is [called] void.
Again, contemplation of impermanence is called signless and the
path [arrived at] by signless insight is [called ] signless.
126. But while this name is inadmissible by the Abhidhamma method,
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it is admissible by the Suttanta method; for, they say, by that method
change-of-lineage takes the name * signless' by making the signless nib-
bana its object, and while itself remaining at the arrival point, it gives its
name to the path. Hence the path is called signless. And its fruition can
be called signless too according to the path's way of arrival.
127. Lastly, contemplation of pain is called desireless because it arrives
[at the path] by drying up desire for formations. The path [arrived at] by
desireless insight is [called] desireless. The fruition of the desireless path
is [called] desireless.
In this way insight gives its own name to the path, and the path
hands it on to its fruition. This is its name according to the way of
arrival.
This is how equanimity about formations governs the difference in
the liberations.
Equanimity about formations is ended.
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