THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[(4) RECOLLECTION OF VIRTUE]
101. One who wants to develop the recollection of virtue should go into
solitary retreat and recollect his own different kinds of virtue in their
special qualities of being untorn, etc., as follows:
Indeed, my various kinds of virtue are 'untorn, unrent, unblotched,
unmottled, liberating, praised by the wise, not adhered to, and conducive
to concentration' (A.iii,286). And a layman should recollect them in the
form of laymen's virtue while one gone forth into homelessness should
recollect them in the form of the virtue of those gone forth.
102. Whether they are the virtues of laymen or of those gone forth, when
no one of them is broken in the beginning or in the end, not being torn
like a cloth ragged at the ends, then they are untorn. [222] When no one
of them is broken in the middle, not being rent like a cloth that is
punctured in the middle, then they are unrent. When they are not broken
twice or thrice in succession, not being blotched like a cow whose body
is some such colour as black or red with a discrepant-coloured oblong or
round patch appearing on her back or belly, then they are unblotched.
When they are not broken all over at intervals, not being mottled like a
cow speckled with discrepant-coloured spots, then they are unmottled.
103. Or in general they are untorn, unrent, unblotched, unmottled when
they are undamaged by the seven bonds of sexuality (Ch. I, §144) and by
anger and enmity and the other evil things (see §59).
104. Those same virtues are liberating since they liberate by freeing from
the slavery of craving. They are praised by the wise because they are
praised by such wise men as Enlightened Ones. They are not adhered to
(apardmattha) since they are not adhered to (apardmatthatta) with crav-
ing and [false] view, or because of the impossibility of misapprehending
(pardmatthum) that 'There is this flaw in your virtues'. They are condu-
cive to concentration since they conduce to access concentration and
absorption concentration, or to path concentration and fruition concen-
tration.
105. As long as he recollects his own virtues in their special qualities of
being untom, etc., in this way, then: 'On that occasion his mind is not
obsessed by greed, or obsessed by hate, or obsessed by delusion, his
mind has rectitude on that occasion, being inspired by virtue' (A.iii,
286).
So when he has suppressed the hindrances in the way already de-
scribed (§66), the jhana factors arise in a single conscious moment. But
owing to the profundity of the virtues' special qualities, or owing to his
being occupied in recollecting special qualities of many sorts, the jhana
is only access and does not reach absorption. And that access jhana itself
is known as 'recollection of virtue' too because it arises with the virtues'
special qualities as the means.
106. And when a bhikkhu is devoted to this recollection of virtue, he has
respect for the training. He lives in communion [with his fellows in the
life of purity]. He is sedulous in welcoming. He is devoid of the fear of
self-reproach and so on. He sees fear in the slightest fault. He attains
fullness of faith, and so on. He has much happiness and gladness. And if
he penetrates no higher, he is at least headed for a happy destiny.
Now when a man is truly wise,
His constant task will surely be
This recollection of his virtue
Blessed with such mighty potency.
This is the section dealing with the recollection of virtue in the de-
tailed explanation. [223]
[(5) RECOLLECTION OF GENEROSITY]
107. One who wants to develop the recollection of generosity should be
naturally devoted to generosity and the constant practice of giving and
sharing. Or alternatively, if he is one who is starting the development of
it, he should make the resolution: 'From now on, when there is anyone
present to receive, I shall not eat even a single mouthful without having
given a gift'. And that very day he should give a gift by sharing accord-
ing to his means and his ability with those who have distinguished quali-
ties. When he has apprehended the sign in that, he should go into solitary
retreat and recollect his own generosity in its special qualities of being
free from the stain of avarice, etc., as follows:
'It is gain for me, it is great gain for me, that in a generation ob-
sessed by the stain of avarice I abide with my heart free from stain by
avarice, and am freely generous and open-handed, that I delight in relin-
quishing, expect to be asked, and rejoice in giving and sharing' (A.iii,287).
108. Herein, it is gain for me: it is my gain, advantage. The intention is: I
surely partake of those kinds of gain for a giver that have been com-
mended by the Blessed One as follows: 'A man who gives life [by
giving food] shall have life either divine or human' (A.iii,42), and: 'A
giver is loved and frequented by many' (A.iii,40), and: 'One who gives
is ever loved, according to the wise man's law' (A.iii,41), and so on.
109. It is great gain for me: it is great gain for me that this Dispensation,
or the human state, has been gained by me. Why? Because of the fact
that 'I abide with my mind free from stain by avarice ... and rejoice in
giving and sharing'.
110. Herein, obsessed by the stain of avarice is overwhelmed by the stain
of avarice. Generation: beings, so called owing to the fact of their being
generated. So the meaning here is this: among beings who are over-
whelmed by the stain of avarice, which is one of the dark states that
corrupt the [natural] transparency of consciousness (see A.i,10) and which
has the characteristic of inability to bear sharing one's own good fortune
with others.
111. Free from stain by avarice because of being free both from avarice
and from the other stains, greed, hate, and the rest. / abide with my heart:
I abide with my consciousness of the kind already stated, is the meaning.
[224] But in the sutta 'I live the home life with my heart free' (A.iii,287;
v,331), etc., is said because it was taught there as a [mental] abiding to
depend on [constantly] to MahAnama the Sakyan, who was a stream-
enterer asking about an abiding to depend on. There the meaning is 'I
live overcoming ...'
112. Freely generous: liberally generous. Open-handed: with hands that
are purified. What is meant is: with hands that are always washed in
order to give gifts carefully with one's own hands. That I delight in
relinquishing: the act of relinquishing (vossajjana) is relinquishing
(yossagga); the meaning is, giving up. To delight in relinquishing is to
delight in constant devotion to that relinquishing. Expect to be asked
(yacayoga): accustomed to being asked (yacana-yogga) because of giv-
ing whatever others ask for, is the meaning. Yajayoga is a reading, in
which case the meaning is: devoted (yutta) to sacrifice (yaja), in other
words, to sacrificing (yajana). And rejoice in sharing: the meaning is, he
recollects thus: 'I give gifts and I share out what is to be used by myself,
and I rejoice in both'.
113. As long as he recollects his own generosity in its special qualities of
freedom from stain by avarice, etc., in this way, then: 'On that occasion
his mind is not obsessed by greed, or obsessed by hate, or obsessed by
delusion; his mind has rectitude on that occasion, being inspired by
generosity' (A.iii,287).
So when he has suppressed the hindrances in the way already de-
scribed (§66), the jhana factors arise in a single conscious moment. But
owing to the profundity of the generosity's special qualities, or owing to
his being occupied in recollecting the generosity's special qualities of
many sorts, the jhana is only access and does not reach absorption. And
that access jhana itself is known as 'recollection of generosity' too be-
cause it arises with the generosity's special qualities as the means.
114. And when a bhikkhu is devoted to this recollection of generosity, he
becomes ever more intent on generosity, his preference is for non-greed,
he acts in conformity with lovingkindness, he is fearlesss. He has much
happiness and gladness. And if he penetrates no higher, he is at least
headed for a happy destiny.
Now when a man is truly wise,
His constant task will surely be
This recollection of his giving
Blessed with such mighty potency.
This is the section dealing with the recollection of generosity in the
detailed explanation. [225]
[(6) RECOLLECTION OF DEITIES]
115. One who wants to develop the recollection of deities should possess
the special qualities of faith, etc., evoked by means of the noble path,
and he should go into solitary retreat and recollect his own special quali-
ties of faith, etc., with deities standing as witnesses, as follows:
'There are deities of the Realm of the Four Kings (devacatu-
maharajika), there are deities of the Realm of the Thirty-three (deva
tavatimsa), there are the deities who are Gone to Divine Bliss (yama) ...
who are Contented (tusita)... who Delight in Creating (nimmanarati)...
who Wield Power Over Others' Creations (paranimmitavasavatti), there
are deities of Brahma's Retinue (brahmakayika), there are deities higher
than that. And those deities were possessed of faith such that on dying
here they were reborn there, and such faith is present in me too. And
those deities were possessed of virtue ... of learning ... of generosity ... of
understanding such that when they died here they were reborn there, and
such understanding is present in me too' (A.iii,287).
116. In the sutta, however, it is said: 'On the occasion, Mahanama, on
which a noble disciple recollects the faith, the virtue, the learning, the
generosity, and the understanding that are both his own and those
deities', on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by greed ...' (A.iii,
287). Although this is said, it should nevertheless be understood as said
for the purpose of showing that the special qualities of faith, etc., in
oneself are those in the deities, making the deities stand as witnesses.
For it is said definitely in the Commentary: *He recollects his own spe-
cial qualities, making the deities stand as witnesses'.
117. As long as in the prior stage he recollects the deities' special quali-
ties of faith, etc., and in the later stage he recollects the special qualities
of faith, etc., existing in himself, then: 'On that occasion his mind is not
obsessed by greed, or obsessed by hate, or obsessed by delusion, his
mind has rectitude on that occasion, being inspired by deities' (A.iii,
288).
So when he has suppressed the hindrances in the way already stated
(§66), the jhana factors arise in a single conscious moment. But owing to
the profundity of the special qualities of faith, etc., or owing to his being
occupied in recollecting special qualities of many sorts, the jhana is only
access and does not reach absorption. And that access jhana itself is
known as 'recollection of deities' too because it arises with the deities
special qualities as the means. [226]
118. And when a bhikkhu is devoted to this recollection of deities, he
becomes dearly loved by deities. He obtains even greater fullness of
faith. He has much happiness and gladness. And if he penetrates no
higher, he is at least headed for a happy destiny.
Now when a man is truly wise,
His constant task will surely be
This recollection of deities
Blessed with such mighty potency.
This is the section dealing with the recollection of deities in the
detailed explanation.
[GENERAL]
119. Now in setting forth the detail of these recollections, after the words
'His mind has rectitude on that occasion, being inspired by the Perfect
One', it is added: 'When a noble disciple's mind has rectitude, Mahanama,
the meaning inspires him, the law inspires him, and the application of
the law makes him glad. When he is glad, happiness is born in him'
(A.iii,285-88). Herein, the meaning inspires him should be understood as
said of contentment inspired by the meaning beginning 'This Blessed
One is such since he is ...' (§2). The law inspires him is said of content-
ment inspired by the text. The application of the law makes him glad is
said of both (cf. MA.i,173).
120. And when in the case of the recollection of deities inspired by
deities is said, this should be understood as said either of the conscious-
ness that occurs in the prior stage inspired by deities or of the conscious-
ness [that occurs in the later stage] inspired by the special qualities that
are similar to those of the deities and are productive of the deities' state
(cf. §117).
121. These six recollections succeed only in noble disciples. For the spe-
cial qualities of the Enlightened One, the Law, and the Community, are
evident to them; and they possess the virtue with the special qualities of
untornness, etc., the generosity that is free from stain by avarice, and the
special qualities of faith, etc., similar to those of deities.
122. And in the Mahanama Sutta (A.iii,285f.) they are expounded in
detail by the Blessed One in order to show to a stream-enterer an abiding
to depend upon when he asked for one.
123. Also in the Gedha Sutta they are expounded in order that a noble
disciple should purify his consciousness by means of the recollections
and so attain further purification in the ultimate sense thus: 'Here,
bhikkhus, a noble disciple recollects the Perfect One in this way: That
Blessed One is such since he is accomplished.... His mind has rectitude
on that occasion. He has renounced, [227] got free from, emerged from
cupidity. Cupidity, bhikkhus, is a term for the five cords of sense desire.
Some beings gain purity here by making this [recollection] their prop'
(A.iii,312).
124. And in the Sambadhokasa Sutta taught by the venerable Maha-
Kaccana they are expounded as the realization of the wide-open through
the susceptibility of purification that exists in the ultimate sense only in a
noble disciple thus: 'It is wonderful, friends, it is marvellous how the
realization of the wide-open in the crowded [house life] has been discov-
ered by the Blessed One who knows and sees, accomplished and fully
enlightened, for the purification of beings, [for the surmounting of sor-
row and lamentation, for the ending of pain and grief, for the attainment
of the true way], for the realization of nibbana, that is to say, the six
stations of recollection. What six? Here, friends, a noble disciple recol-
lects the Perfect One ... Some beings are susceptible of purification here
in this way' (A.iii,314-15).
125. Also in the Uposatha Sutta they are expounded in order to show the
greatness of the fruit of the Uposatha, as a mind-purifying meditation
subject for a noble disciple who is observing the Uposatha: 'And what is
the noble ones' Uposatha, Visakha? It is the gradual cleansing of the
mind still sullied by imperfections. And what is the gradual cleansing of
the mind still sullied by imperfections? Here, Visakha, a noble disciple
recollects the Perfect One ...' (A.i,206-ll).
126. And in the Book of Elevens, when a noble disciple has asked, 'Ven-
erable sir, in what way should we abide who abide in various ways?'
(A.v,328), they are expounded to him in order to show the way of abid-
ing in this way: 'One who has faith is successful, Mahanama, not one
who has no faith. One who is energetic ... One whose mindfiilness is
established ... One who is concentrated ... One who has understanding
is successful, Mahanama, not one who has no understanding. Having
established yourself in these five things, Mahanama, you should develop
six things. Here, Mahanama, you should recollect the Perfect One: That
Blessed One is such since ...' (A.v,329-32).
127. Still, though this is so, they can be brought to mind by an ordinary
man too, if he possesses the special qualities of purified virtue, and the
rest. [228] For when he is recollecting the special qualities of the Bud-
dha, etc., even only according to hearsay, his consciousness settles down,
by virtue of which the hindrances are suppressed. In his supreme glad-
ness he initiates insight, and he even attains to Arahantship, like the
Elder Phussadeva who dwelt at Katakandhakara.
128. That venerable one, it seems, saw a figure of the Enlightened One
created by Mara. He thought, 'How good this appears despite its having
greed, hate and delusion! What can the Blessed One's goodness have
been like? For he was quite without greed, hate and delusion!' He ac-
quired happiness with the Blessed One as object, and by augmenting his
insight he reached Arahantship.
The seventh chapter called "The Description
of Six Recollections' in the Treatise on the Devel-
opment of Concentration in the Path of Purifica-
tion composed for the purpose of gladdening good
people.
0 comments:
Post a Comment