THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
27. (vii) HOW SHOULD IT BE DEVELOPED?
[A. Development in Brief]
The method of developing the kind of concentration associated with
the noble paths mentioned (§7) under that 'of two kinds as mundane and
supramundane', etc., is included in the method of developing under-
standing (Ch. XXII); for in developing [path] understanding that is de-
veloped too. So we shall say nothing separately [here] about how that is
to be developed.
28. But mundane concentration should be developed by one who has
taken his stand on virtue that is quite purified in the way already stated.
He should sever any of the ten impediments that he may have. He should
then approach the good friend, the giver of a meditation subject, and he
should apprehend from among the forty meditation subjects one that
suits his own temperament. After that he should avoid a monastery
unfavourable to the development of concentration and go to live in one
that is favourable. Then he should sever the lesser impediments and not
overlook any of the directions for development. This is in brief.
[B. Development in Detail]
29. The detail is this:
[The Ten Impediments]
Firstly it was said above, he should sever any of the ten impediments
that he may have. [90] Now the 'ten impediments' are:
A dwelling, family, and gain,
A class, and building too as fifth,
And travel, kin, affliction, books,
And supernormal powers: ten.
Herein, the dwelling itself is the 'impediment due to the dwelling'.
So too with the family and so on.
30. 1. Herein, a single inner room or a single hut or a whole monas-
tery for the Community is called a dwelling. This is not an impediment
for everyone. It is an impediment only for anyone whose mind is exer-
cised about the building, etc., that goes on there, or who has many
belongings stored there, or whose mind is caught up by some business
connected with it. For any other it is not an impediment.
31. Here is a relevant story. Two clansmen left Anuradhapura, it seems,
and eventually went forth at the Thuparama.
8
One of them made himself
familiar with the Two Codes,
9
and when he had acquired five years'
seniority, he took part in the Pavarana
l0
and then left for the place called
Paclnakhandaraji.
11
The other stayed on where he was. Now when the
one who had gone to Paclnakhandaraji had lived there a long time and
had become an elder,
12
he thought, 'This place is good for retreat; sup-
pose I told my friend about it?'. So he set out, and in due course he
entered the Thuparama. As he entered, the elder of the same seniority
saw him, went to meet him, took his bowl and robe and did the duties.
32. The visiting elder went into his lodging. He thought, 'Now my
friend will be sending me ghee or molasses or a drink; for he has lived
long in this city'. He got nothing that night, and in the morning he
thought, 'Now he will be sending me rice gruel and solid food sent by
his supporters'. When he saw none, he thought, 'There is no one to bring
it. No doubt they will give it when we go into the town'. Early in the
morning they went into the town together. When they had wandered
through one street and had got only a ladleful of gruel, they sat down in
a sitting hall to drink it.
13
33. Then the visitor thought, 'Perhaps there is no individual giving of
gruel. But as soon as it is the time for the meal people will give special
food'. But when it was time for the meal, they ate what they had got by
wandering for alms. Then the visitor said, 'Venerable sir, how is this?
Do you live in this way all the time?'— 'Yes, friend.'—'Venerable sir,
Pacinakhandaraji is comfortable; let us so there'. Now as the elder came
out from the city [91] by the southern gate he took the Kumbhaka-
ragama road [which leads to Pacinakhandaraji]. The visitor asked, 'But,
venerable sir, why do you take this road?'— 'Did you not recommend
Pacinakhandaraji, friend?'—'But how is this, venerable sir, have you no
extra belongings in the place you have lived in for so long?'—'That is
so, friend. The bed and chair belong to the Community, and they are put
away [as usual]. There is nothing else'.—'But, venerable sir, I have left
my staff and my oil tube and my sandal bag there'.—'Have you already
collected so much, friend, living there for just one day?'—'Yes, vener-
able sir'.
34. He was glad in his heart, and he paid homage to the elder: 'For
those like you, venerable sir, everywhere is a forest dwelling. The
Thuparama is a place where the relics of four Buddhas are deposited;
there is suitable hearing of the Dhamma in the Brazen Palace; there is
the Great Shrine to be seen; and one can visit elders. It is like the time of
the Buddha. It is here that you should live'. On the following day he
took his bowl and [outer] robe and went away by himself. It is no im-
pediment for one like that.
35. 2. Family means a family consisting of relatives or of supporters.
For even a family consisting of supporters is an impediment for someone
who lives in close association with it in the way beginning 'He is pleased
when they are pleased' (S.iii,l 1), and who does not even go to a neigh-
bouring monastery to hear the Dhamma without members of the family.
36. But even mother and father are not an impediment for another, as in
the case of the young bhikkhu, the nephew of the elder who lived at the
Korandaka Monastery. He went to Rohana for instruction, it seems. The
elder's sister, who was a lay devotee, was always asking the elder how
her son was getting on. One day the elder set out for Rohana to fetch him
back.
37. The young bhikkhu too thought, 'I have lived here for a long time.
Now I might go and visit my preceptor and find out how the lay devotee
is', and he left Rohana. The two met on the banks of the [Mahaveli]
River. He did the duties to the elder at the foot of a tree. When asked
'Where are you going?', he told him his purpose. The elder said: 'You
have done well. The lay devotee is always asking after you. That was
why I came. You may go, but I shall stay here for the Rains', and he
dismissed him. [92] He arrived at the monastery on the actual day for
taking up residence for the Rains. The lodging allotted to him happened
to be the one for which his father had undertaken responsibility.
38. His father came on the following day and asked, 'To whom was our
lodging allotted, venerable sirs?'. When he heard that it had fallen to a
young visitor, he went to him. After paying homage to him, he said,
'Venerable sir, there is an obligation for him who has taken up residence
for the Rains in our lodging'.—'What is it, lay follower?'—'It is to take
alms food only in our house for the three months, and to let us know the
time of departure after the Pavarana ceremony'. He consented in silence.
The lay devotee went home and told his wife, 'There is a visiting lord
who has taken up residence for the Rains in our lodging. He must be
carefully looked after', and she agreed. She prepared good food of vari-
ous kinds for him.
14
Though the youth went to his relatives' home at the
time of the meal, no one recognized him.
39. When he had eaten alms food there during the three months and
had completed the residence for the Rains, he announced his departure.
Then his relatives said, 'Let it be tomorrow, venerable sir', and on the
following day, when they had fed him in their house and filled his oil
tube and given him a lump of sugar and a nine-cubit length of cloth, they
said, 'Now you are leaving, venerable sir'. He gave his blessing and set
out for Rohana.
40. His preceptor had completed the Pavarana ceremony and was on his
way back. They met at the same place as before. He did the duties to the
elder at the foot of a tree. The elder asked him, 'How was it, my dear,
did you see the good woman lay devotee?' He replied, 'Yes, venerable
sir', and he told him all that had happened. He then anointed the elder's
feet with the oil, made him a drink with the sugar, and presented him
with the length of cloth. He then, after paying homage to the elder, told
him, 'Venerable sir, only Rohana suits me', and he departed. The elder
too arrived back at his monastery, and next day he went into the village
of Korandaka.
41. The lay devotee, his sister, had always kept looking down the road,
thinking 'My brother is now coming with my son'. When she saw him
coming alone, she thought, 'My son must be dead; that is why the elder
is coming alone', and she fell at the elder's feet, lamenting and weeping.
Suspecting that it must have been out of fewness of wishes that the
youth had gone away without announcing himself, [93] the elder com-
forted her and told her all that had happened, and he took the length of
cloth out of his bag and showed it to her.
42. She was appeased. She prostrated herself in the direction taken by
her son, and she said: 'Surely the Blessed One taught the way of the
Rathavinlta, the way of the Nalaka, the way of the Tuvataka, and the
way of the great noble ones' heritages
15
showing contentment with the
four requisites and delight in development, making a bhikkhu such as
my son a body-witness. So, although for three months he ate in the
house of the mother who bore him, yet he never said "I am your son, you
are my mother"! Oh, admirable man!'. Even mother and father are no
impediment for one such as him, so how much less any other family that
supports him.
43. 3. Gain is the four requisites. How are they an impediment? Wher-
ever a meritorious bhikkhu goes, people give him a large supply of re-
quisites. With giving blessings to them and teaching them the Dhamma
he gets no chance to do the ascetic's duties. From sunrise till the first
watch of the night he never breaks his association with people. Again,
even at dawn, alms-food eaters fond of opulence come and say, Vener-
able sir, such and such a man lay follower, woman lay follower, friend,
friend's daughter, wants to see you', and being ready to go, he replies,
'Take the bowl and robe, friend'. So he is always on the alert. Thus these
requisites are an impediment for him. He should leave his group and
wander by himself where he is not known. This is the way his impedi-
ment is severed.
44. 4. Class is a class (group) of students of suttas or students of
Abhidhamma. If with the group's instruction and questioning he gets no
opportunity for the ascetic's duties, then that group is an impediment for
him. He should sever that impediment in this way: if those bhikkhus
have already acquired the main part and little still remains, he should
finish that off and then go to the forest. If they have only acquired little
and much still remains, [94] he should, without travelling more than a
league, approach another instructor of a class within the radius of a
league and say, 'Help those venerable ones with instruction, etc.'. If he
does not find anyone in this way, he should take leave of the class,
saying 'I have a task to see to, friends; go where it suits you', and he
should do his own work.
45. 5. Building (kamma) is new building work (nava-kamma). Since
one engaged in this must know about what [material] has and has not
been got by carpenters, etc., and must see about what has and has not
been done, it is always an impediment. It should be severed in this way.
If little remains it should be completed. If much remains, it should be
handed over to the Community or to bhikkhus who are entrusted with
the Community's affairs, if it is a new building for the Community; or if
it is for himself, it should be handed over to those whom he entrusts with
his own affairs, but if these are not available, he should relinquish it to
the Community and depart.
46. 6. Travel is going on a journey. If someone is expected to give the
going forth somewhere else, or if some requisite is obtainable there and
he cannot rest content without getting it [that will be an impediment; for]
even if he goes into the forest to do the ascetic's duties, he will find it
hard to get rid of thoughts about the journey. So one in this position
should apply himself to the ascetic's duties after he has done the journey
and transacted the business.
47. 7. Kin in the case of the monastery means teacher, preceptor, co-
resident, pupil, those with the same preceptor as oneself, and those with
the same teacher as oneself; and in the case of the house it means
mother, father, brother, and so on. When they are sick they are an im-
pediment for him. Therefore that impediment should be severed by cur-
ing them with nursing.
48. Herein, when the preceptor is sick he must be cared for as long as
life lasts if the sickness does not soon depart. Likewise the teacher at the
going forth, the teacher at the admission, the co-resident, the pupils to
whom one has given the admission and the going forth, and those who
have the same preceptor. But the teacher from whom one takes the
dependence, the teacher who gives one instruction, the pupil to whom
one has given the dependence, the pupil to whom one is giving instruc-
tion, and those who have that same teacher as oneself, should be looked
after as long as the dependence or the instruction has not been termi-
nated. If one is able to do so, one should look after them even beyond
that [period].
49. Mother and father should be treated like the preceptor, if they live
within the kingdom and look to their son for help, it should be given.
[95] Also if they have no medicine, he should give them his own. If he
has none, he should go in search of it as alms and give that. But in the
case of brothers or sisters, one should only give them what is theirs. If
they have none, then one should give one's own temporarily and later
get it back, but one should not complain if one does not get it back. It is
not allowed either to make medicine for or to give it to a sister's husband
who is not related by blood; but one can give it to one's sister, saying
'Give it to your husband'. The same applies to one's brother's wife. But
it is allowed to make it for their children since they are blood relatives.
50. 8. Affliction is any kind of illness. It is an impediment when it is
actually afflicting; therefore it should be severed by treatment with medi-
cine. But if it is not cured after taking medicine for a few days, then the
ascetic's duties should be done after apostrophizing one's person in this
way: * I am not your slave, or your hireling. I have come to suffering
through maintaining you through the beginningless round of rebirths'.
51. 9. Books means responsibility for the scriptures. That is an impe-
diment only for one who is constantly busy with recitations, etc., but not
for others. Here are relevant stories. The Elder Revata, it seems, the
Majjhima reciter, went to the Elder Revata, the dweller in Malaya (the
Hill Country), and asked him for a meditation subject. The elder asked
him,
4
How are you in the scriptures, friend?'—'I am studying the
Majjhima [Nikaya], venerable sir*.—'The Majjhima is a hard responsi-
bility, friend. When a man is still learning the First Fifty by heart, he is
faced with the Middle Fifty; and when he is still learning that by heart,
he is faced with the Last Fifty. How can you take up a meditation sub-
ject?'— * Venerable sir, when I have taken a meditation subject from
you, I shall not look at the scriptures again'. He took the meditation
subject, and doing no recitation for nineteen years, he reached Arahant-
ship in the twentieth year. He told bhikkhus who came for recitation:
4
I
have not looked at the scriptures for twenty years, friends, [96] yet I am
familiar with them. You may begin'. And from beginning to end he had
no hesitation even over a single syllable.
52. The Elder Maha-Naga, too, who lived at Karuliyagiri (Karaliyagiri)
put aside the scriptures for eighteen years, and then he recited the Dhatu-
katha to the bhikkhus. When they checked this with the town-dwelling
elders [of Anuradhapura], not a single question was found out of its
order.
53. In the Great Monastery too the Elder Tipitaka-Cula-Abhaya had the
golden drum struck, saying 'I shall expound the three Pitakas in the
circle of [experts in] the Five Collections of discourses', and this was
before he had learnt the commentaries. The Community of Bhikkhus
said, 'Which teachers' teaching is it? Unless you give only the teaching
of our own teachers we shall not let you speak'. Also his preceptor asked
him when he went to wait on him, 'Did you have the drum beaten,
friend?'.—'Yes, venerable sir'. —Tor what reason?'—'I shall expound
the scriptures, venerable sir'.—*Friend Abhaya, how do the teachers ex-
plain this passage?'—'They explain it in this way, venerable sir'. The
elder dissented, saying 'Hum'. Again three times, each time in a differ-
ent way, he said, *They explain it in this way, venerable sir'. The elder
always dissented, saying 'Hum'. Then he said: *Friend, your first expla-
nation was the way of the teachers. But it is because you have not
actually learnt it from the teachers' lips that you are unable to maintain
that the teachers say such and such. Go and learn it from our own teach-
ers'.— 'Where shall I go, venerable sir?'.—'There is an elder named
Maha-Dhammarakkhita living in the Tuladharapabbata Monastery in the
Rohana country beyond the [Mahaveli] River. He knows all the scrip-
tures. Go to him'. Saying 'Good, venerable sir', he paid homage to the
elder. He went with five hundred bhikkhus to the Elder Maha-Dhamma-
rakkhita, and when he had paid homage to him, he sat down. The elder
asked, 'Why have you come?'. —To hear the Dhamma, venerable sir'.—
'Friend Abhaya, they ask me about the Digha and the Majjhima from
time to time, but I have not looked at the others for thirty years. Still you
may repeat them in my presence by night, and I shall explain them to
you by day'. He said, 'Good, venerable sir', and he acted accordingly.
54. The inhabitants of the village had a large pavilion built at the door
of his dwelling, and they came daily to hear the Dhamma. Explaining by
day what had been repeated by night, [97] the Elder [Dhammarakkhita]
eventually completed the instruction. Then he sat down on a mat on the
ground before the Elder Abhaya and said, 'Friend, explain a meditation
subject to me'. — 'What are you saying, venerable sir, have I not heard
it all from you? What can I explain to you that you do not already
know?' The senior elder said, 'This path is different for one who has
actually travelled by it'.
55. The Elder Abhaya was then, it seems, a stream-enterer. When the
Elder Abhaya had given his teacher a meditation subject, he returned to
Anuradhapura. Later, while he was expounding the Dhamma in the Bra-
zen Palace, he heard that the elder had attained nibbana. On hearing this,
he said, 'Bring me [my] robe, friends'. Then he put on the robe and said,
'The Arahant path befits our teacher, friends. Our teacher was a true
thoroughbred. He sat down on a mat before his own Dhamma pupil and
said "Explain a meditation subject to me". The Arahant path befits our
teacher, friends'.
For such as these, books are no impediment.
56. 10. Supernormal powers are the supernormal powers of the ordi-
nary man. They are hard to maintain, like a prone infant or like young
corn, and the slightest thing breaks them. But they are an impediment for
insight, not for concentration, since they are obtainable through concen-
tration. So the supernormal powers are an impediment that should be
severed by one who seeks insight; the others are impediments to be
severed by one who seeks concentration.
This in the first place is the detailed explanation of the impediments.
0 comments:
Post a Comment