THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[8. KNOWLEDGE OF EQUANIMITY ABOUT FORMATIONS]
61. When he has discerned formations by attributing the three character-
istics to them and seeing them as void in this way, he abandons both
terror and delight, he becomes indifferent to them and neutral, he neither
takes them as T nor as 'mine', he is like a man who has divorced his
wife.
62. Suppose a man were married to a lovely, desirable, charming wife
and so deeply in love with her as to be unable to bear separation from
her for a moment. He would be disturbed and displeased to see her
standing or sitting or talking or laughing with another man, and would
be very unhappy; but later, when he had found out the woman's faults,
and wanting to get free, had divorced her, he would no more take her as
'mine'; and thereafter, even though he saw her doing whatever it might
be with whomsoever it might be, he would not be disturbed or dis-
pleased, but would on the contrary be indifferent and neutral. So too this
[meditator], wanting to get free from all formations, discerns formations
by the contemplation of reflection; then, seeing nothing to be taken as T
or 'mine', he abandons both terror and delight and becomes indifferent
and neutral towards all formations.
63. 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. Either equanimity or
repulsiveness is established. Just as water drops retreat, retract and recoil
on a lotus leaf that slopes a little and do not spread out, so too his heart
... And just as a fowl's feather or a shred of sinew thrown on a fire
retreats, retracts and recoils, and does not spread out, so too his heart
retreats, retracts and recoils from the three kinds of becoming ... Either
equanimity or repulsiveness is established.
In this way there arises in him what is called knowledge of equa-
nimity about formations.
64. But if this [knowledge] sees nibbana, the state of peace, as peaceful,
it rejects the occurrence of all formations and enters only into nibbana. If
it does not see nibbana as peaceful, [657] it occurs again and again with
formations as its object, like the sailors' crow.
65. When traders board a ship, it seems, they take with them what is
called a land-finding crow. When the ship gets blown off its course by
gales and goes adrift with no land in sight, then they release the land-
finding crow. It takes off from the mast-head,
29
and after exploring all
the quarters, if it sees land, it flies straight in the direction of it; if not, it
returns and alights on the mast-head. So too, if knowledge of equanimity
about formations sees nibbana, the state of peace, as peaceful, it rejects
the occurrence of all formations and enters only into nibbana. If it does
not see it, it occurs again and again with formations as its object.
66. Now after discerning formations in the various modes, as though
sifting flour on the edge of a tray, as though carding cotton from which
the seeds have been picked out,
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and after abandoning terror and de-
light, and after becoming neutral in the investigation of formations, he
still persists in the triple contemplation. And in so doing, this [insight
knowledge] enters upon the state of the triple gateway to liberation, and
it becomes a condition for the classification of noble persons into seven
kinds.
[THE TRIPLE GATEWAY TO LIBERATION]
It enters upon the state of the triple gateway to liberation now with
the predominance of [one of] three faculties according as the contempla-
tion occurs in [one of] the three ways.
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67. For it is the three contemplations that are called the three gateways
to liberation, according as it is said: 'But these three gateways to libera-
tion lead to the outlet from the world, [that is to say,] (i) to the seeing of
all formations as limited and circumscribed and to the entering of con-
sciousness into the signless element, (ii) to the stirring up of the mind
with respect to all formations and to the entering of consciousness into
the desireless element, (iii) to the seeing of all things (dhamma) as alien
and to the entering of consciousness into the voidness element. These
three gateways to liberation lead to the outlet from the world' (Ps.ii,48).
32
68. Herein, as limited and circumscribed [means] both as limited by rise
and fall and as circumscribed by them; for contemplation of imperma-
nence limits them thus, 'Formations do not exist previous to their rise',
and in seeking their destiny, sees them as circumscribed thus, *They do
not go beyond fall, they vanish there'. To the stirring up of the mind: by
giving consciousness a sense of urgency; for with the contemplation of
pain consciousness acquires a sense of urgency with respect to forma-
tions. [658] To the seeing ...as alien: to contemplating them as not-self
thus: 'Not I', 'Not mine'.
69. So these three clauses should be understood to express the contem-
plations of impermanence, and so on. Hence in the answer to the next
question [asked in the Patisambhida] it is said: 'When he brings [them]
to mind as impermanent, formations appear as liable to destruction. When
he brings them to mind as painful, formations appear as a terror. When
he brings them to mind as not-self, formations appear as void' (Ps.ii,48).
70. What are the liberations to which these contemplations are the gate-
ways? They are these three, namely, the signless, the desireless, and the
void. For this is said: 'When one who has great resolution brings [forma-
tions] to mind as impermanent, he acquires the signless liberation. When
one who has great tranquillity brings [them] to mind as painful, he
acquires the desireless liberation. When one who has great wisdom brings
[them] to mind as not-self, he acquires the void liberation' (Ps.ii,58).
71. And here the signless liberation should be understood as the noble
path that has occurred by making nibbana its object through the signless
aspect. For that path is signless owing to the signless element having
arisen, and it is a liberation owing to deliverance from defilements.
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In
the same way the path that has occurred by making nibbana its object
through the desireless aspect is desireless. And the path that has oc-
curred by making nibbana its object through the void aspect is void.
72. But it is said in the Abhidhamma: 'On the occasion when he devel-
ops the supramundane jhana that is an outlet and leads to dispersal, hav-
ing abandoned the field of [false] views with the reaching of the first
grade, secluded from sense desires he enters upon and dwells in the first
jhana, which is desireless ... is void' (Dhs. §510), thus mentioning only
two liberations. This refers to the way in which insight arrives [at the
path] and is expressed literally.
73. However, in the Patisambhida insight knowledge is expressed as
follows: (i) It is expressed firstly as the void liberation by its liberating
from misinterpreting [formations]: * Knowledge of contemplation of
impermanence is the void liberation since it liberates from interpreting
[them] as permanent; knowledge of contemplation of pain is the void lib-
eration since it liberates from interpreting [them] as pleasant; knowledge
of contemplation of not-self is the void liberation since it liberates from
interpreting [them] as self (Ps.ii,67). (ii) Then it is expressed as the
signless liberation by liberating from signs: 'Knowledge of contempla-
tion of impermanence is the signless liberation since it liberates from the
sign [of formations] as permanent; knowledge of contemplation of pain
is the signless liberation since it liberates from the sign [of formations]
as pleasant; knowledge of contemplation of not-self is the signless lib-
eration since it liberates from the sign [of formations] as self (Ps.ii,68).
[659] (iii) Lastly it is expressed as the desireless liberation by its liberat-
ing from desire: * Knowledge of contemplation of impermanence is the
desireless liberation since it liberates from desire [for formations] as per-
manent; knowledge of contemplation of pain is the desireless liberation
since it liberates from the desire [for them] ja s pleasant; knowledge of
contemplation of not-self is the desireless liberation since it liberates
from the desire [for them] as self (Ps.ii,68). But although stated in this
way, insight knowledge is not literally signless because there is no aban-
doning of the sign of formations [as formed, here, as distinct from their
sign as impermanent and so on]. It is however literally void and desire-
less. And it is at the moment of the noble path that the liberation is dis-
tinguished, and that is done according to insight knowledge's way of
arrival at the path.
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That, it should be understood, is why only two lib-
erations are stated [in the Abhidhamma], namely, the desireless and the
void.
This, firstly, is the treatise on the liberations here.
[THE SEVEN KINDS OF NOBLE PERSONS]
74. It was said above, 'It becomes a condition for the classification of
noble persons into seven kinds' (§66). Herein, there are firstly these
seven kinds of noble person: (1) the faith devotee, (2) one liberated by
faith, (3) the body witness, (4) the both-ways liberated, (5) the Dhamma
devotee, (6) one attained to vision, and (7) one liberated by understand-
ing. This knowledge of equanimity about formations is a condition for
their being placed as these seven classes.
75. When a man brings [formations] to mind as impermanent and, hav-
ing great resolution, acquires the faith faculty, (1) he becomes a faith
devotee at the moment of the stream-entry path; and in the other seven
instances [that is, in the three higher paths and the four fruitions] he
becomes (2) one liberated by faith. When a man brings [them] to mind
as painful and, having great tranquillity, acquires the faculty of concen-
tration, (3) he is called a body witness in all eight instances. (4) He is
called both-ways liberated when he has reached the highest fruition after
also reaching the immaterial jhanas. When a man brings [them] to mind
as not-self and, having great wisdom, acquires the faculty of understand-
ing, he becomes (5) a Dhamma devotee at the moment of the stream-
entry path; (6) in the next six instances he becomes one attained to
vision; and (7) in the case of the highest fruition he becomes one liber-
ated by understanding.
76. (1) This is said: 'When he brings [formations] to mind as imperma-
nent, the faith faculty is in excess in him. With the faith faculty in excess
he acquires the stream-entry path. Hence he is called a "faith devotee" '
(Ps.ii,53). [660] Likewise, (2) 'When he brings [formations] to mind as
impermanent, the faith faculty is in excess in him. With the faith faculty
in excess the fruition of stream-entry is realized. Hence he is called "one
liberated by faith" ' (Ps.ii,53).
77. It is said further: '[At the moment of the first path:] (2) he has been
liberated by having faith {saddahanto vimutto), thus he is one liberated
by faith; (3) he has realized [nibbana] by experiencing, thus he is a body
witness; (6) he has attained [nibbana] by vision, thus he is one attained
to vision. [At the moments of the three remaining paths:] (2) he is liber-
ated by faith {saddahanto vimuccati), thus he is one liberated by faith;
(3) he first experiences the experience of jhana and afterwards realizes
cessation, nibbana, thus he is a body witness; (6) it is known, seen,
recognized, realized, and experienced with understanding, that forma-
tions are painful and cessation is bliss, thus he is one attained to vision'
(Ps.ii,52).
78. As to the remaining four, however, the word meaning should be
understood thus: (1) he follows (anusarati) faith, thus he is a faith devo-
tee (saddhdnusdri); or he follows, he goes, by means of faith, thus he is
a faith devotee. (5) Likewise, he follows the Dhamma called understand-
ing, or he follows by means of the Dhamma, thus he is a Dhamma devo-
tee. "(4) He is liberated in both ways, by immaterial jhana and the noble
path, thus he is both-ways liberated. (7) Understanding, he is liberated,
thus he is one liberated by understanding.
Knowledge of equanimity about formations.
[THE LAST THREE KNOWLEDGES ARE ONE]
79. This [knowledge of equanimity about formations] is the same in
meaning as the two kinds that precede it. Hence the Ancients said: 'This
knowledge of equanimity about formations is one only and has three
names. At the outset it has the name of knowledge of desire for deliver-
ance. In the middle it has the name knowledge of reflexion. At the end,
when it has reached its culmination, it is called knowledge of equanimity
about formations'.
80. 'How is it that understanding of desire for deliverance, of reflexion,
and of composure is knowledge of the kinds of equanimity about forma-
tions? Understanding of desire for deliverance, of reflexion, and compo-
sure [occupied with] arising is knowledge of equanimity about forma-
tions. Understanding of desire for deliverance, of reflexion, and of
composure [occupied with] occurrence ... the sign ... (etc., see §37) ...
with despair is knowledge of equanimity about formations' (Ps.i,60f.).
81. Herein, the compound muncitukamyatd-patisahkhd-santitthana ('con-
sisting in desire for deliverance, in reflexion, and in composure') should
be resolved into muncitu-kamyatd ca sd patisahkhd ca santitthand ca.
So [661] in the first stage it is desire to give up, the desire to be deliv-
ered from, arising, etc., in one who has become dispassionate by knowl-
edge of dispassion that is desire for deliverance. It is reflexion in the
middle stage for the purpose of finding a means to deliverance that is
reflexion. It is equanimous onlooking in the end stage on being delivered
that is composure. It is said with reference to this: 'Arising is forma-
tions; he looks with equanimity on those formations; thus it is equanim-
ity about formations' (Ps.i,61), and so on. So this is only one kind of
knowledge.
82. Furthermore, it may be understood that this is so from the following
text; for this is said: 'Desire for deliverance, and contemplation of re-
flexion, and equanimity about formations: these things are one in mean-
ing and only the letter is different' (Ps.ii,64).
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