THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
102. With his hand he touches and strokes the moon and sun so mighty
and powerful: here the 'might' of the moon and sun should be under-
stood to consist in the fact that they travel at an altitude of forty-two
thousand leagues, and their 'power' to consist in their simultaneous illu-
minating of three [of the four] continents. [398] Or they are 'mighty'
because they travel overhead and give light as they do, and they are
'powerful' because of that same might. He touches: he seizes, or he
touches in one place. Strokes: he strokes all over, as if it were the surface
of a looking-glass.
103. This supernormal power is successful simply through the jhana that
is made the basis for direct-knowledge; there is no special kasina attain-
ment here. For this is said in the Patisambhida: ' "With his hand ... so
mighty and powerful": here this possessor of supernormal power who
has attained mind mastery ... adverts to the moon and sun. Having
adverted, he resolves with knowledge: "Let it be within hand's reach". It
is within hand's reach. Sitting or lying down, with his hand he touches,
makes contact with, strokes the moon and sun. Just as men normally not
possessed of supernormal power touch, make contact with, stroke, some
material object within hand's reach, so this possessor of supernormal
power, by his attaining of mental mastery, sitting or lying down, with his
hands touches, makes contact with, strokes the moon and sun' (Ps.ii,298).
104. If he wants to go and touch them, he goes and touches them. But if
he wants to touch them here sitting or lying down, he resolves: 'Let them
be within hand's reach'. Then he either touches them as they stand
within hand's reach when they have come by the power of the resolve
like palmyra fruits loosed from their stalk, or he does so by enlarging his
hand. But when he enlarges his hand, does he enlarge what is clung to or
what is not clung to? He enlarges what is not clung to supported by what
is clung to.
105. Here the Elder Tipitaka Cula-Naga said: 'But, friends, why does
what is clung to not become small and big too? When a bhikkhu comes
out through a keyhole, does not what is clung to become small? And
when he makes his body big, does it not then become big, as in the case
of the Elder Maha-Moggallana?'.
106. At one time, it seems, when the householder Anathapindika had
heard the Blessed One preaching the Dhamma, he invited him thus,
'Venerable sir, take alms at our house together with five hundred
bhikkhus', and then he departed. The Blessed One consented. When the
rest of that day and part of the night had passed, he surveyed the ten-
thousandfold world element in the early morning. Then the royal naga
(serpent) called Nandopananda came within the range of his knowledge.
107. The Blessed One considered him thus: 'This royal naga has come
into the range of my knowledge. Has he the potentiality for develop-
ment?'. Then he saw that he had wrong view and no confidence in the
Three Jewels. [399] He considered thus, 'Who is there that can cure him
of his wrong view?'. He saw that the Elder Maha-Moggallana could.
Then when the night had turned to dawn, after he had seen to the needs
of the body, he addressed the venerable Ananda: 'Ananda, tell five hundred
bhikkhus that the Perfect One is going on a visit to the gods'.
108. It was on that day that they had got a banqueting place ready for
Nandopananda. He was sitting on a divine couch with a divine white
parasol held aloft, surrounded by the three kinds of dancers
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and a
retinue of nagas, and surveying the various kinds of food and drink
served up in divine vessels. Then the Blessed One so acted that the royal
naga saw him as he proceeded directly above his canopy in the direction
of the divine world of the Thirty-three, accompanied by the five hundred
bhikkhus.
109. Then this evil view arose in Nandopananda the royal naga: 'There
go these bald-headed monks in and out of the realm of the Thirty-three
directly over my realm. I will not have them scattering the dirt off their
feet on our heads'. He got up, and he went to the foot of Sineru. Chang-
ing his form, he surrounded it seven times with his coils. Then he spread
his hood over the realm of the Thirty-three and made everything there
invisible.
110. The venerable Ratthapala said to the Blessed One: 'Venerable sir,
standing in this place formerly I used to see Sineru and the ramparts of
Sineru,
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and the Thirty-three, and the Vejayanta Palace, and the flag
over the Vejayanta Palace. Venerable sir, what is the cause, what is the
reason, why I now see neither Sineru nor ... the flag over the Vejayanta
Palace?'—'This royal naga called Nandopananda is angry with us,
Ratthapala. He has surrounded Sineru seven times with his coils, and he
stands there covering us with his raised hood, making it dark'.—'I will
tame him, venerable sir'. But the Blessed One would not allow it. Then
the venerable Bhaddiya and the venerable Rahula and all the bhikkhus in
turn offered to do so, but the Blessed One would not allow it.
111. Last of all the venerable Maha-Moggallana said, 'I will tame him,
venerable sir'. The Blessed One allowed it, saying, 'Tame him, Mog-
gallana'. The elder abandoned that form and assumed the form of a huge
royal naga, and he surrounded Nandopananda fourteen times with his
coils and raised his hood above the other's hood, and he squeezed him
against Sineru. The royal naga produced smoke. [400] The elder said,
'There is smoke not only in your body but also in mine', and he pro-
duced smoke. The royal naga's smoke did not distress the elder, but the
elder's smoke distressed the royal naga. Then the royal naga produced
flames. The elder said, 'There is fire not only in your body but also in
mine', and he produced flames. The royal naga's fire did not distress the
elder, but the elder's fire distressed the royal naga.
112. The royal naga thought, 'He has squeezed me against Sineru, and he
has produced both smoke and flames'. Then he asked, 'Sir, who are
you?'—*I am Moggallana, Nanda'.—'Venerable sir, resume your proper
bhikkhu's state'. The elder abandoned that form, and he went into his
right ear and came out from his left ear, then he went into his left ear and
came out from his right ear. Likewise he went into his right nostril and
came out from his left nostril; then he went into his left nostril and came
out from his right nostril. Then the royal naga opened his mouth. The
elder went inside it, and he walked up and down, east and west, inside
his belly.
113. The Blessed One said, 'Moggallana, Moggallana, beware; this is a
mighty naga'. The elder said, 'Venerable sir, the four roads to power
have been developed by me, repeatedly practised, made the vehicle,
made the basis, established, consolidated, and properly undertaken. I can
tame not only Nandopananda, venerable sir, but a hundred, a thousand, a
hundred thousand royal nagas like Nandopananda'.
114. The royal naga thought, 'When he went in in the first place I did not
see him. But now when he comes out I shall catch him between my
fangs and chew him up'. Then he said, 'Venerable sir, come out. Do not
keep troubling me by walking up and down inside my belly'. The elder
came out and stood outside. The royal naga recognised him, and blew a
blast from his nose. The elder attained the fourth jhana, and the blast
failed to move even a single hair on his body. The other bhikkhus would,
it seems, have been able to perform all the miracles up to now, but at this
point they could not have attained with so rapid a response, which is
why the Blessed One would not allow them to tame the royal naga.
115. The royal naga thought, * I have been unable to move even a single
hair on this monk's body with the blast from my nose. He is a mighty
monk'. The elder abandoned that form, and having assumed the form of
a supanna, he pursued the royal naga demonstrating the supanna's blast.
[401] The royal naga abandoned that form, and having assumed the form
of a young brahman, he said, * Venerable sir, I go for refuge to you', and
he paid homage at the elder's feet. The elder said, 'The Master has
come, Nanda; come, let us go to him'. So having tamed the royal naga
and deprived him of his poison, he went with him to the Blessed One's
presence.
116. The royal naga paid homage to the Blessed One and said, 'Vener-
able sir, I go for refuge to you'. The Blessed One said, 'May you be
happy, royal naga'. Then he went, followed by the Community of
Bhikkhus, to Anathapindika's house. Anathapindika said, 'Venerable sir,
why have you come so late?'—'There was a battle between Moggallana
and Nandopananda'.—'Who won, venerable sir? Who was defeated?'—
'Moggallana won; Nanda was defeated'. Anathapindika said, 'Venerable
sir, let the Blessed One consent to my providing meals for seven days in
a single series, and to my honouring the elder for seven days'. Then for
seven days he accorded great honour to the five hundred bhikkhus with
the Enlightened One at their head.
117. So it was with reference to this enlarged form created during this
taming of Nandopananda that it was said: 'When he makes his body big,
does it not then become big, as in the case of the Elder Maha-Moggallana?'
(§105). Although this was said, the bhikkhus observed, 'He enlarges
only what is not clung to supported by what is clung to'. And only this is
correct here.
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118. And when he has done this, he not only touches the moon and sun,
but if he wishes, he makes a footstool [of them] and puts his feet on it,
he makes a chair [of them] and sits on it, he makes a bed [of them] and
lies on it, he makes a leaning-plank [of them] and leans on it. And as one
does, so do others. For even when several hundred thousand bhikkhus do
this and each one succeeds, still the motions of the moon and sun and
their radiance remain the same. For just as when a thousand saucers are
full of water and moon disks are seen in all the saucers, still the moon's
motion is normal and so is its radiance. And this miracle resembles that.
119. Even as far as the Brahmd-world: having made even the Brahma-
world the limit. He wields bodily mastery: herein, he wields self-mastery
in the Brahma-world by means of the body. The meaning of this should
be understood according to the text.
Here is the text: ' "He wields bodily mastery even as far as the
Brahma-world": if this possessor of supernormal power, having reached
mental mastery, wants to go to the Brahma-world, though far, he re-
solves upon nearness, "Let it be near". [402] It is near. Though near, he
resolves upon farness, "Let it be far". It is far. Though many, he resolves
upon few, "Let there be few". There are few. Though few, he resolves
upon many, "Let there be many". There are many. With the divine eye
he sees the [fine-material] visible form of that Brahma. With the divine
ear element he hears the voice of that Brahma. With the knowledge of
penetration of minds he understands that Brahma's mind. If this posses-
sor of supernormal power, having reached mental mastery, wants to go
to the Brahma-world with a visible body, he converts his mind to accord
with his body, he resolves his mind to accord with his body. Having
converted his mind to accord with his body, resolved his mind to accord
with his body, he arrives at blissful (easy) perception and light (quick)
perception, and he goes to the Brahma-world with a visible body. If this
possessor of supernormal power, having reached mental mastery, wants
to go to the Brahma-world with an invisible body, he converts his body
to accord with his mind, he resolves his body to accord with his mind.
Having converted his body to accord with his mind, resolved his body to
accord with his mind, he arrives at blissful (easy) perception and light
(quick) perception, and he goes to the Brahma-world with an invisible
body. He creates a [fine-material] visible form before that Brahma, mind-
made with all its limbs, lacking no faculty. If that possessor of supernor-
mal power walks up and down, the creation walks up and down there
too. If that possessor of supernormal power stands ... sits ... lies down,
the creation lies down there too. If that possessor of supernormal power
produces smoke ... produces flames ... preaches Dhamma ... asks a
question ... being asked a question, answers, the creation, being asked a
question, answers there too. If that possessor of supernormal power stands
with that Brahma, converses, enters into communication with that Brahma,
the creation stands with that Brahma there too, converses, enters into
communication with that Brahma there too. Whatever that possessor of
supernormal power does, the creation does the same thing' (Ps.ii,209).
120. Herein, though far, he resolves upon nearness: having emerged from
the basic jhana, he adverts to a far-off world of the gods or to the
Brahma-world thus, 'Let it be near'. Having adverted and done the pre-
liminary work, he attains again, and then resolves with knowledge: 'Let
it be near'. It becomes near. The same method of explanation applies to
the other clauses too.
121. Herein, who has taken what was far and made it near? The Blessed
One. For when the Blessed One was going to the divine world after the
Twin Miracle, he made Yugandhara and Sineru near, and from the earth's
surface he set one foot [403] on Yugandhara, and then he set the other on
the summit of Sineru.
122. Who else has done it? The Elder Maha-Moggallana. For when the
elder was leaving Savatthi after completing his meal, he abridged the
twelve-league crowd and the thirty-league road to the city of Sahkassa,
and he arrived at the same moment.
123. Furthermore, the Elder Cula-Samudda did it as well in Tambapanni
Island. During a time of scarcity, it seems, seven hundred bhikkhus came
to the elder one morning. The elder thought, 'Where can a large commu-
nity of bhikkhus wander for alms?'. He saw nowhere at all in Tambapanni
Island, but he saw that it would be possible on the other shore at Pataliputta
(Patna). He got the bhikkhus to take their bowls and [outer] robes, and
he said, 'Come friends, let us go wandering for alms'. Then he abridged
the earth and went to Pataliputta. The bhikkhus asked, 'What is the city,
venerable sir?'.—'It is Pataliputta, friends'.—'Pataliputta is far away,
venerable sir'.—'Friends, experienced elders make what is far near'.—
'Where is the ocean (mahd-samudda), venerable sir?'—'Friends, did
you not cross a blue stream on the way as you came?'—'Yes, venerable
sir, but the ocean is vast'.—'Friends, experienced elders also make what
is vast small'.
124. And the Elder Tissadatta did likewise, when he had put on his upper
robes after bathing in the evening, and the thought of paying homage at
the Great Enlightenment Tree arose in him.
125. Who has taken what was near and made it far? The Blessed One.
For although Angulimala was near to the Blessed One, yet he made him
far (see M.ii,99).
126. Who has made much little? The Elder Maha-Kassapa. One feast day
at Rajagaha, it seems, there were five hundred girls on their way to enjoy
the festival, and they had taken moon cakes with them. They saw the
Blessed One but gave him nothing. On their way back, however, they
saw the elder. Thinking 'He is our elder', they each took a cake and
approached the elder. The elder took out his bowl and made a single
bowlful of them all. The Blessed One had sat down first to await the
elder. The elder brought them and gave them to the Blessed One.
127. In the story of the rich man Illisa, however, (Ja.i,348; DhA.i,372)
the Elder Maha-Moggallana made little much. And in the story of
Kakavaliya the Blessed One did so. The Elder Maha-Kassapa, it seems,
after spending seven days in attainment, stood at the house door of a
man in poor circumstances called Kakavaliya in order to show favour to
the poor. [404] His wife saw the elder, and she poured into his bowl the
unsalted sour gruel that she had cooked for her husband. The elder took
it and placed it in the Blessed One's hand. The Blessed One resolved to
make it enough for the Greater Community of Bhikkhus. What was
brought in a single bowl became enough for all. And on the seventh day
Kakavaliya became a rich man.
128. And not only in the case of making little much, but whatever the
possessor of supernormal power wishes, whether to make the sweet
unsweet, etc., it is successful for him. For so it was that when the Elder
Maha-Anula saw many bhikkhus sitting on the banks of the Ganga River
[in Ceylon] eating plain rice, which was all that they had got after doing
their alms round, he resolved, *Let Ganga River water be cream of ghee',
and he gave a sign to the novices. They fetched it in their vessels and
gave it to the Community of Bhikkhus. All of them ate their meal with
sweet cream of ghee.
129. With the divine eye: remaining here and extending light, he sees the
visible form of that Brahma. And remaining here he also hears the sound
of his speech and he understands his mind.
130. He converts his mind according to his body: he converts the mind to
accord with the material body; taking the consciousness of the basic
jhana, he mounts it upon the body, he makes its going slow to coincide
with that of the body; for the body's mode of going is slow.
131. He arrives at blissful perception and light perception: he arrives at,
enters, makes contact with, reaches, the perception of bliss and percep-
tion of lightness that are conascent with the consciousness whose object
is the basic jhana. And it is perception associated with equanimity that is
called 'perception of bliss'; for equanimity is called 'bliss' since it is
peaceful. And that same perception should be understood to be called
'perception of lightness' too because it is liberated from hindrances and
from the things that oppose it beginning with applied thought. But when
he arrives at that state, his physical body too becomes as light as a tuft of
cotton. He goes to the Brahma-world thus with a visible body as light as
a tuft of cotton wafted by the wind.
132. As he goes thus, if he wishes, he creates a path in space by means of
the earth kasina and goes on foot. If he wishes, he resolves by means of
the air kasina that there shall be air, and he goes by air like a tuft of
cotton. Moreover, the desire to go is the measure here. When there is the
desire to go, one who has made his mental resolve in this way goes
visibly, carried by the force of the resolution like an arrow shot by an
archer. [405]
133. He converts his body to accord with his mind: he takes the body and
mounts it on the mind. He makes its going swift to coincide with that of
the mind; for the mind's mode of going is swift.
He arrives at blissful perception and light perception: he arrives at
perception of bliss and perception of lightness that are conascent with
the supernormal-power consciousness whose object is the material body.
The rest should be understood in the way already described. But here
there is only the going of consciousness.
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134. When it was asked, 'As he goes with an invisible body thus, does he
go at the moment of the resolution-consciousness's arising or at the
moment of its presence or at the moment of its dissolution?', an elder
replied, 'He goes in all three moments'.—'But does he go himself, or
does he send a creation?'—'He does as he pleases. But here it is only the
going himself that has been given [in the text]'.
135. Mind-made: mind-made because created by the mind in resolution.
Lacking no faculty: this refers to the shape of the eye, ear, etc.; but there
is no sensitivity in a created visible form.
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If the possessor of supernor-
mal power walks up and down, the creation walks up and down there
too, etc., all refers to what a disciple creates; but what the Blessed One
creates does whatever the Blessed One does, and it also does other things
according to the Blessed One's pleasure.
136. When this possessor of supernormal power, while remaining here
sees a visible object with the divine eye, hears a sound with the divine
ear element, knows consciousness with the penetration of minds, he does
not wield bodily power in doing that. And when, while remaining here,
he stands with that Brahma, converses, enters into communication with
that Brahma, he does not wield bodily power in doing that. And when he
makes his resolve described in the way beginning 'though far, he re-
solves upon nearness', he does not wield bodily power in doing that.
And when he goes to the Brahma-world with a visible or an invisible
body, he does not wield bodily power in doing that. But when he enters
upon the process described in the way beginning 'He creates a visible
form before that Brahma, mind-made', then he wields bodily power in
doing that. The rest, however, is said here for the purpose of showing the
stage prior to the wielding of the bodily power. This, firstly, is (i) suc-
cess by resolve (§45).
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