THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
CHAPTER VII
SIX RECOLLECTIONS
(Cha-anussati-niddesa)
1. [197] Now ten recollections were listed next after the kinds of foul-
ness (Ch. III, §105). As to these:
Mindfulness (sati) itself is recollection (anussati) because it arises
again and again; or alternatively, the mindfulness (sati) that is proper
(anuriipa) for a clansman gone forth out of faith, since it occurs only in
those instances where it should occur, is 'recollection' (anussati).
The recollection arisen inspired by the Enlightened One is the recol-
lection of the Buddha. This is a term for mindfulness with the Enlight-
ened One's special qualities as its object.
The recollection arisen inspired by the Law is the recollection of the
Dhamma.
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This is a term for mindfulness with the special qualities of the
Law's being well proclaimed, etc., as its object.
The recollection arisen inspired by the Community is the recollec-
tion of the Sahgha. This is a term for mindfulness with the Community's
special qualities of being entered on the good way, etc., as its object.
The recollection arisen inspired by virtue is the recollection of vir-
tue. This is a term for mindfulness with the special qualities of virtue's
untornness, etc., as its object.
The recollection arisen inspired by generosity is the recollection of
generosity. This is a term for mindfulness with generosity's special quali-
ties of free generosity, etc., as its object.
The recollection arisen inspired by deities is the recollection of dei-
ties. This is a term for mindfulness with the special qualities of one's
own faith, etc., as its object with deities standing as witnesses.
The recollection arisen inspired by death is the recollection of death.
This is a term for mindfulness with the termination of the life faculty as
its object.
[Mindfulness occupied with the body (kaya-gata sati—lit. body-gone
mindfulness):] it is gone (gata) to the material body (kaya) that is ana-
lysed into head hairs, etc., or it is gone into the body, thus it is 'body-
gone' (kaya-gata). It is body-gone (kaya-gata) and it is mindfulness
(sati), thus it is 'body-gone-mindfulness' (kayagatasati—single com-
pound); but instead of shortening [the vowel] thus in the usual way,
'body-gone mindfulness' (kayagatasati—compound adj. + noun) is said.
This is a term for mindfulness that has as its object the sign of the bodily
parts consisting of head hairs and the rest.
The mindfulness arisen inspired by breathing (dndpdna) is mindful-
ness of breathing. This is a term for mindfulness that has as its object the
sign of in-breaths and out-breaths.
The recollection arisen inspired by peace is the recollection of peace.
This is a term for mindfulness that has as its object the stilling of all
suffering.
[(1) RECOLLECTION OF THE ENLIGHTENED ONE]
2. [198] Now a meditator with absolute confidence
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who wants to de-
velop firstly the recollection of the Enlightened One among these ten
should go into solitary retreat in a favourable abode and recollect the
special qualities of the Enlightened One, the Blessed One, as follows:
'That Blessed One is such since he is accomplished, fully enlight-
ened, endowed with [clear] vision and [virtuous] conduct, sublime, the
knower of worlds, the incomparable leader of men to be tamed, the
teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed' (M.i,37; A.iii,285).
3. Here is the way he recollects: 'That Blessed One is such since he is
accomplished, he is such since he is fully enlightened,... he is such since
he is blessed'—he is so for these several reasons, is what is meant.
[Accomplished]
4. Herein, what he recollects firstly is that the Blessed One is accom-
plished (arahanta) for the following reasons: (i) because of remoteness
(draka), and (ii) because of his enemies (an) and (iii) the spokes (ara)
having been destroyed (hata\ and (iv) because of his worthiness (araha)
of requisites, etc., and (v) because of absence of secret (rahdbhdva) evil-
doing.
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5. (i) He stands utterly remote and far away from all defilements be-
cause he has expunged all trace of defilement by means of the path—
because of such remoteness (draka) he is accomplished (arahanta).
A man remote (draka) indeed we call
From something he has not at all;
The Saviour too that has no stain
May well the name 'accomplished' (arahanta) gain.
6. (ii) And these enemies (an), these defilements, are destroyed (hata)
by the path—because the enemies are thus destroyed he is accomplished
(arahanta) also.
The enemies (ari) that were deployed,
Greed and the rest, have been destroyed (hata)
By his, the Helper's, wisdom's sword,
So he is 'accomplished' (arahanta), all accord.
7. (iii) Now this wheel of the round of rebirths with its hub made of
ignorance and of craving for becoming, with its spokes consisting of
formations of merit and the rest, with its rim of ageing and death, which
is joined to the chariot of the triple becoming by piercing it with the axle
made of the origin of cankers (see M.i,55), has been revolving through-
out time that has no beginning. All this wheel's spokes (ara) were de-
stroyed (hata) by him at the Place of Enlightenment, as he stood firm
with the feet of energy on the ground of virtue, wielding with the hand
of faith the axe of knowledge that destroys kamma—because the spokes
are thus destroyed he is accomplished (arahanta) also.
8. Or alternatively, it is the beginningless round of rebirths that is
called the * wheel of the round of rebirths'. Ignorance is its hub because it
is its root. Ageing-and-death is its rim because it terminates it. The
remaining ten states [of the dependent origination] are its spokes because
ignorance is their root and ageing-and-death their termination.
9. Herein, ignorance is unknowing about suffering and the rest. And
ignorance in sensual becoming [199] is a condition for formations in
sensual becoming. Ignorance in fine-material becoming is a condition
for formations in fine-material becoming. Ignorance in immaterial be-
coming is a condition for formations in immaterial becoming.
10. Formations in sensual becoming are a condition for rebirth-linking
consciousness in sensual becoming. And similarly with the rest.
11. Rebirth-linking consciousness in sensual becoming is a condition
for mentality-materiality in sensual becoming. Similarly in fine-material
becoming. In immaterial becoming it is a condition for mentality only.
12. Mentality-materiality in sensual becoming is a condition for the
sixfold base in sensual becoming. Mentality-materiality in fine-material
becoming is a condition for three bases in fine-material becoming. Men-
tality in immaterial becoming is a condition for one base in immaterial
becoming.
13. The sixfold base in sensual becoming is a condition for six kinds of
contact in sensual becoming. Three bases in fine-material becoming are
conditions for three kinds of contact in fine-material becoming. The
mind base alone in immaterial becoming is a condition for one kind of
contact in immaterial becoming.
14. The six kinds of contact in sensual becoming are conditions for six
kinds of feeling in sensual becoming. Three kinds of contact in fine-
material becoming are conditions for three kinds of feeling there too.
One kind of contact in immaterial becoming is a condition for one kind
of feeling there too.
15. The six kinds of feeling in sensual becoming are conditions for the
six groups of craving in sensual becoming. Three in the fine-material
becoming are for three there too. One kind of feeling in the immaterial
becoming is a condition for one group of craving in the immaterial be-
coming. The craving in the several kinds of becoming is a condition for
the clinging there.
16. Clinging, etc., are the respective conditions for becoming and the
rest. In what way? Here someone thinks, *I shall enjoy sense desires',
and with sense-desire clinging as condition he misconducts himself in
body, speech, and mind. Owing to the fulfilment of his misconduct he
reappears in a state of loss (deprivation). The kamma that is the cause of
his reappearance there is kamma-process becoming, the aggregates gen-
erated by the kamma are rebirth-process becoming, the generating of the
aggregates is birth, their maturing is ageing, their dissolution is death.
17. Another thinks, *I shall enjoy the delights of heaven', and in the
parallel manner he conducts himself well. Owing to the fulfilment of his
good conduct he reappears in a [sensual-sphere] heaven. The kamma that
is the cause of his reappearance there is kamma-process becoming, and
the rest as before.
18. Another thinks, *I shall enjoy the delights of the Brahma-world',
and with sense-desire clinging as condition he develops lovingkindness,
compassion, gladness, and equanimity.
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[200] Owing to the fulfilment
of the meditative development he is reborn in the Brahma-world. The
kamma that is the cause of his rebirth there is kamma-process becoming,
and the rest is as before.
19. Yet another thinks, 'I shall enjoy the delights of immaterial becom-
ing', and with the same condition he develops the attainments beginning
with the base consisting of boundless space. Owing to the fulfilment of
the development he is reborn in one of these states. The kamma that is
the cause of his rebirth there is kamma-process becoming, the aggregates
generated by the kamma are rebirth-process becoming, the generating of
the aggregates is birth, their maturing is ageing, their dissolution is death
(see M.ii,263). The remaining kinds of clinging are construable in the
same way.
20. So, 'Understanding of discernment of conditions thus, "Ignorance is
a cause, formations are causally arisen, and both these states are causally
arisen", is knowledge of the causal relationship of states. Understanding
of discernment of conditions thus, "In the past and in the future igno-
rance is a cause, formations are causally arisen, and both these states are
causally arisen", is knowledge of the causal relationship of states' (Ps.i,50),
and all the clauses should be given in detail in this way.
21. Herein, ignorance and formations are one summarization; conscious-
ness, mentality-materiality, the sixfold base, contact, and feeling are an-
other; craving, clinging, and becoming are another; and birth and ageing-
and-death are another. Here the first summarization is past, the two
middle ones are present, and birth and ageing-and-death are future. When
ignorance and formations are mentioned, then also craving, clinging and
becoming are included too, so these five states are the round of kamma
in the past. The five beginning with consciousness are the round of
kamma-result in the present. When craving, clinging and becoming are
mentioned, then also ignorance and formations are included too, so these
five states are the round of kamma in the present. And because [the five]
beginning with consciousness are described under the headings of birth
and ageing-and-death, these five states are the round of kamma-result in
the future. These make twenty aspects in this way. And here there is one
link between formations and consciousness, one between feeling and
craving, and one between becoming and birth (see Ch. XVII, §288f.).
22. Now the Blessed One knew, saw, understood and penetrated in all
aspects this dependent origination with its four summarizations, its three
times, its twenty aspects, and its three links. * Knowledge is in the sense
of that being known,
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and understanding is in the sense of the act of
understanding that. Hence it was said: "Understanding of discernment of
conditions is knowledge of the causal relationship of states" ' (Ps.i,52).
Thus when the Blessed One, by correctly knowing these states with
knowledge of relations of states, became dispassionate towards them,
when his greed faded away, when he was liberated, then he destroyed,
quite destroyed, abolished, the spokes of this wheel of the round of
rebirths of the kind just described.
Because the spokes are thus destroyed he is accomplished (ara~
hanta) also. [201]
The spokes (ara) of rebirth's wheel have been
Destroyed (hata) with wisdom's weapon keen
By him, the Helper of the World,
And so 'accomplished' {arahantd) he is called.
23. (iv) And he is worthy (arahati) of the requisites of robes, etc., and
of the distinction of being accorded homage because it is he who is most
worthy of offerings. For when a Perfect One has arisen, important deities
and human beings pay homage to none else; for Brahma Sahampati paid
homage to the Perfect One with a jewelled garland as big as Sineru, and
other deities did so according to their means, as well as such human
beings as King Bimbisara [of Magadha] and the king of Kosala. And
after the Blessed One had finally attained nibbana, King Asoka renounced
wealth to the amount of ninety-six millions for his sake and founded
eight-four thousand monasteries throughout all Jambudipa (India). And
so, with all these, what need to speak of others? Because of worthiness
of requisites he is accomplished (arahanta) also.
So he is worthy, the Helper of the World,
Of homage paid with requisites; the word
'Accomplished' (arahanta) has this meaning in the world:
Hence the Victor is worthy of that word.
24. (v) And he does not act like those fools in the world who vaunt
their cleverness and yet do evil, but in secret for fear of getting a bad
name. Because of absence of secret (rahdbhdva) evil-doing he is accom-
plished (arahantd) also.
No secret evil deed may claim
An author so august; the name
'Accomplished' (arahantd) is his deservedly
By absence of such secrecy (rahdbhdva).
25. So in all ways:
The Sage of remoteness unalloyed,
Vanquished defiling foes deployed,
The spokes of rebirth's wheel destroyed,
Worthy of requisites employed,
Secret evil he does avoid:
For these five reasons he may claim
This word 'accomplished' for his name.
[Fully Enlightened]
26. He is fully enlightened (sammdsambuddha) because he has discov-
ered (buddha) all things rightly (samma) and by himself (sdmam).
In fact all things were discovered by him rightly by himself in that
he discovered, of the things to be directly known, that they must be
directly known [that is, learning about the four truths], of the things to be
fully understood that they must be fully understood [that is, penetration
of suffering], of the things to be abandoned that they must be abandoned
[that is, penetration of the origin of suffering], of the things to be real-
ized that they must be realized [that is, penetration of the cessation of
suffering], and of the things to be developed that they must be developed
[that is, penetration of the path]. Hence it is said:
'What must be directly known is directly known,
What has to be developed has been developed,
What has to be abandoned has been abandoned;
And that, brahman, is why I am enlightened' (Sn. 558).
27. [202] Besides, he has discovered all things rightly by himself step
by step thus: The eye is the truth of suffering; the prior craving that
originates it by being its root-cause is the truth of origin; the non-occur-
rence of both is the truth of cessation; the way that is the act of under-
standing cessation is the truth of the path. And so too in the case of the
ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind.
28. And the following things should be construed in the same way:
the six bases beginning with visible objects;
the six groups of consciousness beginning with eye-consciousness;
the six kinds of contact beginning with eye-contact;
the six kinds of feeling beginning with the eye-contact-born;
the six kinds of perception beginning with perception of visible
objects;
the six kinds of volition beginning with volition about visible ob-
jects;
the six groups of craving beginning with craving for visible objects;
the six kinds of applied thought beginning with applied thought
about visible objects;
the six kinds of sustained thought beginning with sustained thought
about visible objects;
the five aggregates beginning with the aggregate of matter;
the ten kasinas;
the ten recollections;
the ten perceptions beginning with perception of the bloated;
the thirty-two aspects [of the body] beginning with head hairs;
the twelve bases;
the eighteen elements;
the nine kinds of becoming beginning with sensual becoming;
6
the four jhanas beginning with the first;
the four measureless states beginning with the development of lov-
ingkindness;
the four immaterial attainments;
the factors of the dependent origination in reverse order beginning
with ageing-and-death and in forward order beginning with ignorance
(cf. Ch. XX, §9).
29. Herein, this is the construction of a single clause [of the dependent
origination]: Ageing-and-death is the truth of suffering, birth is the truth
of origin, the escape from both is the truth of cessation, the way that is
the act of understanding cessation is the truth of the path.
In this way he has discovered, progressively discovered, completely
discovered, all states rightly and by himself step by step. Hence it was
said above: *He is fully enlightened because he has discovered all things
rightly and by himself (§26).
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[Endowed with Clear Vision and Virtuous Conduct]
30. He is endowed with [clear] vision and [virtuous] conduct:
vijjdcaranasampanno = vijjdhi caranena ca sampanno (resolution of
compound).
Herein, as to [clear] vision: there are three kinds of clear vision and
eight kinds of clear vision. The three kinds should be understood as
stated in the Bhayabherava Sutta (M.i,22f.), and the eight kinds as stated
in the Ambattha Sutta (D.i,100). For there eight kinds of clear vision are
stated, made up of the six kinds of direct-knowledge together with in-
sight and the supernormal power of the mind-made [body].
31. [Virtuous] conduct should be understood as fifteen things, that is to
say: restraint by virtue, guarding the doors of the sense faculties, knowl-
edge of the right amount in eating, devotion to wakefulness, the seven
good states,
8
and the four jhanas of the fine-material sphere. For it is
precisely by means of these fifteen things that a noble disciple conducts
himself, that he goes, towards the deathless. That is why it is called
'[virtuous] conduct', according as it is said, 'Here, Mahanama, a noble
disciple has virtue' (M.i,355), etc., the whole of which should be under-
stood as it is given in the Middle Fifty [of the Majjjhima Nikaya].
[203] Now the Blessed One is endowed with these kinds of clear
vision and with this conduct as well; hence he is called * endowed with
[clear] vision and [virtuous] conduct*.
32. Herein, the Blessed One's possession of clear vision consists in the
fulfilment of omniscience (Ps.i,131), while his possession of conduct
consists in the fulfilment of the great compassion (Ps.i,126). He knows
through omniscience what is good and harmful for all beings, and through
compassion he warns them of harm and exhorts them to do good. That is
how he is possessed of clear vision and conduct, which is why his
disciples have entered upon the good way instead of entering upon the
bad way as the self-mortifying disciples of those who are not possessed
of clear vision and conduct have done.
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[Sublime]
33. He is called sublime (sugata)
10
(i) because of a manner of going that
is good (sobhana-gamana), (ii) because of being gone to an excellent
place (sundaram thdnarh gatatta), (iii) because of having gone rightly
(sammdgatatta), and (iv) because of enunciating rightly (sammdga-
datta).
(i) A manner of going (gamana) is called 'gone' (gata), and that in
the Blessed One is good (sobhana), purified, blameless. But what is
that? It is the noble path; for by means of that manner of going he has
*gone' without attachment in the direction of safety—thus he is sublime
(sugata) because of a manner of going that is good.
(ii) And it is to the excellent (sundara) place that he has gone
(gata), to the deathless nibbana—thus he is sublime (sugata) also be-
cause of having gone to an excellent place.
34. (iii) And he has rightly (sammd) gone (gata), without going back
again to the defilements abandoned by each path. For this is said: 'He
does not again turn, return, go back, to the defilements abandoned by the
stream-entry path, thus he is sublime ... he does not again turn, return, go
back, to the defilements abandoned by the Arahant path, thus he is sub-
lime' (old commentary?). Or alternatively, he has rightly gone from the
time of [making his resolution] at the feet of Dipahkara up till the En-
lightenment Session, by working for the welfare and happiness of the
whole world through the fulfilment of the thirty perfections and through
following the right way without deviating towards either of the two ex-
tremes, that is to say, towards eternalism or annihilationism, towards in-
dulgence in sense pleasures or self-mortification-—thus he is sublime
also because of having gone rightly.
35. (iv) And he enunciates
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(gadati) rightly (sammd); he speaks only
fitting speech in the fitting place—thus he is sublime also because of
enunciating rightly.
Here is a sutta that confirms this: 'Such speech as the Perfect One
knows to be untrue and incorrect, conducive to harm, and displeasing
and unwelcome to others, that he does not speak. And such speech as the
Perfect One knows to be true and correct, but conducive to harm, and
displeasing and unwelcome to others, that he does not speak. [204] And
such speech as the Perfect One knows to be true and correct, conducive
to good, but displeasing and unwelcome to others, that speech the Per-
fect One knows the time to expound. Such speech as the Perfect One
knows to be untrue and incorrect, and conducive to harm, but pleasing
and welcome to others, that he does not speak. And such speech as the
Perfect One knows to be true and correct, but conducive to harm, though
pleasing and welcome to others, that he does not speak. And such speech
as the Perfect One knows to be true and correct, conducive to good, and
pleasing and welcome to others, that speech the Perfect One knows the
time to expound' (M.i,395)—thus he is sublime also because of enunci-
ating rightly.
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