THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[GENERAL]
102. The Helper, knower of five aggregates,
Had these five direct-knowledges to tell;
When they are known, there are concerning them
These general matters to be known as well.
103. Among these, the divine eye, called knowledge of passing away and
reappearance, has two accessory kinds of knowlege, that is to say, knowl-
edge of the future and knowledge of faring according to deeds. So these
two along with the five beginning with the kinds of supernormal power
make seven kinds of direct-knowledge given here.
104. Now in order to avoid confusion about the classification of their
objects:
The Sage has told four object triads
By means of which one can infer
Just how these seven different kinds
Of direct-knowledges occur.
105. Here is the explanation. Four object triads have been told by the
Greatest of the Sages. What four? The limited-object triad, the path-
object triad, the past-object triad, and the internal-object triad.
20
106. (1) Herein, knowledge of supernormal power [430] occurs with re-
spect to seven kinds of object, that is to say, as having a limited or
exalted, a past, future or present, and an internal or external object.
How?
When he wants to go with an invisible body after making the body
dependent on the mind, and he converts the body to accord with the
mind (Ch. XII, §119), and he sets it, mounts it, on the exalted conscious-
ness, then taking it that the [word in the] accusative case is the proper
object,
21
it has a limited object because its object is the material body.
When he wants to go with a visible body after making the mind depend-
ent on the body and he converts the mind to accord with the body and
sets it, mounts it, on the material body, then taking it that the [word in
the] accusative case is the proper object, it has an exalted object because
its object is the exalted consciousness.
107. But that same consciousness takes what has passed, has ceased, as
its object, therefore it has a past object. In those who resolve about the
future, as in the case of the Elder Maha-Kassapa in the Great Storing of
the Relics, and others, it has a future object. When the Elder Maha-
Kassapa was making the great relic store, it seems, he resolved thus,
* During the next two hundred and eighteen years in the future let not
these perfumes dry up or these flowers wither or these lamps go out',
and so it all happened. When the Elder Assagutta saw the Community of
Bhikkhus eating dry food in the Vattaniya Lodging he resolved thus,
'Let the water pool become cream of curd every day before the meal',
and when the water was taken before the meal it was cream of curd; but
after the meal there was only the normal water.
22
108. At the time of going with an invisible body after making the body
dependent on the mind it has a present object.
At the time of converting the mind to accord with the body, or the
body to accord with the mind, and at the time of creating one's own
appearance as a boy, etc., it has an internal object because it makes
one's own body and mind its object. But at the time of showing ele-
phants, horses, etc., externally it has an external object.
This is how, firstly, the kinds of supernormal power should be un-
derstood to occur with respect to the seven kinds of object.
109. (2) Knowledge of the divine ear element occurs with respect to four
kinds of object, that is to say, as having a limited, and a present, and an
internal or external object. How?
Since it makes sound its object and since sound is limited (see
Vbh. 74), it therefore has a limited object.
23
But since it occurs only by
making existing sound its object, it has a present object. At the time of
hearing sounds in one's own belly it has an internal object. At the time
of hearing the sounds of others it has an external object. [431] This is
how the knowledge of the divine ear element should be understood to
occur with respect to the four kinds of object.
110. (3) Knowledge of penetration of minds occurs with respect to eight
kinds of object, that is to say, as having a limited, exalted or measureless
object, path as object, and a past, future or present object, and an exter-
nal object. How?
At the time of knowing others' sense-sphere consciousness it has a
limited object. At the time of knowing their fine-material-sphere or im-
material-sphere consciousness it has an exalted object. At the time of
knowing path and fruition it has a measureless object. And here an
ordinary man does not know a stream-enterer's consciousness, nor does
a stream-enterer know a once-returner's, and so up to the Arahant's
consciousness. But an Arahant knows the consciousness of all the others.
And each higher one knows the consciousnesses of all those below him.
This is the difference to be understood. At the time when it has path con-
sciousness as its object it has path as object. But when one knows
another's consciousness within the past seven days, or within the future
seven days, then it has a past object and has a future object respectively.
111. How does it have a present object? 'Present' (paccuppanna) is of
three kinds, that is to say, present by moment, present by continuity, and
present by extent. Herein, what has reached arising (uppdda\ presence
(thiti), and dissolution (bhahga) is present by moment. What is included
in one or two rounds of continuity is present by continuity.
112. Herein, when someone goes to a well-lit place after sitting in the
dark, an object is not clear at first; until it becomes clear, one or two
rounds of continuity should be understood [to pass] meanwhile. And
when he goes into an inner closet after going about in a well-lit place, a
visible object is not immediately evident at first; until it becomes clear,
one or two rounds of continuity should be understood [to pass] mean-
while. When he stands at a distance, although he sees the alterations
(movements) of the hands of washermen and the alterations (movements)
of the striking of gongs, drums, etc., yet he does not hear the sound at
first (see Ch. XIV n. 22); until he hears it, one or two rounds of continu-
ity should be understood [to pass] meanwhile. This, firstly, is according
to the Majjhima reciters.
113. The Sarhyutta reciters, however, say that there are two kinds of con-
tinuity, that is to say, material continuity and immaterial continuity: that
a material continuity lasts as long as the [muddy] line of water touching
the bank when one treads in the water takes to clear,
24
as long as the heat
of the body in one who has walked a certain extent takes to die down, as
long as the blindness in one who has come from the sunshine into a
room does not depart, as long as when, after someone has been giving
attention to his meditation subject in a room and then opens the shutters
by day and looks out, the dazzling in his eyes does not die down; and
that an immaterial continuity consists in two or three rounds of impul-
sions. Both of these are [according to them] called *present by continu-
ity'. [432]
114. What is delimited by a single becoming (existence) is called present
by extent, with reference to which it is said in the Bhaddekaratta Sutta:
'Friends, the mind and mental objects are both what is present. Con-
sciousness is bound by desire and greed for what is present. Because
consciousness is bound by desire and greed he delights in that. When he
delights in that, then he is vanquished with respect to present states'
And here 'present by continuity' is used in the Commentaries while
'present by extent' is used in the Suttas.
115. Herein, some
25
say that consciousness 'present by moment' is the
object of knowledge of penetration of minds. What reason do they give?
It is that the consciousness of the possessor of supernormal power and
that of the other arise in a single moment. Their simile is this: just as
when a handful of flowers is thrown into the air, the stalk of one flower
is probably struck by the stalk of another, and so too, when with the
thought 'I will know another's mind', the mind of a multitude is ad-
verted to as a mass, then the mind of one is probably penetrated by the
mind of the other either at the moment of arising or at the moment of
presence or at the moment of dissoluton.
116. That, however, is rejected in the Commentaries as erroneous, be-
cause even if one went on adverting for a hundred or a thousand years,
there is never co-presence of the two consciousnesses, that is to say, of
that with which he adverts and that [of impulsion] with which he knows,
and because the flaw of plurality of objects follows if presence [of the
same object] to both adverting and impulsion is not insisted on. What
should be understood is that the object is present by continuity and
present by extent.
117. Herein, another's consciousness during a time measuring two or
three cognitive series with impulsions extending before and after the
[strictly] currently existing cognitive series with impulsions, is all called
'present by continuity'. But in the Samyutta Commentary it is said that
'present by extent' should be illustrated by a round of impulsions.
118. That is rightly said. Here is the illustration. The possessor of super-
normal power who wants to know another's mind adverts. The adverting
[consciousness] makes [the other's consciousness that is] present by
moment its object and ceases together with it. After that there are four or
five impulsions, of which the last is the supernormal-power conscious-
ness, the rest being of the sense sphere. That same [other's] conscious-
ness, which has ceased, is the object of all these too, and so they do not
have different objects because they have an object that is 'present by
extent'. And while they have a single object it is only the supernormal-
power consciousness that actually knows another's consciousness, not
the others, just as in the eye-door it is only eye-consciousness that actu-
ally sees the visible datum, not the others.
119. So this has a present object in what is present by continuity and
what is present by extent. [433] Or since what is present by continuity
falls within what is present by extent, it can therefore be understood that
it has a present object simply in what is present by extent.
It has an external object because it has only another's mind as its
object.
This is how knowledge of penetration of minds should be under-
stood to occur with respect to the eight kinds of objects.
120. (4) Knowledge of past life occurs with respect to eight kinds of ob-
ject, that is to say, as having a limited, exalted, or measureless object,
path as object, a past object, and an internal, external or not-so-classifi-
able object. How?
At the time of recollecting sense-sphere aggregates it has a limited
object. At the time of recollecting fine-material-sphere or immaterial-
sphere aggregates it has an exalted object. At the time of recollecting a
path developed, or a fruition realized, in the past either by oneself or by
others, it has a measureless object. At the time of recollecting a path de-
veloped it has a path as object. Bui it invariably has a past object.
121. Herein, although knowledge of penetration of minds and knowledge
of faring according to deeds also have a past object, still, of these two,
the object of the knowledge of penetration of minds is only conscious-
ness within the past seven days. It knows neither other aggregates nor
what is bound up with aggregates [that is, name, surname, and so on]. It
is said indirectly that it has a path as object since it has the consciousness
associated with the path as its object. Also, the object of knowledge of
faring according to deeds is simply past volition. But there is nothing,
whether past aggregates or what is bound up with aggregates, that is not
the object of knowledge of past life; for that is on a par with omniscient
knowledge with respect to past aggregates and states bound up with
aggregates. This is the difference to be understood here.
122. This is the method according to the Commentaries here. But it is
said in the Patthana: 'Profitable aggregates are a condition, as object
condition, for knowledge of supernormal power, for knowledge of pene-
tration of minds, for knowledge of past life, for knowledge of faring
according to deeds, and for knowledge of the future* (Ptn. 1,154), and
therefore four aggregates are also the objects of knowledge of penetra-
tion of minds and of knowledge of faring according to deeds. And there
too profitable and unprofitable [aggregates are the object] of knowledge
of faring according to deeds.
123. At the time of recollecting one's own aggregates it has an internal
object. At the time of recollecting another's aggregates it has an external
object. At the time of recollecting [the concepts consisting in] name,
race (surname) in the way beginning, *In the past there was the Blessed
One Vipassin. His mother was Bhandumati. His father was Bhandumant'
(see D.ii,6-7), and [the concept consisting in] the sign of earth, etc., it
has a not-so-classifiable object. And here the name and race (surname,
lineage) must be regarded not as the actual words but as the meaning of
the words, which is established by convention and bound up with aggre-
gates. For the actual words [434] are 'limited' since they are included by
the sound base, according as it is said: 'The discrimination of language
has a limited object' (Vbh. 304). Our preference here is this.
This is how the knowledge of past life should be understood to
occur with respect to the eight kinds of object.
124. (5) Knowledge of the divine eye occurs with respect to four kinds of
object, that is to say, as having a limited, a present, and an internal or
external object. How? Since it makes materiality its object and material-
ity is limited (see Vbh. 62) it therefore has a limited object. Since it
occurs only with respect to existing materiality it has a present object.
At the time of seeing materiality inside one's own belly, etc., it has an
internal object. At the time of seeing another's materiality it has an
external object. This is how the knowledge of the divine eye should be
understood to occur with respect to the four kinds of object.
125. (6) Knowledge of the future occurs with respect to eight kinds of ob-
ject, that is to say, as having a limited or exalted or immeasurable object,
a path as object, a future object, and an internal, external, or not-so-
classifiable object. How? At the time of knowing this, 'This one will be
reborn in the future in the sense sphere', it has a limited object. At the
time of knowing, 'He will be reborn in the fine-material or immaterial
sphere,' it has an exalted object. At the time of knowing, 'He will de-
velop the path, he will realize fruition,' it has an immeasurable object.
At the time of knowing, 'He will develop the path', it has a path as
object too. But it invariably has a future object.
126. Herein, although knowledge of penetration of minds has a future
object too, nevertheless its object is then only future consciousness that
is within seven days; for it knows neither any other aggregate nor what
is bound up with aggregates. But there is nothing in the future, as
described under the knowledge of past life (§121), that is not an object
of knowledge of the future.
127. At the time of knowing, * I shall be reborn there', it has an internal
object. At the time of knowing, 'So-and-so will be reborn there', it has
an external object. But at the time of knowing name and race (surname)
in the way beginning, 'In the future the Blessed One Metteyya will arise.
His father will be the brahman Subrahma. His mother will be the brah-
mani Brahmavati' (see D.iii,76), it has a not-so-classifiable object in the
way described under knowledge of past life (§123).
This is how the knowledge of the future should be understood.
128. (7) Knowledge of faring according to deeds occurs with respect to
five kinds of object, that is to say, as having a limited or exalted, a past,
and an internal or external object. How? At the time of knowing sense-
sphere kamma (deeds) it has a limited object. [435] At the time of
knowing fine-material-sphere or immaterial-sphere kamma it has an ex-
alted object. Since it knows only what is past it has a past object. At the
time of knowing one's own kamma it has an internal object. At the time
of knowing another's kamma it has an external object. This is how the
knowledge of faring according to deeds should be understood to occur
with respect to the five kinds of object.
129. And when [the knowledge] described here both as 'having an inter-
nal object' and 'having an external object' knows [these objects] now
internally and now externally, it is then said that it has an internal-exter-
nal object as well.
The thirteenth chapter concluding 'The Descrip-
tion of Direct-knowledge' in the Path of Purifica-
tion composed for the purpose of gladdening good
people.
Showing posts with label samadhi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label samadhi. Show all posts
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Visuddhimagga - OTHER DIRECT-KNOWLEDGES - The divine eye
THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[(5) THE DIVINE EYE—KNOWLEDGE OF PASSING AWAY AND
REAPPEARANCE OF BEINGS]
72. As to the explanation of the knowledge of passing away and reap-
pearance of beings, [here is the text: 'He directs, he inclines, his mind to
the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the
divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings
passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy
or unhappy in their destiny; he understands beings as faring according to
their deeds: "These worthy beings who were ill-conducted in body, speech
and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, acquirers of
kamma due to wrong view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death,
appeared in a state of loss, in an unhappy destiny, in perdition in hell;
but these worthy beings, who are well conducted in body, speech and
mind, not revilers of noble ones, right in their views, acquirers of kamma
due to right view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death, appeared
in a happy destiny, in the heavenly world". Thus with the .divine eye,
which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away
and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy or unhappy
in their destiny; he understands beings as faring according to their deeds'
(D.i,82). Herein,] to the knowledge of the passing away and reappear-
ance: cutupapdtahdndya = cutiyd ca upapdte ca hdndya (resolution of
compound); [the meaning is,] for the kind of knowledge by means of
which beings' passing away and reappearance is known; for knowledge
of the divine eye, is what is meant. He directs, he inclines, his mind: he
both directs and inclines preliminary-work consciousness. He is the
bhikkhu who does the directing of his mind.
73. But as regards with the divine eye, etc., it is divine because of its
similarity to the divine; for deities have as divine eye the sensitivity that
is produced by kamma consisting in good conduct and is unimpeded by
bile, phlegm, blood, etc., and capable of receiving an object even though
far off because it is liberated from imperfections. And this eye, consist-
ing in knowledge, which is produced by the power of this bhikkhu's
energy in development, is similar to that, so it is *divine' because it is
similar to the divine. Also it is 'divine' because it is obtained by means
of divine abiding, and because it has divine abiding as its support. And it
is 'divine' because it greatly illuminates by discerning light. And it is
'divine' because it has a great range through seeing visible objects that
are behind walls, and so on. All that should be understood according to
the science of grammar. It is an eye in the sense of seeing. Also it is an
eye since it is like an eye in its performance of an eye's function. It is
purified since it is a cause of purification of view, owing to seeing pass-
ing away and reappearance.
74. One who sees only passing away and not reappearance assumes the
annihilation view; and one who sees only reappearance and not passing
away assumes the view that a new being appears. But since one who
sees both outstrips that twofold [false] view, that vision of his is there-
fore a cause for purification of view. And the Buddhas' sons see both
of these. Hence it was said above: [424] 'It is "purified" since it is a
cause of purification of view, owing to seeing passing away and reap-
pearance'.
73. It surpasses the human in the seeing of visible objects by surpassing
the human environment. Or it can be understood that it surpasses the
human in surpassing the human fleshly eye. With that divine eye, which
is purified and superhuman, he sees beings, he watches beings as men
do with the fleshly eye.
76. Passing away and reappearing: he cannot see them with the divine
eye actually at the death moment of reappearance.
17
But it is those who,
being on the verge of death, will die now that are intended as 'passing
away* and those who have taken rebirth-linking and have just reappeared
that are intended by * reappearing'. What is pointed out is that he sees
them as such passing away and reappearing.
77. Inferior: despised, disdained, looked down upon, scorned, on ac-
count of birth, clan, wealth, etc., because of reaping the outcome of
delusion. Superior: the opposite of that because of reaping the outcome
of non-delusion. Fair: having a desirable, agreeable, pleasing appearance
because of reaping the outcome of non-hate. Ugly: having undesirable,
disagreeable, unpleasing appearance because of reaping the outcome of
hate; unsightly, ill-favoured, is the meaning. Happy in their destiny:
gone to a happy destiny; or rich, very wealthy, because of reaping the
outcome of non-greed. Unhappy in their destiny: gone to an unhappy
destiny; or poor with little food and drink because of reaping the out-
come of greed.
78. Faring according to their deeds: moving on in accordance with
whatever deeds (kamma) may have been accumulated. Herein, the func-
tion of the divine eye is described by the first expressions beginning with
'passing away*. But the function of knowledge of faring according to
deeds is described by this last expression.
79. The order in which that knowledge arises is this. Here a bhikkhu
extends light downwards in the direction of hell, and he sees beings in
hell undergoing great suffering. That vision is only the divine eye's
function. He gives it attention in this way, 'After doing what deeds do
these beings undergo this suffering?'. Then knowledge that has those
deeds as its object arises in him in this way, 'It was after doing this'.
Likewise he extends light upwards in the direction of the [sensual-sphere]
divine world, and he sees beings in the Nandana Grove, the Missaka
Grove, the Pharusaka Grove, etc., enjoying great good fortune. That vi-
sion also is only the divine eye's function. He gives attention to it in this
way, 'After doing what deeds do these beings enjoy this good fortune?'.
Then knowledge that has those deeds as its object arises in him in this
way, 'It was after doing this'. This is what is called knowledge of faring
according to deeds.
80. There is no special preliminary work for this. And as in this case, so
too in the case of knowledge of the future; for these have the divine eye
as their basis and their success is dependent on that of the divine eye.
[425]
81. As to ill-conducted in body, etc., it is bad conduct (dutthu caritam\
or it is corrupted conduct (duttham caritam) because it is rotten with de-
filements, thus it is ill-conduct (duccarita). The ill-conduct comes about
by means of the body, or the ill-conduct has arisen due to the body, thus
it is ill-conduct in body. So too with the rest. Ill-conducted is endowed
with ill-conduct.
82. Revilers of noble ones: being desirous of harm for noble ones con-
sisting of Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and disciples, and also of house-
holders who are stream-enterers, they revile them with the worst accusa-
tions or with denial of their special qualities (see Ud. 44 and M. Sutta
12); they abuse and upbraid them, is what is meant.
83. Herein, it should be understood that when they say, 'They have no
asceticism, they are not ascetics', they revile them with the worst accusa-
tion; and when they say, 'They have no jhana or liberation or path of
fruition, etc.', they revile them with denial of their special qualities. And
whether done knowingly or unknowingly it is in either case reviling of
noble ones; it is weighty kamma resembling that of immediate result,
and it is an obstacle both to heaven and to the path. But it is remediable.
84. The following story should be understood in order to make this
clear. An elder and a young bhikkhu, it seems, wandered for alms in a
certain village. At the first house they got only a spoonful of hot gruel.
The elder's stomach was paining him with wind. He thought, 'This gruel
is good for me; I shall drink it before it gets cold'. People brought a
wooden stool to the doorstep, and he sat down and drank it. The other
was disgusted and remarked, 'The old man has let his hunger get the
better of him and has done what he should be ashamed to do'. The elder
wandered for alms, and on returning to the monastery he asked the
young bhikkhu, 'Have you any footing in this Dispensation, friend?'.—
'Yes, venerable sir, I am a stream-enterer'.—'Then, friend, do not try for
the higher paths; one whose cankers are destroyed has been reviled by
you'. The young bhikkhu asked for the elder's forgiveness and was
thereby restored to his former state.
85. So one who reviles a noble one, even if he is one himself, should go
to him; if he himself is senior, [426] he should sit down in the squatting
position and get his forgiveness in this way, 'I have said such and such
to the venerable one; may he forgive me'. If he himself is junior, he
should pay homage, and sitting in the squatting position and holding out
his hands palms together, he should get his forgiveness in this way, 'I
have said such and such to you, venerable sir, forgive me'. If the other
has gone away, he should get his forgiveness either by going to him
himself or by sending someone such as a co-resident.
86. If he can neither go nor send, he should go to the bhikkhus who live
in that monastery, and, sitting down in the squatting position if they are
junior, or acting in the way already described if they are senior, he
should get forgiveness by saying, 'Venerable sirs, I have said such and
such to the venerable one named so and so; may that venerable one
forgive me\ And this should also be done when he fails to get forgive-
ness in his presence.
87. If it is a bhikkhu who wanders alone and it cannot be discovered
where he is living or where he has gone, he should go to a wise bhikkhu
and say, 'Venerable sir, I have said such and such to the venerable one
named so and so. When I remember it, I am remorseful. What shall I
do?'. He should be told, 'Think no more about it; the elder forgives you.
Set your mind at rest*. Then he should extend his hands palms together
in the direction taken by the noble one and say, 'Forgive me'.
88. If the noble one has attained the final nibbana, he should go to the
place where the bed is, on which he attained the final nibbana, and
should go as far as the charnel ground to ask forgiveness. When this has
been done, there is no obstruction either to heaven or to the path. He
becomes as he was before.
89. Wrong in their views: having distorted vision. Acquirers ofkamma
due to wrong view: those who have kamma of the various kinds acquired
through wrong view, and also those who incite others to bodily kamma,
etc., rooted in wrong view. And here, though reviling of noble ones has
already been included by the mention of verbal misconduct, and though
wrong view has already been included by the mention of mental miscon-
duct, it may be understood, nevertheless, that the two are mentioned
again in order to emphasize their great reprehensibility.
90. Reviling noble ones is greatly reprehensible because of its resem-
blance to kamma with immediate result. For this is said: 'Sariputta, just
as a bhikkhu possessing virtuous conduct, concentration and understand-
ing could here and now attain final knowledge, so it is in this case, I say;
if he does not abandon such talk and such thoughts and renounce such
views, he will find himself in heD as surely as if he had been carried off
and put there' (M.i,71).
18
[427] And there is nothing more reprehensible
than wrong view, according as it is said: 'Bhikkhus, I do not see any one
thing so reprehensible as wrong view* (A.i,33).
91. On the breakup of the body: on the giving up of the clung-to
aggregates. After death: in the taking up of the aggregates generated next
after that. Or alternatively, on the breakup of the body is on the interrup-
tion of the life faculty, and after death is beyond the death conscious-
ness.
92. A state of loss and the rest are all only synonyms for hell. Hell is a
state of loss (apdya) because it is removed (apeta) from the reason
(aya)
19
known as merit, which is the cause of [attaining] heaven and de-
liverance; or because of the absence (abhdva) of any origin (dya) of
pleasures. The destiny (gati, going), the refuge, of suffering (dukkha) is
the unhappy destiny (duggati); or the destiny (gati) produced by kamma
that is corrupted (duttha) by much hate (dosa) is an unhappy destiny
(duggati). Those who commit wrongdoings, being separated out (vivasa),
fall (nipatanti) in here, thus it is perdition (vinipdta); or alternatively,
when they are destroyed (vinassanto), they fall (patanti) in here, all their
limbs being broken up, thus it is perdition (vinipdta). There is no reason
(aya) reckoned as satisfying here, thus it is hell (niraya).
93. Or alternatively, the animal generation is indicated by the mention
of states of loss; for the animal generation is a state of loss because it is
removed from the happy destiny; but it is not an unhappy destiny be-
cause it allows the existence of royal nAgas (serpents), who are greatly
honoured. The realm of ghosts is indicated by the mention of the un-
happy destiny; for that is both a state of loss and an unhappy destiny
because it is removed from the happy destiny and because it is the
destiny of suffering; but it is not perdition because it is not a state of
perdition such as that of the asura demons. The race of asura demons is
indicated by the mention of perdition; for that is both a state of loss and
an unhappy destiny in the way already described, and it is called 'perdi-
tion' (deprivation) from all opportunities. Hell itself in the various as-
pects of Avici, etc., is indicated by the mention of hell.
Have ... appeared: have gone to; have been reborn there, is the in-
tention.
94. The bright side should be understood in the opposite way. But there
is this difference. Here the mention of the happy destiny includes the hu-
man destiny, and only the divine destiny is included by the mention of
heavenly. Herein, a good (sundara) destiny (gati) is a happy destiny
(sugati). It is the very highest (sutthu aggo) in such things as the objec-
tive fields comprising visible objects, etc., thus it is heavenly (sagga).
All that is a world (loka) in the sense of crumbling and disintegrating
(lujjana-palujjana). This is the word meaning.
Thus with the divine eye, etc., is all a summing-up phrase; the mean-
ing here in brief is this: so with the divine eye ... he sees.
95. Now a clansman who is a beginner and wants to see in this way
should make sure that the jhana, which has a kasina as its object and is
the basis for direct-knowledge, is made in all ways susceptible of his
guidance. Then one of these three kasinas, that is to say, the fire kasina,
white kasina, [428] or light kasina, should be brought to the neighbour-
hood [of the arising of divine-eye knowledge]. He should make this
access jhana his resort and stop there to extend [the kasina]; the intention
is that absorption should not be aroused here; for if he does induce
absorption, the [kasina] will become the support for basic jhana, but not
for the [direct-knowledge] preliminary work. The light kasina is the best
of the three. So either that, or one of the others, should be worked up in
the way stated in the Description of the Kasinas, and it should be stopped
at the level of access and extended there. And the method for extending
it should be understood in the way already described there too. It is only
what is visible within the area to which the kasina has been extended
that can be seen.
96. However, while he is seeing what is visible, the turn of the prelimi-
nary work runs out. Thereupon the light disappears. When that has dis-
appeared, he no longer sees what is visible (cf. M.iii,158). Then he
should again and again attain the basic jhana, emerge and pervade with
light. In this way the light gradually gets consolidated till at length it
remains in whatever sized area has been delimited by him in this way,
'Let there be light here'. Even if he sits watching all day he can still see
visible objects.
97. And here there is the simile of the man who set out on a journey by
night with a grass torch. Someone set out on a journey by night, it
seems, with a grass torch. His torch stopped flaming. Then the even and
uneven places were no more evident to him. He stubbed the torch on the
ground and it again blazed up. In doing so it gave more light than before.
As it went on dying out and flaring up again, eventually the sun rose.
When the sun had risen, he thought, 'There is no further need of the
torch*, and he threw it away and went on by daylight.
98. Herein, the kasina light at the time of the preliminary work is like
the light of the torch. His no more seeing what is visible when the light
has disappeared owing to the turn of the preliminary work running out
while he is seeing what is visible is like the man's not seeing the even
and uneven places owing to the torch's stopping flaming. His repeated
attaining is like the stubbing of the torch. His more powerful pervasion
with light by repeating the preliminary work is like the torch's giving
more light than before. The strong light's remaining in as large an area
as he delimits is like the sun's rising. His seeing even during a whole
day what is visible in the strong light after throwing the limited light
away is like the man's going on by day after throwing the torch away.
99. Herein, when visible objects that are not within the focus of the
bhikkhu's fleshly eye come into the focus of his eye of knowledge—that
is to say, visible objects that are inside his belly, belonging to the heart
basis, belonging to what is below the earth's surface, behind walls, moun-
tains and enclosures, or in another world-sphere—[429] and are as if
seen with the fleshly eye, then it should be understood that the divine
eye has arisen. And only that is capable of seeing the visible objects
here, not the preliminary-work consciousnesses.
100. But this is an obstacle for an ordinary man. Why? Because wherever
he determines, 'Let there be light', it becomes all light, even after pene-
trating through earth, sea and mountains. Then fear arises in him when
he sees the fearful forms of spirits, ogres, etc., that are there, owing to
which his mind is distracted and he loses his jhana. So he needs to be
careful in seeing what is visible (see M.iii,158).
101. Here is the order of arising of the divine eye: when mind-door
adverting, which has made its object that visible datum of the kind al-
ready described, has arisen and ceased, then, making that same visible
datum the object, all should be understood in the way already described
beginning 'Either four or five impulsions impel ...' (§5). Here also the
[three or four] prior consciousnesses are of the sense sphere and have ap-
plied and sustained thought. The last of these consciousnesses, which ac-
complishes the aim, is of the fine-material sphere belonging to the fourth
jhana. Knowledge conascent with that is called 'knowledge of the pass-
ing away and reappearance of beings' and 'knowledge of the divine
eye'.
The explanation of knowledge of passing away and reappearance is
ended.
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[(5) THE DIVINE EYE—KNOWLEDGE OF PASSING AWAY AND
REAPPEARANCE OF BEINGS]
72. As to the explanation of the knowledge of passing away and reap-
pearance of beings, [here is the text: 'He directs, he inclines, his mind to
the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the
divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings
passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy
or unhappy in their destiny; he understands beings as faring according to
their deeds: "These worthy beings who were ill-conducted in body, speech
and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, acquirers of
kamma due to wrong view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death,
appeared in a state of loss, in an unhappy destiny, in perdition in hell;
but these worthy beings, who are well conducted in body, speech and
mind, not revilers of noble ones, right in their views, acquirers of kamma
due to right view, have, on the breakup of the body, after death, appeared
in a happy destiny, in the heavenly world". Thus with the .divine eye,
which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away
and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, happy or unhappy
in their destiny; he understands beings as faring according to their deeds'
(D.i,82). Herein,] to the knowledge of the passing away and reappear-
ance: cutupapdtahdndya = cutiyd ca upapdte ca hdndya (resolution of
compound); [the meaning is,] for the kind of knowledge by means of
which beings' passing away and reappearance is known; for knowledge
of the divine eye, is what is meant. He directs, he inclines, his mind: he
both directs and inclines preliminary-work consciousness. He is the
bhikkhu who does the directing of his mind.
73. But as regards with the divine eye, etc., it is divine because of its
similarity to the divine; for deities have as divine eye the sensitivity that
is produced by kamma consisting in good conduct and is unimpeded by
bile, phlegm, blood, etc., and capable of receiving an object even though
far off because it is liberated from imperfections. And this eye, consist-
ing in knowledge, which is produced by the power of this bhikkhu's
energy in development, is similar to that, so it is *divine' because it is
similar to the divine. Also it is 'divine' because it is obtained by means
of divine abiding, and because it has divine abiding as its support. And it
is 'divine' because it greatly illuminates by discerning light. And it is
'divine' because it has a great range through seeing visible objects that
are behind walls, and so on. All that should be understood according to
the science of grammar. It is an eye in the sense of seeing. Also it is an
eye since it is like an eye in its performance of an eye's function. It is
purified since it is a cause of purification of view, owing to seeing pass-
ing away and reappearance.
74. One who sees only passing away and not reappearance assumes the
annihilation view; and one who sees only reappearance and not passing
away assumes the view that a new being appears. But since one who
sees both outstrips that twofold [false] view, that vision of his is there-
fore a cause for purification of view. And the Buddhas' sons see both
of these. Hence it was said above: [424] 'It is "purified" since it is a
cause of purification of view, owing to seeing passing away and reap-
pearance'.
73. It surpasses the human in the seeing of visible objects by surpassing
the human environment. Or it can be understood that it surpasses the
human in surpassing the human fleshly eye. With that divine eye, which
is purified and superhuman, he sees beings, he watches beings as men
do with the fleshly eye.
76. Passing away and reappearing: he cannot see them with the divine
eye actually at the death moment of reappearance.
17
But it is those who,
being on the verge of death, will die now that are intended as 'passing
away* and those who have taken rebirth-linking and have just reappeared
that are intended by * reappearing'. What is pointed out is that he sees
them as such passing away and reappearing.
77. Inferior: despised, disdained, looked down upon, scorned, on ac-
count of birth, clan, wealth, etc., because of reaping the outcome of
delusion. Superior: the opposite of that because of reaping the outcome
of non-delusion. Fair: having a desirable, agreeable, pleasing appearance
because of reaping the outcome of non-hate. Ugly: having undesirable,
disagreeable, unpleasing appearance because of reaping the outcome of
hate; unsightly, ill-favoured, is the meaning. Happy in their destiny:
gone to a happy destiny; or rich, very wealthy, because of reaping the
outcome of non-greed. Unhappy in their destiny: gone to an unhappy
destiny; or poor with little food and drink because of reaping the out-
come of greed.
78. Faring according to their deeds: moving on in accordance with
whatever deeds (kamma) may have been accumulated. Herein, the func-
tion of the divine eye is described by the first expressions beginning with
'passing away*. But the function of knowledge of faring according to
deeds is described by this last expression.
79. The order in which that knowledge arises is this. Here a bhikkhu
extends light downwards in the direction of hell, and he sees beings in
hell undergoing great suffering. That vision is only the divine eye's
function. He gives it attention in this way, 'After doing what deeds do
these beings undergo this suffering?'. Then knowledge that has those
deeds as its object arises in him in this way, 'It was after doing this'.
Likewise he extends light upwards in the direction of the [sensual-sphere]
divine world, and he sees beings in the Nandana Grove, the Missaka
Grove, the Pharusaka Grove, etc., enjoying great good fortune. That vi-
sion also is only the divine eye's function. He gives attention to it in this
way, 'After doing what deeds do these beings enjoy this good fortune?'.
Then knowledge that has those deeds as its object arises in him in this
way, 'It was after doing this'. This is what is called knowledge of faring
according to deeds.
80. There is no special preliminary work for this. And as in this case, so
too in the case of knowledge of the future; for these have the divine eye
as their basis and their success is dependent on that of the divine eye.
[425]
81. As to ill-conducted in body, etc., it is bad conduct (dutthu caritam\
or it is corrupted conduct (duttham caritam) because it is rotten with de-
filements, thus it is ill-conduct (duccarita). The ill-conduct comes about
by means of the body, or the ill-conduct has arisen due to the body, thus
it is ill-conduct in body. So too with the rest. Ill-conducted is endowed
with ill-conduct.
82. Revilers of noble ones: being desirous of harm for noble ones con-
sisting of Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and disciples, and also of house-
holders who are stream-enterers, they revile them with the worst accusa-
tions or with denial of their special qualities (see Ud. 44 and M. Sutta
12); they abuse and upbraid them, is what is meant.
83. Herein, it should be understood that when they say, 'They have no
asceticism, they are not ascetics', they revile them with the worst accusa-
tion; and when they say, 'They have no jhana or liberation or path of
fruition, etc.', they revile them with denial of their special qualities. And
whether done knowingly or unknowingly it is in either case reviling of
noble ones; it is weighty kamma resembling that of immediate result,
and it is an obstacle both to heaven and to the path. But it is remediable.
84. The following story should be understood in order to make this
clear. An elder and a young bhikkhu, it seems, wandered for alms in a
certain village. At the first house they got only a spoonful of hot gruel.
The elder's stomach was paining him with wind. He thought, 'This gruel
is good for me; I shall drink it before it gets cold'. People brought a
wooden stool to the doorstep, and he sat down and drank it. The other
was disgusted and remarked, 'The old man has let his hunger get the
better of him and has done what he should be ashamed to do'. The elder
wandered for alms, and on returning to the monastery he asked the
young bhikkhu, 'Have you any footing in this Dispensation, friend?'.—
'Yes, venerable sir, I am a stream-enterer'.—'Then, friend, do not try for
the higher paths; one whose cankers are destroyed has been reviled by
you'. The young bhikkhu asked for the elder's forgiveness and was
thereby restored to his former state.
85. So one who reviles a noble one, even if he is one himself, should go
to him; if he himself is senior, [426] he should sit down in the squatting
position and get his forgiveness in this way, 'I have said such and such
to the venerable one; may he forgive me'. If he himself is junior, he
should pay homage, and sitting in the squatting position and holding out
his hands palms together, he should get his forgiveness in this way, 'I
have said such and such to you, venerable sir, forgive me'. If the other
has gone away, he should get his forgiveness either by going to him
himself or by sending someone such as a co-resident.
86. If he can neither go nor send, he should go to the bhikkhus who live
in that monastery, and, sitting down in the squatting position if they are
junior, or acting in the way already described if they are senior, he
should get forgiveness by saying, 'Venerable sirs, I have said such and
such to the venerable one named so and so; may that venerable one
forgive me\ And this should also be done when he fails to get forgive-
ness in his presence.
87. If it is a bhikkhu who wanders alone and it cannot be discovered
where he is living or where he has gone, he should go to a wise bhikkhu
and say, 'Venerable sir, I have said such and such to the venerable one
named so and so. When I remember it, I am remorseful. What shall I
do?'. He should be told, 'Think no more about it; the elder forgives you.
Set your mind at rest*. Then he should extend his hands palms together
in the direction taken by the noble one and say, 'Forgive me'.
88. If the noble one has attained the final nibbana, he should go to the
place where the bed is, on which he attained the final nibbana, and
should go as far as the charnel ground to ask forgiveness. When this has
been done, there is no obstruction either to heaven or to the path. He
becomes as he was before.
89. Wrong in their views: having distorted vision. Acquirers ofkamma
due to wrong view: those who have kamma of the various kinds acquired
through wrong view, and also those who incite others to bodily kamma,
etc., rooted in wrong view. And here, though reviling of noble ones has
already been included by the mention of verbal misconduct, and though
wrong view has already been included by the mention of mental miscon-
duct, it may be understood, nevertheless, that the two are mentioned
again in order to emphasize their great reprehensibility.
90. Reviling noble ones is greatly reprehensible because of its resem-
blance to kamma with immediate result. For this is said: 'Sariputta, just
as a bhikkhu possessing virtuous conduct, concentration and understand-
ing could here and now attain final knowledge, so it is in this case, I say;
if he does not abandon such talk and such thoughts and renounce such
views, he will find himself in heD as surely as if he had been carried off
and put there' (M.i,71).
18
[427] And there is nothing more reprehensible
than wrong view, according as it is said: 'Bhikkhus, I do not see any one
thing so reprehensible as wrong view* (A.i,33).
91. On the breakup of the body: on the giving up of the clung-to
aggregates. After death: in the taking up of the aggregates generated next
after that. Or alternatively, on the breakup of the body is on the interrup-
tion of the life faculty, and after death is beyond the death conscious-
ness.
92. A state of loss and the rest are all only synonyms for hell. Hell is a
state of loss (apdya) because it is removed (apeta) from the reason
(aya)
19
known as merit, which is the cause of [attaining] heaven and de-
liverance; or because of the absence (abhdva) of any origin (dya) of
pleasures. The destiny (gati, going), the refuge, of suffering (dukkha) is
the unhappy destiny (duggati); or the destiny (gati) produced by kamma
that is corrupted (duttha) by much hate (dosa) is an unhappy destiny
(duggati). Those who commit wrongdoings, being separated out (vivasa),
fall (nipatanti) in here, thus it is perdition (vinipdta); or alternatively,
when they are destroyed (vinassanto), they fall (patanti) in here, all their
limbs being broken up, thus it is perdition (vinipdta). There is no reason
(aya) reckoned as satisfying here, thus it is hell (niraya).
93. Or alternatively, the animal generation is indicated by the mention
of states of loss; for the animal generation is a state of loss because it is
removed from the happy destiny; but it is not an unhappy destiny be-
cause it allows the existence of royal nAgas (serpents), who are greatly
honoured. The realm of ghosts is indicated by the mention of the un-
happy destiny; for that is both a state of loss and an unhappy destiny
because it is removed from the happy destiny and because it is the
destiny of suffering; but it is not perdition because it is not a state of
perdition such as that of the asura demons. The race of asura demons is
indicated by the mention of perdition; for that is both a state of loss and
an unhappy destiny in the way already described, and it is called 'perdi-
tion' (deprivation) from all opportunities. Hell itself in the various as-
pects of Avici, etc., is indicated by the mention of hell.
Have ... appeared: have gone to; have been reborn there, is the in-
tention.
94. The bright side should be understood in the opposite way. But there
is this difference. Here the mention of the happy destiny includes the hu-
man destiny, and only the divine destiny is included by the mention of
heavenly. Herein, a good (sundara) destiny (gati) is a happy destiny
(sugati). It is the very highest (sutthu aggo) in such things as the objec-
tive fields comprising visible objects, etc., thus it is heavenly (sagga).
All that is a world (loka) in the sense of crumbling and disintegrating
(lujjana-palujjana). This is the word meaning.
Thus with the divine eye, etc., is all a summing-up phrase; the mean-
ing here in brief is this: so with the divine eye ... he sees.
95. Now a clansman who is a beginner and wants to see in this way
should make sure that the jhana, which has a kasina as its object and is
the basis for direct-knowledge, is made in all ways susceptible of his
guidance. Then one of these three kasinas, that is to say, the fire kasina,
white kasina, [428] or light kasina, should be brought to the neighbour-
hood [of the arising of divine-eye knowledge]. He should make this
access jhana his resort and stop there to extend [the kasina]; the intention
is that absorption should not be aroused here; for if he does induce
absorption, the [kasina] will become the support for basic jhana, but not
for the [direct-knowledge] preliminary work. The light kasina is the best
of the three. So either that, or one of the others, should be worked up in
the way stated in the Description of the Kasinas, and it should be stopped
at the level of access and extended there. And the method for extending
it should be understood in the way already described there too. It is only
what is visible within the area to which the kasina has been extended
that can be seen.
96. However, while he is seeing what is visible, the turn of the prelimi-
nary work runs out. Thereupon the light disappears. When that has dis-
appeared, he no longer sees what is visible (cf. M.iii,158). Then he
should again and again attain the basic jhana, emerge and pervade with
light. In this way the light gradually gets consolidated till at length it
remains in whatever sized area has been delimited by him in this way,
'Let there be light here'. Even if he sits watching all day he can still see
visible objects.
97. And here there is the simile of the man who set out on a journey by
night with a grass torch. Someone set out on a journey by night, it
seems, with a grass torch. His torch stopped flaming. Then the even and
uneven places were no more evident to him. He stubbed the torch on the
ground and it again blazed up. In doing so it gave more light than before.
As it went on dying out and flaring up again, eventually the sun rose.
When the sun had risen, he thought, 'There is no further need of the
torch*, and he threw it away and went on by daylight.
98. Herein, the kasina light at the time of the preliminary work is like
the light of the torch. His no more seeing what is visible when the light
has disappeared owing to the turn of the preliminary work running out
while he is seeing what is visible is like the man's not seeing the even
and uneven places owing to the torch's stopping flaming. His repeated
attaining is like the stubbing of the torch. His more powerful pervasion
with light by repeating the preliminary work is like the torch's giving
more light than before. The strong light's remaining in as large an area
as he delimits is like the sun's rising. His seeing even during a whole
day what is visible in the strong light after throwing the limited light
away is like the man's going on by day after throwing the torch away.
99. Herein, when visible objects that are not within the focus of the
bhikkhu's fleshly eye come into the focus of his eye of knowledge—that
is to say, visible objects that are inside his belly, belonging to the heart
basis, belonging to what is below the earth's surface, behind walls, moun-
tains and enclosures, or in another world-sphere—[429] and are as if
seen with the fleshly eye, then it should be understood that the divine
eye has arisen. And only that is capable of seeing the visible objects
here, not the preliminary-work consciousnesses.
100. But this is an obstacle for an ordinary man. Why? Because wherever
he determines, 'Let there be light', it becomes all light, even after pene-
trating through earth, sea and mountains. Then fear arises in him when
he sees the fearful forms of spirits, ogres, etc., that are there, owing to
which his mind is distracted and he loses his jhana. So he needs to be
careful in seeing what is visible (see M.iii,158).
101. Here is the order of arising of the divine eye: when mind-door
adverting, which has made its object that visible datum of the kind al-
ready described, has arisen and ceased, then, making that same visible
datum the object, all should be understood in the way already described
beginning 'Either four or five impulsions impel ...' (§5). Here also the
[three or four] prior consciousnesses are of the sense sphere and have ap-
plied and sustained thought. The last of these consciousnesses, which ac-
complishes the aim, is of the fine-material sphere belonging to the fourth
jhana. Knowledge conascent with that is called 'knowledge of the pass-
ing away and reappearance of beings' and 'knowledge of the divine
eye'.
The explanation of knowledge of passing away and reappearance is
ended.
Visuddhimagga - OTHER DIRECT-KNOWLEDGES - Recollection of past life II
THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
35. When human beings and earth deities hear their words, they mostly
are filled with a sense of urgency. They become kind to each other and
make merit with lovingkindness, etc., and so they are reborn in the
divine world. There they eat divine food, and they do the preliminary
work on the air kasina and acquire jhana. Others, however, are reborn in
a [sense-sphere] divine world through kamma to be experienced in a
future life. For there is no being traversing the round of rebirths who is
destitute of kamma to be experienced in a future life. They too acquire
jhana there in the same way. [416] All are eventually reborn in the
Brahma-world by acquiring jhana in a [sense-sphere] divine world in
this way.
36. However, at the end of a long period after the withholding of the
rain, a second sun appears. And this is described by the Blessed One in
the way beginning, 'Bhikkhus, there is the occasion when ...' (A.iv,100),
and the Sattasuriya Sutta should be given in full. Now when that has ap-
peared, there is no more telling night from day. As one sun sets the other
rises. The world is uninterruptedly scorched by the suns. But there is no
sun deity in the aeon-destruction sun as there is in the ordinary sun.
11
Now when the ordinary sun is present, thunder clouds and mare's-tail
vapours cross the skies. But when the aeon-destruction sun is present,
the sky is as blank as the disk of a looking-glass and destitute of clouds
and vapour. Beginning with the rivulets, the water in all the rivers except
the five great rivers
12
dries up.
37. After that, at the end of a long period, a third sun appears. And
when that has appeared, the great rivers dry up too.
38. After that, at the end of a long period, a fifth sun appears. And when
that has appeared, the seven great lakes in Himalaya, the sources of the
great rivers, dry up, that is to say, Sihapapata, Harftsapatana,
13
Kan-
namundaka, Rathakara Anotatta, Chaddanta, and Kunala.
39. After that, at the end of a long period, a fifth sun appears, and when
that has appeared, there eventually comes to be not enough water left in
the great ocean to wet one finger joint.
40. After that, at the end of a long period, a sixth sun appears, and when
that has appeared, the whole world-sphere becomes nothing but vapour,
all its moisture being evaporated.
And the hundred thousand million world-spheres are the same as
this one.
41. After that, at the end of a long period, a seventh sun appears. And
when that has appeared, the whole world-sphere together with the hundred
thousand million other world-spheres catches fire. Even the summits of
Sineru, a hundred leagues and more high, crumble and vanish into space.
The conflagration mounts up and invades the realm of the Four Kings.
When it has burnt up all the golden palaces, the jewelled palaces and the
crystal palaces there, it invades the Realm of the Thirty-three. And so it
goes right on up to the plane of the first jhana. When it has burnt three
[lower] Brahma-worlds, it stops there at the Abhassara-world. [417]
As long as any formed thing (formation) the size of an atom still exists
it does not go out; but it goes out when all formed things have
been consumed. And like the flame that burns ghee and oil, it leaves
no ash.
42. The upper space is now all one with the lower space in a vast
gloomy darkness. Then at the end of a long period a great cloud arises,
and at first it rains gently, and then it rains with ever heavier deluges,
like lotus stems, like rods, like pestles, like palm trunks, more and more.
And so it pours down upon all the burnt areas in the hundred thousand
million world-spheres till they disappear. Then the winds (forces) be-
neath and all around that water rise up and compact it and round it, like
water drops on a lotus leaf. How do they compact the great mass of
water? By making gaps; for the wind makes gaps in it here and there.
43. Being thus compressed by the air, compacted and reduced, it gradu-
ally subsides. As it sinks, the [lower] BrahmA-world reappears in its
place, and worlds divine reappear in the places of the four upper divine
worlds of the sensual sphere.
14
But when it has sunk to the former earth's
level, strong winds (forces) arise and they stop it and hold it stationary,
like the water in a water pot when the outlet is plugged. As the fresh
water gets used up, the essential humus makes its appearance on it. That
possesses colour, smell and taste, like the surface film on milk rice when
it dries up.
44. Then the beings that were reborn first in the Brahma-world of Stream-
ing-radiance (Abhassara) fall from there with the exhaustion of their life
span, or when their merit is exhausted, and they reappear here. They are
self-luminous and wander in the sky. On eating the essential humus, as is
told in the Agganna Sutta (D.iii,85), they are overcome by craving, and
they busy themselves in making lumps of it to eat. Then their self-
luminosity vanishes, and it is dark. They are frightened when they see
the darkness.
45. Then in order to remove their fears and give them courage, the sun's
disk appears full fifty leagues across. They are delighted to see it, think-
ing 'We have light', and they say, 'It has appeared in order to allay our
fears and give us courage (siirabhdva), so let it be called "sun" (suriya)\
So they give it the name 'sun' (suriya). Now when the sun has given
light for a day, it sets. Then they are frightened again, thinking 'We have
lost the light we had', and they think, 'How good if we had another
light!'. [418]
46. As if knowing their thought, the moon's disk appears, forty-nine
leagues across. On seeing it they are still more delighted, and they say,
'It has appeared, seeming as if it knew our desire (chanda), so let it be
called "moon" (canda)\ So they give it the name 'moon' (canda).
47. After the appearance of the moon and sun in this way, the stars
appear in their constellations. After that, night and day are made known,
and in due course, the month and half month, the season, and the year.
48. On the day the moon and sun appear, the mountains of Sineru, of
the World-sphere and of Himalaya appear too. And they appear on the
full-moon day of the month of Phagguna (March), neither before nor
after. How? Just as, when millet is cooking and bubbles arise, then si-
multaneously, some parts are domes, some hollow, and some flat, so too,
there are mountains in the domed places, seas in the hollow places, and
continents (islands) in the flat places.
49. Then as these beings make use of the essential humus, gradually
some become handsome and some ugly. The handsome ones despise the
ugly ones. Owing to their contempt the essential humus vanishes and an
outgrowth from the soil appears. Then that vanishes in the same way and
the baddlatd creeper appears. That too vanishes in the same way and the
rice without red powder or husk that ripens without tilling appears, a
clean sweet-smelling rice fruit.
50. Then vessels appear. They put the rice into the vessels, which they
put on the tops of stones. A flame appears spontaneously and cooks it.
The cooked rice resembles jasmine flowers. It has no need of sauces and
curries, since it has whatever flavour they want to taste.
51. As soon as they eat this gross food, urine and excrement appear in
them. Then wound orifices break open in them to let these things out.
The male sex appears in the male, and the female sex in the female.
Then the females brood over the males, and the males over the females
for a long time. Owing to this long period of brooding, the fever of sense
desires arises. After that they practise sexual intercourse.
52. [419] For their [overt] practice of evil they are censured and pun-
ished by the wise, and so they build houses for the purpose of concealing
the evil. When they live in houses, they eventually fall in with the views
of the more lazy, and they make stores of food. As soon as they do that,
the rice becomes enclosed in red powder and husks and no longer grows
again of itself in the place where it was reaped. They meet together and
bemoan the fact, 'Evil has surely made its appearance among beings; for
formerly we were mind-made ...' (D.iii,90), and all this should be given
in full in the way described in the Aggaiina Sutta.
53. After that, they set up boundaries. Then some being takes a portion
given to another. After he has been twice rebuked, at the third time they
come to blows with fists, clods, sticks, and so on. When stealing, censur«
ing, lying, resorting to sticks, etc., have appeared in this way, they meet
together, thinking 'Suppose we elect a being who would reprove those
who should be reproved, censure those who should be censured, and
banish those who should be banished, and suppose we keep him supplied
with a portion of the rice?' (D.iii,92).
54. When beings had come to an agreement in this way in this aeon,
firstly this Blessed One himself, who was then the Bodhisatta (Being due
to be Enlightened), was the handsomest, the most comely, the most hon-
ourable, and was clever and capable of exercising the effort of restraint.
They approached him, asked him, and elected him. Since he was recog-
nized (sammata) by the majority (mahd-jana) he was called Maha-Sam-
mata. Since he was lord of the fields (khetta) he was called khattiya
(warrior noble). Since he promoted others' good (rahjeti) righteously
and equitably he was a king (raja). This is how he came to be known by
these names. For the Bodhisatta himself is the first man concerned in
any wonderful innovation in the world. So after the khattiya circle had
been established by making the Bodhisatta the first in this way, the brah-
mans and the other castes were founded in due succession.
55. Herein, the period from the time of the great cloud heralding the
aeon's destruction up till the ceasing of the flames constitutes one incal-
culable, and that is called the 'contraction'. That from the ceasing of the
flames of the aeon destruction up till the great cloud of rehabilitation,
which rains down upon the hundred thousand million world-spheres,
constitutes the second incalculable, and that is called 'what supersedes
the contraction'. That from the time of the great cloud of rehabilitation
up till the appearance of the moon and sun constitutes the third incalcu-
lable, and that is called the 'expansion'. That from the appearance of the
moon and sun up till [420] the reappearance of the great cloud of the
aeon destruction is the fourth incalculable, and that is called 'what super-
sedes the expansion'. These four incalculables make up one great aeon.
This, firstly, is how the destruction by fire and reconstitution should be
understood.
56. The occasion when the aeon is destroyed by water should be treated
in the way already described beginning 'First of all a great cloud herald-
ing the aeon's destruction appears ... ' (§32).
57. There is this difference, however. While in the former case a second
sun appeared, in this case a great cloud of caustic waters
15
appears. At
first it rains very gently, but it goes on to rain with gradually greater
deluges, pouring down upon the hundred thousand million world-spheres.
As soon as they are touched by me caustic waters, the earth, the moun-
tains, etc., melt away, and the waters are supported all round by winds.
The waters take possession from the earth up to the plane of the second
jhana. When they have dissolved away the three Brahma-worlds there,
they stop at the Subhakinha-world. As long as any formed thing the size
of an atom exists they do not subside; but they suddenly subside and
vanish away when all formed things have been overwhelmed by them.
All beginning with 'The upper space is all one with the lower space in a
vast gloomy darkness ... ' (§42) is as already described, except that here
the world begins its reappearance with the Abhassara BrahmA-world.
And beings falling from the Subhakinha BrahmA-world are reborn in the
places beginning with the Abhassara Brahma-world.
58. Herein, the period from the time of the great cloud heralding the
aeon's destruction up till the ceasing of the aeon-destroying waters con-
stitutes one incalculable. That from the ceasing of the waters up till the
great cloud of rehabilitation constitutes the second incalculable. That
from the great cloud of rehabilitation ... These four incalculables make
up one great aeon. This is how the destruction by water and reconstitu-
tion should be understood.
59. The occasion when the aeon is destroyed by air should be treated in
the way already described beginning with 'first of all a great cloud her-
alding the aeon's destruction appears ... ' (§32).
60. There is this difference, however. While in the first case there was a
second sun, here a wind arises in order to destroy the aeon. First of all it
lifts up the coarse flue, then the fine flue, then the fine sand, coarse sand,
gravel, stones, etc., [421] until it lifts up stones as big as a catafalque,
16
and great trees standing in uneven places. They are swept from the earth
up into the sky, and instead of falling down again they are broken to bits
there and cease to exist.
61. Then eventually wind arises from underneath the great earth and
overturns the earth, flinging it into space. The earth splits into fragments
measuring a hundred leagues, measuring two, three, four, five hundred
leagues, and they are hurled into space too, and there they are broken to
bits and cease to exist. The world-sphere mountains and Mount Sineru
are wrenched up and cast into space, where they crash against each other
till they are broken to bits and disappear. In this way it destroys the
divine palaces built on the earth [of Mount Sineru] and those built in
space, it destroys the six sensual-sphere divine worlds, and it destroys
the hundred thousand million world-spheres. Then world-sphere collides
with world-sphere, Himalaya Mountain with Himalaya Mountain, Sineru
with Sineru, till they are broken to bits and disappear.
62. The wind takes possession from the earth up to the plane of the third
jhana. There, after destroying three Brahma-worlds, it stops at the Vehap-
phala-world. When it has destroyed all formed things in this way, it
spends itself too. Then all happens as already described in the way
beginning 'The upper space is all one with the lower space in a vast
gloomy darkness ...' (§42), But here the world begins its reappearance
with the Subhakinha Brahma-world. And beings falling from the Vehap-
phala Brahma-world are reborn in the places beginning with the
Subhakinha Brahma-world.
63. Herein, the period from the time of the great cloud heralding the
aeon's destruction up till the ceasing of the aeon-destroying wind is one
incalculable. That from the ceasing of the wind up till the great cloud of
rehabilitation is the second incalculable ... These four incalculables make
up one great aeon. This is how the destruction by wind and reconstitu-
tion should be understood.
64. What is the reason for the world's destruction in this way? The
[three] roots of the unprofitable are the reason. When any one of the
roots of the unprofitable becomes conspicuous, the world is destroyed
accordingly. When greed is more conspicuous, it is destroyed by fire.
When hate is more conspicuous, it is destroyed by water—though some
say that it is destroyed by fire when hate is more conspicuous, and by
water when greed is more conspicuous. And when delusion is more con-
spicuous, it is destroyed by wind.
65. Destroyed as it is in this way, it is destroyed for seven turns in
succession by fire and the eighth turn by water; then again seven turns
by fire and the eighth turn by water; then when it has been seven times
destroyed by water at each eighth [422] turn, it is again destroyed for
seven turns by fire. Sixty-three aeons pass in this way. And now the air
takes the opportunity to usurp the water's turn for destruction, and in
destroying the world it demolishes the Subhakinha Brahma-world where
the life span is the full sixty-four aeons.
66. Now when a bhikkhu capable of recollecting aeons is recollecting
his former life, then of such aeons as these he recollects many aeons of
world contraction, many aeons of world expansion, many aeons of world
contraction and expansion. How? In the way beginning There I was ...
Herein, There I was: in that aeon of contraction I was in that kind of
becoming or generation or destiny or station of consciousness or abode
of beings or order of beings.
67. So named: [such forenames as] Tissa, say, or Phussa. Of such a
race: [such family names as] Kaccana, say, or Kassapa. This is said of
the recollection of his own name and race (surname) in his past exis-
tence. But if he wants to recollect his own appearance at that time, or
whether his life was a rough or refined one, or whether pleasure or pain
was prevalent, or whether his life span was short or long, he recollects
that too. Hence he said with such an appearance ... such the end of my
life span.
68. Here, with such an appearance means fair or dark. Such was my
food: with white rice and meat dishes as food or with windfall fruits as
food. Such my experience of pleasure and pain: with varied experience
of bodily and mental pleasure and pain classed as worldly and unworldly,
and so on. Such the end of my life span: with such a life span of a
century or life span of eighty-four thousand aeons.
69. And passing away from there, I reappeared elsewhere: having passed
away from that becoming, generation, destiny, station of consciousness,
abode of beings or order of beings, I again appeared in that other becom-
ing, generation, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings or
order of beings. And there too I was: then again I was there in that
becoming, generation, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings
or order of beings. So named, etc., are as already stated.
70. Furthermore, the words there I was refer to the recollection of one
who has cast back retrospectively as far as he wishes, and the words and
passing away from there refer to his reviewing after turning forward
again; consequently, the words / appeared elsewhere can be understood
to be said with reference to the place of his reappearance next before his
appearance here, which is referred to by the words / appeared here. But
the words there too I was, etc., [423] are said in order to show the recol-
lection of his name, race, etc., there in the place of his reappearance next
before this appearance. And passing away from there, I reappeared here:
having passed away from that next place of reappearance, I was reborn
here in this khattiya clan or brahman clan.
71. Thus: so. With its aspects and particulars: with its particulars con-
sisting in name and race; with its aspects consisting in appearance, and
so on. For it is by means of name and race that a being is particularized
as, say Tissa Kassapa; but his distinctive personality is made known by
means of appearance, etc., as dark or fair. So the name and race are the
particulars, while the others are the aspects. He recollects his manifold
past life: the meaning of this is clear.
The explanation of the knowledge of recollection of past life is
ended.
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
35. When human beings and earth deities hear their words, they mostly
are filled with a sense of urgency. They become kind to each other and
make merit with lovingkindness, etc., and so they are reborn in the
divine world. There they eat divine food, and they do the preliminary
work on the air kasina and acquire jhana. Others, however, are reborn in
a [sense-sphere] divine world through kamma to be experienced in a
future life. For there is no being traversing the round of rebirths who is
destitute of kamma to be experienced in a future life. They too acquire
jhana there in the same way. [416] All are eventually reborn in the
Brahma-world by acquiring jhana in a [sense-sphere] divine world in
this way.
36. However, at the end of a long period after the withholding of the
rain, a second sun appears. And this is described by the Blessed One in
the way beginning, 'Bhikkhus, there is the occasion when ...' (A.iv,100),
and the Sattasuriya Sutta should be given in full. Now when that has ap-
peared, there is no more telling night from day. As one sun sets the other
rises. The world is uninterruptedly scorched by the suns. But there is no
sun deity in the aeon-destruction sun as there is in the ordinary sun.
11
Now when the ordinary sun is present, thunder clouds and mare's-tail
vapours cross the skies. But when the aeon-destruction sun is present,
the sky is as blank as the disk of a looking-glass and destitute of clouds
and vapour. Beginning with the rivulets, the water in all the rivers except
the five great rivers
12
dries up.
37. After that, at the end of a long period, a third sun appears. And
when that has appeared, the great rivers dry up too.
38. After that, at the end of a long period, a fifth sun appears. And when
that has appeared, the seven great lakes in Himalaya, the sources of the
great rivers, dry up, that is to say, Sihapapata, Harftsapatana,
13
Kan-
namundaka, Rathakara Anotatta, Chaddanta, and Kunala.
39. After that, at the end of a long period, a fifth sun appears, and when
that has appeared, there eventually comes to be not enough water left in
the great ocean to wet one finger joint.
40. After that, at the end of a long period, a sixth sun appears, and when
that has appeared, the whole world-sphere becomes nothing but vapour,
all its moisture being evaporated.
And the hundred thousand million world-spheres are the same as
this one.
41. After that, at the end of a long period, a seventh sun appears. And
when that has appeared, the whole world-sphere together with the hundred
thousand million other world-spheres catches fire. Even the summits of
Sineru, a hundred leagues and more high, crumble and vanish into space.
The conflagration mounts up and invades the realm of the Four Kings.
When it has burnt up all the golden palaces, the jewelled palaces and the
crystal palaces there, it invades the Realm of the Thirty-three. And so it
goes right on up to the plane of the first jhana. When it has burnt three
[lower] Brahma-worlds, it stops there at the Abhassara-world. [417]
As long as any formed thing (formation) the size of an atom still exists
it does not go out; but it goes out when all formed things have
been consumed. And like the flame that burns ghee and oil, it leaves
no ash.
42. The upper space is now all one with the lower space in a vast
gloomy darkness. Then at the end of a long period a great cloud arises,
and at first it rains gently, and then it rains with ever heavier deluges,
like lotus stems, like rods, like pestles, like palm trunks, more and more.
And so it pours down upon all the burnt areas in the hundred thousand
million world-spheres till they disappear. Then the winds (forces) be-
neath and all around that water rise up and compact it and round it, like
water drops on a lotus leaf. How do they compact the great mass of
water? By making gaps; for the wind makes gaps in it here and there.
43. Being thus compressed by the air, compacted and reduced, it gradu-
ally subsides. As it sinks, the [lower] BrahmA-world reappears in its
place, and worlds divine reappear in the places of the four upper divine
worlds of the sensual sphere.
14
But when it has sunk to the former earth's
level, strong winds (forces) arise and they stop it and hold it stationary,
like the water in a water pot when the outlet is plugged. As the fresh
water gets used up, the essential humus makes its appearance on it. That
possesses colour, smell and taste, like the surface film on milk rice when
it dries up.
44. Then the beings that were reborn first in the Brahma-world of Stream-
ing-radiance (Abhassara) fall from there with the exhaustion of their life
span, or when their merit is exhausted, and they reappear here. They are
self-luminous and wander in the sky. On eating the essential humus, as is
told in the Agganna Sutta (D.iii,85), they are overcome by craving, and
they busy themselves in making lumps of it to eat. Then their self-
luminosity vanishes, and it is dark. They are frightened when they see
the darkness.
45. Then in order to remove their fears and give them courage, the sun's
disk appears full fifty leagues across. They are delighted to see it, think-
ing 'We have light', and they say, 'It has appeared in order to allay our
fears and give us courage (siirabhdva), so let it be called "sun" (suriya)\
So they give it the name 'sun' (suriya). Now when the sun has given
light for a day, it sets. Then they are frightened again, thinking 'We have
lost the light we had', and they think, 'How good if we had another
light!'. [418]
46. As if knowing their thought, the moon's disk appears, forty-nine
leagues across. On seeing it they are still more delighted, and they say,
'It has appeared, seeming as if it knew our desire (chanda), so let it be
called "moon" (canda)\ So they give it the name 'moon' (canda).
47. After the appearance of the moon and sun in this way, the stars
appear in their constellations. After that, night and day are made known,
and in due course, the month and half month, the season, and the year.
48. On the day the moon and sun appear, the mountains of Sineru, of
the World-sphere and of Himalaya appear too. And they appear on the
full-moon day of the month of Phagguna (March), neither before nor
after. How? Just as, when millet is cooking and bubbles arise, then si-
multaneously, some parts are domes, some hollow, and some flat, so too,
there are mountains in the domed places, seas in the hollow places, and
continents (islands) in the flat places.
49. Then as these beings make use of the essential humus, gradually
some become handsome and some ugly. The handsome ones despise the
ugly ones. Owing to their contempt the essential humus vanishes and an
outgrowth from the soil appears. Then that vanishes in the same way and
the baddlatd creeper appears. That too vanishes in the same way and the
rice without red powder or husk that ripens without tilling appears, a
clean sweet-smelling rice fruit.
50. Then vessels appear. They put the rice into the vessels, which they
put on the tops of stones. A flame appears spontaneously and cooks it.
The cooked rice resembles jasmine flowers. It has no need of sauces and
curries, since it has whatever flavour they want to taste.
51. As soon as they eat this gross food, urine and excrement appear in
them. Then wound orifices break open in them to let these things out.
The male sex appears in the male, and the female sex in the female.
Then the females brood over the males, and the males over the females
for a long time. Owing to this long period of brooding, the fever of sense
desires arises. After that they practise sexual intercourse.
52. [419] For their [overt] practice of evil they are censured and pun-
ished by the wise, and so they build houses for the purpose of concealing
the evil. When they live in houses, they eventually fall in with the views
of the more lazy, and they make stores of food. As soon as they do that,
the rice becomes enclosed in red powder and husks and no longer grows
again of itself in the place where it was reaped. They meet together and
bemoan the fact, 'Evil has surely made its appearance among beings; for
formerly we were mind-made ...' (D.iii,90), and all this should be given
in full in the way described in the Aggaiina Sutta.
53. After that, they set up boundaries. Then some being takes a portion
given to another. After he has been twice rebuked, at the third time they
come to blows with fists, clods, sticks, and so on. When stealing, censur«
ing, lying, resorting to sticks, etc., have appeared in this way, they meet
together, thinking 'Suppose we elect a being who would reprove those
who should be reproved, censure those who should be censured, and
banish those who should be banished, and suppose we keep him supplied
with a portion of the rice?' (D.iii,92).
54. When beings had come to an agreement in this way in this aeon,
firstly this Blessed One himself, who was then the Bodhisatta (Being due
to be Enlightened), was the handsomest, the most comely, the most hon-
ourable, and was clever and capable of exercising the effort of restraint.
They approached him, asked him, and elected him. Since he was recog-
nized (sammata) by the majority (mahd-jana) he was called Maha-Sam-
mata. Since he was lord of the fields (khetta) he was called khattiya
(warrior noble). Since he promoted others' good (rahjeti) righteously
and equitably he was a king (raja). This is how he came to be known by
these names. For the Bodhisatta himself is the first man concerned in
any wonderful innovation in the world. So after the khattiya circle had
been established by making the Bodhisatta the first in this way, the brah-
mans and the other castes were founded in due succession.
55. Herein, the period from the time of the great cloud heralding the
aeon's destruction up till the ceasing of the flames constitutes one incal-
culable, and that is called the 'contraction'. That from the ceasing of the
flames of the aeon destruction up till the great cloud of rehabilitation,
which rains down upon the hundred thousand million world-spheres,
constitutes the second incalculable, and that is called 'what supersedes
the contraction'. That from the time of the great cloud of rehabilitation
up till the appearance of the moon and sun constitutes the third incalcu-
lable, and that is called the 'expansion'. That from the appearance of the
moon and sun up till [420] the reappearance of the great cloud of the
aeon destruction is the fourth incalculable, and that is called 'what super-
sedes the expansion'. These four incalculables make up one great aeon.
This, firstly, is how the destruction by fire and reconstitution should be
understood.
56. The occasion when the aeon is destroyed by water should be treated
in the way already described beginning 'First of all a great cloud herald-
ing the aeon's destruction appears ... ' (§32).
57. There is this difference, however. While in the former case a second
sun appeared, in this case a great cloud of caustic waters
15
appears. At
first it rains very gently, but it goes on to rain with gradually greater
deluges, pouring down upon the hundred thousand million world-spheres.
As soon as they are touched by me caustic waters, the earth, the moun-
tains, etc., melt away, and the waters are supported all round by winds.
The waters take possession from the earth up to the plane of the second
jhana. When they have dissolved away the three Brahma-worlds there,
they stop at the Subhakinha-world. As long as any formed thing the size
of an atom exists they do not subside; but they suddenly subside and
vanish away when all formed things have been overwhelmed by them.
All beginning with 'The upper space is all one with the lower space in a
vast gloomy darkness ... ' (§42) is as already described, except that here
the world begins its reappearance with the Abhassara BrahmA-world.
And beings falling from the Subhakinha BrahmA-world are reborn in the
places beginning with the Abhassara Brahma-world.
58. Herein, the period from the time of the great cloud heralding the
aeon's destruction up till the ceasing of the aeon-destroying waters con-
stitutes one incalculable. That from the ceasing of the waters up till the
great cloud of rehabilitation constitutes the second incalculable. That
from the great cloud of rehabilitation ... These four incalculables make
up one great aeon. This is how the destruction by water and reconstitu-
tion should be understood.
59. The occasion when the aeon is destroyed by air should be treated in
the way already described beginning with 'first of all a great cloud her-
alding the aeon's destruction appears ... ' (§32).
60. There is this difference, however. While in the first case there was a
second sun, here a wind arises in order to destroy the aeon. First of all it
lifts up the coarse flue, then the fine flue, then the fine sand, coarse sand,
gravel, stones, etc., [421] until it lifts up stones as big as a catafalque,
16
and great trees standing in uneven places. They are swept from the earth
up into the sky, and instead of falling down again they are broken to bits
there and cease to exist.
61. Then eventually wind arises from underneath the great earth and
overturns the earth, flinging it into space. The earth splits into fragments
measuring a hundred leagues, measuring two, three, four, five hundred
leagues, and they are hurled into space too, and there they are broken to
bits and cease to exist. The world-sphere mountains and Mount Sineru
are wrenched up and cast into space, where they crash against each other
till they are broken to bits and disappear. In this way it destroys the
divine palaces built on the earth [of Mount Sineru] and those built in
space, it destroys the six sensual-sphere divine worlds, and it destroys
the hundred thousand million world-spheres. Then world-sphere collides
with world-sphere, Himalaya Mountain with Himalaya Mountain, Sineru
with Sineru, till they are broken to bits and disappear.
62. The wind takes possession from the earth up to the plane of the third
jhana. There, after destroying three Brahma-worlds, it stops at the Vehap-
phala-world. When it has destroyed all formed things in this way, it
spends itself too. Then all happens as already described in the way
beginning 'The upper space is all one with the lower space in a vast
gloomy darkness ...' (§42), But here the world begins its reappearance
with the Subhakinha Brahma-world. And beings falling from the Vehap-
phala Brahma-world are reborn in the places beginning with the
Subhakinha Brahma-world.
63. Herein, the period from the time of the great cloud heralding the
aeon's destruction up till the ceasing of the aeon-destroying wind is one
incalculable. That from the ceasing of the wind up till the great cloud of
rehabilitation is the second incalculable ... These four incalculables make
up one great aeon. This is how the destruction by wind and reconstitu-
tion should be understood.
64. What is the reason for the world's destruction in this way? The
[three] roots of the unprofitable are the reason. When any one of the
roots of the unprofitable becomes conspicuous, the world is destroyed
accordingly. When greed is more conspicuous, it is destroyed by fire.
When hate is more conspicuous, it is destroyed by water—though some
say that it is destroyed by fire when hate is more conspicuous, and by
water when greed is more conspicuous. And when delusion is more con-
spicuous, it is destroyed by wind.
65. Destroyed as it is in this way, it is destroyed for seven turns in
succession by fire and the eighth turn by water; then again seven turns
by fire and the eighth turn by water; then when it has been seven times
destroyed by water at each eighth [422] turn, it is again destroyed for
seven turns by fire. Sixty-three aeons pass in this way. And now the air
takes the opportunity to usurp the water's turn for destruction, and in
destroying the world it demolishes the Subhakinha Brahma-world where
the life span is the full sixty-four aeons.
66. Now when a bhikkhu capable of recollecting aeons is recollecting
his former life, then of such aeons as these he recollects many aeons of
world contraction, many aeons of world expansion, many aeons of world
contraction and expansion. How? In the way beginning There I was ...
Herein, There I was: in that aeon of contraction I was in that kind of
becoming or generation or destiny or station of consciousness or abode
of beings or order of beings.
67. So named: [such forenames as] Tissa, say, or Phussa. Of such a
race: [such family names as] Kaccana, say, or Kassapa. This is said of
the recollection of his own name and race (surname) in his past exis-
tence. But if he wants to recollect his own appearance at that time, or
whether his life was a rough or refined one, or whether pleasure or pain
was prevalent, or whether his life span was short or long, he recollects
that too. Hence he said with such an appearance ... such the end of my
life span.
68. Here, with such an appearance means fair or dark. Such was my
food: with white rice and meat dishes as food or with windfall fruits as
food. Such my experience of pleasure and pain: with varied experience
of bodily and mental pleasure and pain classed as worldly and unworldly,
and so on. Such the end of my life span: with such a life span of a
century or life span of eighty-four thousand aeons.
69. And passing away from there, I reappeared elsewhere: having passed
away from that becoming, generation, destiny, station of consciousness,
abode of beings or order of beings, I again appeared in that other becom-
ing, generation, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings or
order of beings. And there too I was: then again I was there in that
becoming, generation, destiny, station of consciousness, abode of beings
or order of beings. So named, etc., are as already stated.
70. Furthermore, the words there I was refer to the recollection of one
who has cast back retrospectively as far as he wishes, and the words and
passing away from there refer to his reviewing after turning forward
again; consequently, the words / appeared elsewhere can be understood
to be said with reference to the place of his reappearance next before his
appearance here, which is referred to by the words / appeared here. But
the words there too I was, etc., [423] are said in order to show the recol-
lection of his name, race, etc., there in the place of his reappearance next
before this appearance. And passing away from there, I reappeared here:
having passed away from that next place of reappearance, I was reborn
here in this khattiya clan or brahman clan.
71. Thus: so. With its aspects and particulars: with its particulars con-
sisting in name and race; with its aspects consisting in appearance, and
so on. For it is by means of name and race that a being is particularized
as, say Tissa Kassapa; but his distinctive personality is made known by
means of appearance, etc., as dark or fair. So the name and race are the
particulars, while the others are the aspects. He recollects his manifold
past life: the meaning of this is clear.
The explanation of the knowledge of recollection of past life is
ended.
Visuddhimagga - OTHER DIRECT-KNOWLEDGES - Recollection of past life I
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 PAST LIFE]
13. As to the explanation of knowledge of recollection of past life, [the
text is as follows: He directs, he inclines, his mind to the knowledge of
recollection of past life. He recollects his manifold past life, that is to
say, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births,
twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a
thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many aeons of world con-
traction, many aeons of world expansion: many aeons of world contrac-
tion and expansion: "There I was so named, of such a race, with such an
appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain,
such the end of my life span; and passing away from there, I reappeared
elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a race, with such an ap-
pearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain,
such the end of my life span; and passing away from there, I reappeared
here". Thus with its aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold
pasc life' (D.i,81). [Herein,] to the knowledge of recollection of past life
[means] for knowledge concerning recollection of past life. Past life is
aggregates lived in the past in former births. 'Lived' [in that case means]
lived out, undergone, arisen and ceased in one's own [subjective] conti-
nuity. Or alternatively, [past life] is mental objects lived [in the past in
one's former births]; and 'lived' in that case means lived by living in
one's [objective] resort, which has been cognized and delimited by one's
own consciousness, or cognized by another's consciousness, too. In the
case of recollection of those [past Enlightened Ones] who have broken
the cycle, and so on,
7
these last are only accessible to Enlightened Ones.
Recollection of past life: the mindfulness (memory) by means of which
he recollects the past life is the recollection of past life. Knowledge is the
knowledge associated with that mindfulness. [411] To the knowledge of
recollection of past life: for the purpose of the knowledge of the recol-
lection of past life in this way; for the attaining, for the reaching, of that
knowledge, is what is meant.
14. Manifold: of many kinds: or that has occurred in many ways. Given
in detail, is the meaning.
8
Past life is the continuity lived here and there,
taking the immediately previous existence as the beginning [and working
backwards]. He recollects: he recalls it, following it out by the succes-
sion of aggregates, or by death and rebirth-linking.
15. There are six kinds of people who recollect this past life. They are:
other sectarians, ordinary disciples, great disciples, chief disciples, Pac-
cekabuddhas, and Buddhas.
16. Herein, other sectarians recollect only as far back as forty aeons, but
not beyond that. Why? Because their understanding is weak for lack of
delimitation of mind and matter (see Ch. XVIII). Ordinary disciples rec-
ollect as far back as a hundred aeons and as far back as a thousand aeons
because their understanding is strong. The eighty great disciples recol-
lect as far back as a hundred thousand aeons. The two chief disciples
recollect as far back as an incalculable age and a hundred thousand
aeons. Paccekabuddhas recollect as far back as two incalculable ages and
a hundred thousand aeons. For such is the extent to which they can con-
vey [their minds back respectively]. But there is no limit in the case of
Buddhas.
17. Again, other sectarians only recollect the succession of aggregates;
they are unable to recollect according [only] to death and rebirth-linking,
letting go of the succession of aggregates. They are like the blind in that
they are unable to descend upon any place they choose; they go as the
blind do without letting go of their sticks. So they recollect without
letting go of the succession of aggregates. Ordinary disciples both recol-
lect by means of the succession of aggregates and trace by means of
death and rebirth-linking. Likewise the eighty great disciples. But the
chief disciples have nothing to do with the succession of aggregates.
When they see the death of one person, they see the rebirth-linking, and
again when they see the death of another, they see the rebirth-linking. So
they go by tracing through death and rebirth-linking. Likewise Pacceka-
buddhas.
18. Buddhas, however, have nothing to do either with succession of
aggregates or with tracing though death and rebirth-linking; for whatever
instance they choose in many millions of aeons, or more or less, is
evident to them. So they go, and so they descend with the lion's descent
9
wherever they want, even skipping over many millions of aeons as though
they were an elision in a text. And just as an arrow shot by such a master
of archery expert in hair-splitting as Sarabhahga (see Ja.v,129) always
hits the target without getting held up among trees, crebpers, etc., on its
way, and so neither gets held up nor misses, so too, since Buddhas go in
this way their knowledge does not get held up in intermediate births
[412] or miss; without getting held up or missing, it seizes any instance
required.
19. Among these beings with recollection of past life, the sectarians'
vision of past life seems like the light of a glow-worm, that of ordinary
disciples like the light of a candle, that of the great disciples like the
light of a torch, that of the chief disciples like the light of the morning
star, that of Paccekabuddhas like the light of the moon, and that of Bud-
dhas like the glorious autumn sun's disk with its thousand rays.
20. Other sectarians see past life as blind men go [tapping] with the
point of a stick. Ordinary disciples do so as men who go on a log bridge.
The great disciples do so as men who go on a foot bridge. The chief
disciples do so as men who go on a cart bridge. Paccekabuddhas do so as
men who go on a main foot-path. And Buddhas do so as men who go on
a high road for carts.
21. In this connexion it is the disciples' recollection of past life that is
intended. Hence it was said above: * "He recollects": he recollects it fol-
lowing it out by the succession of aggregates, or by death and rebirth-
linking' (§14).
22. So a bhikkhu who is a beginner and wants to recollect in this way
should go into solitary retreat on return from his alms round after his
meal. Then he should attain the four jhanas in succession and emerge
from the fourth jhana as basis for direct-knowledge. He should then
advert to his most recent act of sitting down [for this purpose], next, to
the preparation of the seat, to the entry into the lodging, to the putting
away of the bowl and [outer] robe, to the time of eating, to the time of
returning from the village, to the time of wandering for alms in the
village, to the time of entering the village, to the time of setting out from
the monastery, to the time of paying homage at the shrine terrace and the
Enlightenment-tree terrace, to the time of washing the bowl, to the time
of picking up the bowl, to the things done from the time of picking up
the bowl back to the mouth washing, to the things done in the early
morning, to the things done in the middle watch, in the first watch. In
this way he should advert to all the things done during the whole night
and day in reverse order.
23. While this much, however, is evident even to his normal conscious-
ness, it is especially evident to his preliminary-work consciousness. But
if anything there is not evident, he should again attain the basic jhana,
emerge and advert. By so doing it becomes as evident as when a lamp is
lit. And so, in reverse order too, he should advert to the things done on
the second day back, and on the third, fourth and fifth day, and in the ten
days, and in the fortnight, and as far back as a year.
24. When by these means he adverts to ten years, twenty years, and so
on as far back as his own rebirth-linking in this existence, [413] he
should advert to the mentality-materiality occurring at the moment of
death in the preceding existence; for a wise bhikkhu is able at the first
attempt to remove
10
the rebirth-linking and make the mentality-material-
ity at the death moment his object.
25. But the mentality-materiality in the previous existence has ceased
without remainder and another has arisen, and consequently that instance
is, as it were, shut away in darkness, and it is hard for one of little under-
standing to see it. Still he should not give up the task, thinking 'I am
unable to remove the rebirth-linking and make the mentality-materiality
that occurred at the death moment my object'. On the contrary, he should
again and again attain that same basic jhana, and each time he emerges
he should advert to that instance.
26. Just as when a strong man is felling a big tree for the purpose of
making the peak of a gable, but is unable to fell the big tree with an axe
blade blunted by lopping the branches and foliage, still he does not give
up the task; on the contrary, he goes to a smithy and has his axe sharp-
ened, after which he returns and continues chopping the tree; and when
the axe again gets blunt, he does as before and continues chopping it;
and as he goes on chopping it in this way, the tree falls at length,
because each time there is no need to chop again what has already been
chopped and what has not yet been chopped gets chopped; so too, when
he emerges from the basic jhana, instead of adverting to what he has
already adverted to, he should advert only to the rebirth-linking, and at
length he removes the rebirth-linking and makes the mentality-material-
ity that occurred at the death moment his object. And this meaning
should also be illustrated by means of the wood cutter and the hair-cutter
as well.
27. Herein, the knowledge that occurs making its object the period from
the last sitting down for this purpose back to the rebirth-linking is not
called knowledge of recollection of past life; but it is called preliminary-
work-concentration knowledge; and some call it 'knowledge of the past'
(antamsandna), but that is inappropriate to the fine-material sphere.
However, when this bhikkhu has got back beyond the rebirth-
linking, there arises in him mind-door adverting making its object the
mentality-materiality that occurred at the death moment. And when that
has ceased, then either four or five impulsions impel making that their
object too. The first of these, called 'preliminary-work', etc., in the way
already described (§5), are of the sense sphere. The last is a fine-material
absorption consciousness of the fourth jhana.The knowledge that arises
in him then together with that consciousness is what is called 'knowl-
edge of recollection of past life'. It is with the mindfulness (memory)
associated with that knowledge that he 'recollects his manifold past life,
that is to say', one birth, two births, ... [414] thus with details and
particulars he recollects his manifold past life (D.i,81).
28. Herein, one birth is the continuity of aggregates included in a single
becoming starting with rebirth-linking and ending with death. So too
with two births, and the rest.
But in the case of many aeons of world contraction, etc., it should
be understood that the aeon of world contraction is an aeon of diminu-
tion and the aeon of world expansion is an aeon of increase.
29. Herein, what supersedes the contraction is included in the contrac-
tion since it is rooted in it; and so too what supersedes the expansion is
included in the expansion. This being so, it includes what is stated thus:
'Bhikkhus, there are four incalculables of the aeon. What four? The con-
traction, what supersedes the contraction, the expansion, and what super-
sedes the expansion' (A.ii,142 abbreviated).
30. Herein, there are three kinds of contraction: contraction due to wa-
ter, contraction due to fire, and contraction due to air (see M. Sutta 28).
Also there are three limits to the contraction; the Abhassara (Streaming-
radiance) Brahma-world, that of the Subhakinha (Refulgent-glory), and
that of the Vehapphala (Great-fruit). When the aeon contracts owing to
fire, all below the Abhassara [Brahma-world] is burnt up by fire. When
it contracts owing to water, it is all dissolved by water up to the
Subhakinha [Brahma-world]. When it contracts owing to air, it is all de-
molished by wind up to the Vehapphala [BrahmA-world].
31. In breadth it is always one of the Buddha-fields that is destroyed.
For the Buddha-fields are of three kinds, that is, the field of birth, the
field of authority, and the field of scope.
Herein, the field of birth is limited by the ten thousand world-spheres
that quaked on the Perfect One's taking rebirth-linking, and so on. The
field of authority is limited by the hundred thousand million world-
spheres where the following safeguards (paritta) are efficacious, that is,
the Ratana Sutta (Sn. p.39), the Khandha Paritta (Vin.ii,109; A.ii,72), the
Dhajagga Paritta (S.i,218) the AtAnAtiya Paritta (D.iii,194), and the Mora
Paritta (Ja.ii,33). The field of scope is boundless, immeasurable: 'As
far as he wishes' (A.i,228) it is said. The Perfect One knows anything
anywhere that he wishes. So one of these three Buddha-fields, that is to
say, the field of authority is destroyed. But when that is being destroyed,
the field of birth also gets destroyed. And that happens simultaneously;
and when it is reconstituted, that happens simultaneously (cf. MA.iv,l 14).
32. Now it should be understood how its destruction and reconstitution
come about thus. On the occasion when the aeon is destroyed by fire
[415] first of all a great cloud heralding the aeon's destruction appears,
and there is a great downpour all over the hundred thousand million
world-spheres. People are delighted, and they bring out all their seeds
and sow them. But when the sprouts have grown enough for an ox to
graze, then not a drop of rain falls any more even when asses bray. Rain
is withheld from then on. This is what the Blessed One referred to when
he said: 'Bhikkhus, an occasion comes when for many years, for many
hundred years, for many thousand years, for many hundred thousand
year, there is no rain' (A.iv,100). Beings that live by rain die and are
reborn in the Brahma-world, and so are the deities that live on flowers
and fruits.
33. When a long period has passed in this way, the water gives out here
and there. Then in due course the fishes and turtles die and are reborn in
the Brahma-world, and so are the beings in hell. Some say that the deni-
zens of hell perish there with the appearance of the seventh sun (§41).
Now there is no rebirth in the Brahma-world without jhana; and
some of them, being obsessed with the scarcity of food, are unable to
attain jhana, so how are they reborn there? By means of jhana obtained
in the [sense-sphere] divine world.
34. For then the sense-sphere deities called world-marshall (loka-byuha)
deities come to know that at the end of a hundred thousand years there
will be the emergence of an aeon, and they travel up and down the
haunts of men, their heads bared, their hair dishevelled, with piteous
faces, mopping their tears with their hands, clothed in dyed cloth, and
wearing their dress in great disorder. They make this announcement:
'Good sirs, good sirs, at the end of a hundred thousand years from now
there will be the emergence of an aeon. This world will be destroyed.
Even the ocean will dry up. This great earth, and Sineru King of Moun-
tains, will be consumed and destroyed. The destruction of the earth will
extend as far as the Brahma-world. Develop lovingkindness, good sirs,
develop compassion, gladness, equanimity, good sirs. Care for your moth-
ers, care for your fathers, honour the elders of your clans'.
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[(4) RECOLLECTION OF PAST LIFE]
13. As to the explanation of knowledge of recollection of past life, [the
text is as follows: He directs, he inclines, his mind to the knowledge of
recollection of past life. He recollects his manifold past life, that is to
say, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births,
twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a
thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many aeons of world con-
traction, many aeons of world expansion: many aeons of world contrac-
tion and expansion: "There I was so named, of such a race, with such an
appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain,
such the end of my life span; and passing away from there, I reappeared
elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a race, with such an ap-
pearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain,
such the end of my life span; and passing away from there, I reappeared
here". Thus with its aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold
pasc life' (D.i,81). [Herein,] to the knowledge of recollection of past life
[means] for knowledge concerning recollection of past life. Past life is
aggregates lived in the past in former births. 'Lived' [in that case means]
lived out, undergone, arisen and ceased in one's own [subjective] conti-
nuity. Or alternatively, [past life] is mental objects lived [in the past in
one's former births]; and 'lived' in that case means lived by living in
one's [objective] resort, which has been cognized and delimited by one's
own consciousness, or cognized by another's consciousness, too. In the
case of recollection of those [past Enlightened Ones] who have broken
the cycle, and so on,
7
these last are only accessible to Enlightened Ones.
Recollection of past life: the mindfulness (memory) by means of which
he recollects the past life is the recollection of past life. Knowledge is the
knowledge associated with that mindfulness. [411] To the knowledge of
recollection of past life: for the purpose of the knowledge of the recol-
lection of past life in this way; for the attaining, for the reaching, of that
knowledge, is what is meant.
14. Manifold: of many kinds: or that has occurred in many ways. Given
in detail, is the meaning.
8
Past life is the continuity lived here and there,
taking the immediately previous existence as the beginning [and working
backwards]. He recollects: he recalls it, following it out by the succes-
sion of aggregates, or by death and rebirth-linking.
15. There are six kinds of people who recollect this past life. They are:
other sectarians, ordinary disciples, great disciples, chief disciples, Pac-
cekabuddhas, and Buddhas.
16. Herein, other sectarians recollect only as far back as forty aeons, but
not beyond that. Why? Because their understanding is weak for lack of
delimitation of mind and matter (see Ch. XVIII). Ordinary disciples rec-
ollect as far back as a hundred aeons and as far back as a thousand aeons
because their understanding is strong. The eighty great disciples recol-
lect as far back as a hundred thousand aeons. The two chief disciples
recollect as far back as an incalculable age and a hundred thousand
aeons. Paccekabuddhas recollect as far back as two incalculable ages and
a hundred thousand aeons. For such is the extent to which they can con-
vey [their minds back respectively]. But there is no limit in the case of
Buddhas.
17. Again, other sectarians only recollect the succession of aggregates;
they are unable to recollect according [only] to death and rebirth-linking,
letting go of the succession of aggregates. They are like the blind in that
they are unable to descend upon any place they choose; they go as the
blind do without letting go of their sticks. So they recollect without
letting go of the succession of aggregates. Ordinary disciples both recol-
lect by means of the succession of aggregates and trace by means of
death and rebirth-linking. Likewise the eighty great disciples. But the
chief disciples have nothing to do with the succession of aggregates.
When they see the death of one person, they see the rebirth-linking, and
again when they see the death of another, they see the rebirth-linking. So
they go by tracing through death and rebirth-linking. Likewise Pacceka-
buddhas.
18. Buddhas, however, have nothing to do either with succession of
aggregates or with tracing though death and rebirth-linking; for whatever
instance they choose in many millions of aeons, or more or less, is
evident to them. So they go, and so they descend with the lion's descent
9
wherever they want, even skipping over many millions of aeons as though
they were an elision in a text. And just as an arrow shot by such a master
of archery expert in hair-splitting as Sarabhahga (see Ja.v,129) always
hits the target without getting held up among trees, crebpers, etc., on its
way, and so neither gets held up nor misses, so too, since Buddhas go in
this way their knowledge does not get held up in intermediate births
[412] or miss; without getting held up or missing, it seizes any instance
required.
19. Among these beings with recollection of past life, the sectarians'
vision of past life seems like the light of a glow-worm, that of ordinary
disciples like the light of a candle, that of the great disciples like the
light of a torch, that of the chief disciples like the light of the morning
star, that of Paccekabuddhas like the light of the moon, and that of Bud-
dhas like the glorious autumn sun's disk with its thousand rays.
20. Other sectarians see past life as blind men go [tapping] with the
point of a stick. Ordinary disciples do so as men who go on a log bridge.
The great disciples do so as men who go on a foot bridge. The chief
disciples do so as men who go on a cart bridge. Paccekabuddhas do so as
men who go on a main foot-path. And Buddhas do so as men who go on
a high road for carts.
21. In this connexion it is the disciples' recollection of past life that is
intended. Hence it was said above: * "He recollects": he recollects it fol-
lowing it out by the succession of aggregates, or by death and rebirth-
linking' (§14).
22. So a bhikkhu who is a beginner and wants to recollect in this way
should go into solitary retreat on return from his alms round after his
meal. Then he should attain the four jhanas in succession and emerge
from the fourth jhana as basis for direct-knowledge. He should then
advert to his most recent act of sitting down [for this purpose], next, to
the preparation of the seat, to the entry into the lodging, to the putting
away of the bowl and [outer] robe, to the time of eating, to the time of
returning from the village, to the time of wandering for alms in the
village, to the time of entering the village, to the time of setting out from
the monastery, to the time of paying homage at the shrine terrace and the
Enlightenment-tree terrace, to the time of washing the bowl, to the time
of picking up the bowl, to the things done from the time of picking up
the bowl back to the mouth washing, to the things done in the early
morning, to the things done in the middle watch, in the first watch. In
this way he should advert to all the things done during the whole night
and day in reverse order.
23. While this much, however, is evident even to his normal conscious-
ness, it is especially evident to his preliminary-work consciousness. But
if anything there is not evident, he should again attain the basic jhana,
emerge and advert. By so doing it becomes as evident as when a lamp is
lit. And so, in reverse order too, he should advert to the things done on
the second day back, and on the third, fourth and fifth day, and in the ten
days, and in the fortnight, and as far back as a year.
24. When by these means he adverts to ten years, twenty years, and so
on as far back as his own rebirth-linking in this existence, [413] he
should advert to the mentality-materiality occurring at the moment of
death in the preceding existence; for a wise bhikkhu is able at the first
attempt to remove
10
the rebirth-linking and make the mentality-material-
ity at the death moment his object.
25. But the mentality-materiality in the previous existence has ceased
without remainder and another has arisen, and consequently that instance
is, as it were, shut away in darkness, and it is hard for one of little under-
standing to see it. Still he should not give up the task, thinking 'I am
unable to remove the rebirth-linking and make the mentality-materiality
that occurred at the death moment my object'. On the contrary, he should
again and again attain that same basic jhana, and each time he emerges
he should advert to that instance.
26. Just as when a strong man is felling a big tree for the purpose of
making the peak of a gable, but is unable to fell the big tree with an axe
blade blunted by lopping the branches and foliage, still he does not give
up the task; on the contrary, he goes to a smithy and has his axe sharp-
ened, after which he returns and continues chopping the tree; and when
the axe again gets blunt, he does as before and continues chopping it;
and as he goes on chopping it in this way, the tree falls at length,
because each time there is no need to chop again what has already been
chopped and what has not yet been chopped gets chopped; so too, when
he emerges from the basic jhana, instead of adverting to what he has
already adverted to, he should advert only to the rebirth-linking, and at
length he removes the rebirth-linking and makes the mentality-material-
ity that occurred at the death moment his object. And this meaning
should also be illustrated by means of the wood cutter and the hair-cutter
as well.
27. Herein, the knowledge that occurs making its object the period from
the last sitting down for this purpose back to the rebirth-linking is not
called knowledge of recollection of past life; but it is called preliminary-
work-concentration knowledge; and some call it 'knowledge of the past'
(antamsandna), but that is inappropriate to the fine-material sphere.
However, when this bhikkhu has got back beyond the rebirth-
linking, there arises in him mind-door adverting making its object the
mentality-materiality that occurred at the death moment. And when that
has ceased, then either four or five impulsions impel making that their
object too. The first of these, called 'preliminary-work', etc., in the way
already described (§5), are of the sense sphere. The last is a fine-material
absorption consciousness of the fourth jhana.The knowledge that arises
in him then together with that consciousness is what is called 'knowl-
edge of recollection of past life'. It is with the mindfulness (memory)
associated with that knowledge that he 'recollects his manifold past life,
that is to say', one birth, two births, ... [414] thus with details and
particulars he recollects his manifold past life (D.i,81).
28. Herein, one birth is the continuity of aggregates included in a single
becoming starting with rebirth-linking and ending with death. So too
with two births, and the rest.
But in the case of many aeons of world contraction, etc., it should
be understood that the aeon of world contraction is an aeon of diminu-
tion and the aeon of world expansion is an aeon of increase.
29. Herein, what supersedes the contraction is included in the contrac-
tion since it is rooted in it; and so too what supersedes the expansion is
included in the expansion. This being so, it includes what is stated thus:
'Bhikkhus, there are four incalculables of the aeon. What four? The con-
traction, what supersedes the contraction, the expansion, and what super-
sedes the expansion' (A.ii,142 abbreviated).
30. Herein, there are three kinds of contraction: contraction due to wa-
ter, contraction due to fire, and contraction due to air (see M. Sutta 28).
Also there are three limits to the contraction; the Abhassara (Streaming-
radiance) Brahma-world, that of the Subhakinha (Refulgent-glory), and
that of the Vehapphala (Great-fruit). When the aeon contracts owing to
fire, all below the Abhassara [Brahma-world] is burnt up by fire. When
it contracts owing to water, it is all dissolved by water up to the
Subhakinha [Brahma-world]. When it contracts owing to air, it is all de-
molished by wind up to the Vehapphala [BrahmA-world].
31. In breadth it is always one of the Buddha-fields that is destroyed.
For the Buddha-fields are of three kinds, that is, the field of birth, the
field of authority, and the field of scope.
Herein, the field of birth is limited by the ten thousand world-spheres
that quaked on the Perfect One's taking rebirth-linking, and so on. The
field of authority is limited by the hundred thousand million world-
spheres where the following safeguards (paritta) are efficacious, that is,
the Ratana Sutta (Sn. p.39), the Khandha Paritta (Vin.ii,109; A.ii,72), the
Dhajagga Paritta (S.i,218) the AtAnAtiya Paritta (D.iii,194), and the Mora
Paritta (Ja.ii,33). The field of scope is boundless, immeasurable: 'As
far as he wishes' (A.i,228) it is said. The Perfect One knows anything
anywhere that he wishes. So one of these three Buddha-fields, that is to
say, the field of authority is destroyed. But when that is being destroyed,
the field of birth also gets destroyed. And that happens simultaneously;
and when it is reconstituted, that happens simultaneously (cf. MA.iv,l 14).
32. Now it should be understood how its destruction and reconstitution
come about thus. On the occasion when the aeon is destroyed by fire
[415] first of all a great cloud heralding the aeon's destruction appears,
and there is a great downpour all over the hundred thousand million
world-spheres. People are delighted, and they bring out all their seeds
and sow them. But when the sprouts have grown enough for an ox to
graze, then not a drop of rain falls any more even when asses bray. Rain
is withheld from then on. This is what the Blessed One referred to when
he said: 'Bhikkhus, an occasion comes when for many years, for many
hundred years, for many thousand years, for many hundred thousand
year, there is no rain' (A.iv,100). Beings that live by rain die and are
reborn in the Brahma-world, and so are the deities that live on flowers
and fruits.
33. When a long period has passed in this way, the water gives out here
and there. Then in due course the fishes and turtles die and are reborn in
the Brahma-world, and so are the beings in hell. Some say that the deni-
zens of hell perish there with the appearance of the seventh sun (§41).
Now there is no rebirth in the Brahma-world without jhana; and
some of them, being obsessed with the scarcity of food, are unable to
attain jhana, so how are they reborn there? By means of jhana obtained
in the [sense-sphere] divine world.
34. For then the sense-sphere deities called world-marshall (loka-byuha)
deities come to know that at the end of a hundred thousand years there
will be the emergence of an aeon, and they travel up and down the
haunts of men, their heads bared, their hair dishevelled, with piteous
faces, mopping their tears with their hands, clothed in dyed cloth, and
wearing their dress in great disorder. They make this announcement:
'Good sirs, good sirs, at the end of a hundred thousand years from now
there will be the emergence of an aeon. This world will be destroyed.
Even the ocean will dry up. This great earth, and Sineru King of Moun-
tains, will be consumed and destroyed. The destruction of the earth will
extend as far as the Brahma-world. Develop lovingkindness, good sirs,
develop compassion, gladness, equanimity, good sirs. Care for your moth-
ers, care for your fathers, honour the elders of your clans'.
Visuddhimagga - OTHER DIRECT-KNOWLEDGES - The divine ear element & Penetration of minds
THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
CHAPTER XIII
OTHER DIRECT-KNOWLEDGES
(Abhinna-niddesa)
[(2) THE DIVINE EAR ELEMENT]
1. [407] It is now the turn for the description of the divine ear element.
Herein, and also in the case of the remaining three kinds of direct-knowl-
edge, the meaning of the passage beginning *When his concentrated
mind ... ' (D.i,79) should be understood in the way already stated (Ch.XII,
§13f.); and in each case we shall only comment on what is different.
[The text is as follows: 'He directs, he inclines, his mind to the divine
ear element. With the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses
the human, he hears both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human,
those that are far as well as near' (D.i,79).]
2. Herein, with the divine ear element: it is divine here because of its
similarity to the divine; for deities have as the divine ear element the
sensitivity that is produced by kamma consisting in good conduct and is
unimpeded by bile, phlegm, blood, etc., and capable of receiving an
object even though far off because it is liberated from imperfections.
And this ear element consisting in knowledge, which is produced by the
power of this bhikkhu's energy in development, is similar to that, so it is
'divine' because it is similar to the divine. Furthermore, it is 'divine'
because it is obtained by means of divine abiding and because it has
divine abiding as its support. And it is an 'ear element' (sota-dhdtu) in
the sense of hearing (savana) and in the sense of being a soulless [ele-
ment]. Also it is an 'ear element' because it is like the ear element in its
performance of an ear element's function. With that divine ear element
... he hears ...
Which is purified: which is quite pure through having no imperfec-
tion. And surpasses the human: which in the hearing of sounds sur-
passes, stands beyond, the human ear element by surpassing the human
environment.
3. He hears both kinds of sounds: he hears the two kinds of sounds.
What two? The divine and the human: the sounds of deities and of
human beings, is what is meant. This should be understood as partially
inclusive. Those that are far as well as near: what is meant is that he
hears sounds that are far off, even in another world-sphere, and those
that are near, even the sounds of the creatures living in his own body.
This should be understood as completely inclusive.
4. But how is this [divine ear element] aroused? The bhikkhu [408]
should attain jhana as basis for direct-knowledge and emerge. Then, with
the consciousness belonging to the preliminary-work concentration,
1
he
should advert first to the gross sounds in the distance normally within
range of hearing: the sound in the forest of lions, etc., or in the monas-
tery the sound of a gong, the sound of a drum, the sound of a conch, the
sound of recitation by novices and young bhikkkhus reciting with full
vigour, the sound of their ordinary talk such as 'What, venerable sir?',
'What, friend?', etc., the sound of birds, the sound of wind, the sound of
footsteps, the fizzing sound of boiling water, the sound of palm leaves
drying in the sun, the sound of ants, and so on. Beginning in this way
with quite gross sounds, he should successively advert to more and more
subtle sounds. He should give attention to the sound sign of the sounds
in the eastern direction, in the western direction, in the northern direc-
tion, in the southern direction, in the upper direction, in the lower direc-
tion, in the eastern intermediate direction, in the western intermediate
direction, in the northern intermediate direction, and in the southern
intermediate direction. He should give attention to the sound sign of
gross and of subtle sounds.
2
5. These sounds are evident even to his normal consciousness; but they
are especially evident to his preliminary-work-concentration conscious-
ness.
3
As he gives his attention to the sound sign in this way, [thinking]
'Now the divine ear element will arise', mind-door adverting arises mak-
ing one of these sounds its object. When that has ceased, then either four
or five impulsions impel, the first three, or four, of which are of the
sense sphere and are called preliminary-work, access, conformity, and
change-of-lineage, while the fourth, or the fifth, is fine-material-sphere
absorption consciousness belonging to the fourth jhana.
6. Herein, it is knowledge arisen together with the absorption con-
sciousness that is called the divine ear element. After that [absorption
has been reached, the divine ear element] becomes merged in that ear [of
knowledge].
4
When consolidating it, he should extend it by delimiting a
single finger-breadth thus, 'I will hear sounds within this area', then two
finger-breadths, four finger-breadths, eight finger-breadths, a span, a ra-
tana (= 24 finger-breadths), the interior of the room, the verandah, the
building, the surrounding walk, the park belonging to the community,
the alms-resort village, the district, and so on up to the [limit of the]
world-sphere, or even more. This is how he should extend it by delim-
ited stages.
7. One who has reached direct-knowledge in this way hears also by
means of direct-knowledge without re-entering the basic jhana any sound
that has come within the space touched by the basic jhana's object. And
in hearing in this way, even if there is an uproar with sounds of conches,
drums, cymbals, etc., right up to the Brahma-world [409] he can, if he
wants to, still define each one thus, 'This is the sound of conches, this is
the sound of drums'.
The explanation of the divine ear element is ended.
[(3) PENETRATION OF MINDS]
8. As to the explanation of knowledge of penetration of minds, [the
text is as follows: 'He directs, he inclines, his mind to the knowledge of
penetration of minds. He penetrates with his mind the minds of other
beings, of other persons, and understands them thus: he understands [the
manner of] consciousness affected by greed as affected by greed, and
understands [the manner of] consciousness unaffected by greed as unaf-
fected by greed; he understands consciousness affected by hate as
affected by hate, and consciousness unaffected by hate as unaffected
by hate; he understands consciousness affected by delusion as affected
by delusion, and consciousness unaffected by delusion as unaffected
by delusion; he understands cramped consciousness as cramped, and
distracted consciousness as distracted; he understands exalted conscious-
ness as exalted, and unexalted consciousness as unexalted; he under-
stands surpassed consciousness as surpassed and unsurpassed conscious-
ness as unsurpassed; he understands concentrated consciousness as
concentrated and unconcentrated consciousness as unconcentrated; he
understands the liberated [manner of] consciousness as liberated, and the
unliberated [manner of] consciousness as unliberated' (D.i,79)]. Here, it
goes all found (pariydti), thus it is penetration (pariya); the meaning
is that it delimits (paricchindati). The penetration of the heart (cetaso
pariyarh) is 'penetration of minds' (cetopariya). It is penetration of hearts
and that is knowledge, thus it is knowledge of penetration of minds
(cetopariyandna). [He directs his consciousness] to that, is what is
meant.
Of other beings: of the rest of beings, himself excluded. Of other
persons: this has the same meaning as the last, the wording being varied
to suit those susceptible of teaching [in another way], and for the sake of
elegance of exposition. With his mind the minds: with his [manner of]
consciousness the [manner of] consciousness of other beings. Having
penetrated (paricca): having delimited all round. He understands: he un-
derstands them to be of various sorts beginning with that affected by
greed.
9. But how is this knowledge to be aroused? That is successfully done
through the divine eye, which constitutes its preliminary work. Therefore
the bhikkhu should extend light, and he should seek out (pariyesitabba)
another's [manner of] consciousness by keeping under observation with
the divine eye the colour of the blood present with the matter of the
physical heart as its support.
5
For when [a manner of] consciousness
accompanied by joy is present, the blood is red like a banyan-fig fruit;
when [a manner of] consciousness accompanied by grief is present, it is
blackish like a rose-apple fruit; when [a manner of] consciousness ac-
companied by serenity is present, it is clear like sesamum oil. So he
should seek out another's [manner of] consciousness by keeping under
observation the colour of the blood in the physical heart thus
4
This
matter is originated by the joy faculty; this is originated by the grief fac-
ulty; this is originated by the equanimity faculty', and so consolidate his
knowledge of penetration of hearts.
10. It is when it has been consolidated in this way that he can gradually
get to understand not only all manner of sense-sphere consciousness but
those of fine-material and immaterial consciousness as well by tracing
one [manner of] consciousness from another without any more seeing
the physical heart's matter. For this is said in the Commentary: 'When
he wants to know another's [manner of] consciousness in the immaterial
modes, whose physical-heart matter can he observe? Whose material
alteration [originated] by the faculties can he look at? No one's. The
province of a possessor of supernormal power is [simply] this, namely,
wherever the [manner of] consciousness he adverts to is, there he knows
it according to these sixteen classes'. But this explanation [by means of
the physical heart] is for one who has not [yet] done any interpreting.
6
11. As regards [the manner of\ consciousness affected by greed, etc., the
eight [manners of] consciousness accompanied by greed (see Table HI,
nos.(22)-(29)) [410] should be understood as [the manner of] conscious-
ness affected by greed. The remaining profitable and indeterminate [man-
ners of] consciousness in the four planes are unaffected by greed. The
four, namely, the two consciousnesses accompanied by grief (nos. (30)
and (31)), and the two consciousnesses [accompanied respectively by]
uncertainty (32) and agitation (33) are not included in this dyad, though
some elders include them too. It is the two consciousnesses accompanied
by grief that are called consciousness affected by hate. And all profitable
and indeterminate consciousnesses in the four planes are unaffected by
hate. The remaining ten kinds of unprofitable consciousnesses (nos. (22)-
(29) and (32) and (33)) are not included in this dyad, though some elders
include them too. Affected by delusion ... unaffected by delusion: here
only the two, namely, that accompanied by uncertainty and that accom-
panied by agitation, are affected by delusion simplicitur [without being
accompanied by the other two unprofitable roots]. But [all] the twelve
kinds of unprofitable consciousnesses (nos. (22)-(33)) can also be under-
stood as [the manner of] consciousness affected by delusion since delu-
sion is present in all kinds of unprofitable consciousnesses. The rest are
unaffected by delusion.
12. Cramped is that attended by stiffness and torpor. Distracted is that
attended by agitation. Exalted is that of the fine-material and immaterial
spheres. Unexalted is the rest. Surpassed is all that in the three [mun-
dane] planes. Unsurpassed is the supramundane. Concentrated is that
attained to access and that attained to absorption. Unconcentrated is that
not attained to either. Liberated is that attained to any [of the five kinds
of] deliverance, that is to say, deliverance by substitution of opposites
[through insight], by suppression [through concentration], by cutting off
[by means of the path], by tranquillization [by means of fruition], and by
renunciation [as nibbana] (see Ps.i,26 under 'abandoning'). Unliberated
is that which has not attained to any of the five kinds of liberation.
So the bhikkhu who has acquired the knowledge of penetration of
hearts understands all these [manners of consciousness, namely, the man-
ner of] consciousness affected by greed as affected by greed ... [the
unliberated manner of] consciousness as unliberated.
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
CHAPTER XIII
OTHER DIRECT-KNOWLEDGES
(Abhinna-niddesa)
[(2) THE DIVINE EAR ELEMENT]
1. [407] It is now the turn for the description of the divine ear element.
Herein, and also in the case of the remaining three kinds of direct-knowl-
edge, the meaning of the passage beginning *When his concentrated
mind ... ' (D.i,79) should be understood in the way already stated (Ch.XII,
§13f.); and in each case we shall only comment on what is different.
[The text is as follows: 'He directs, he inclines, his mind to the divine
ear element. With the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses
the human, he hears both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human,
those that are far as well as near' (D.i,79).]
2. Herein, with the divine ear element: it is divine here because of its
similarity to the divine; for deities have as the divine ear element the
sensitivity that is produced by kamma consisting in good conduct and is
unimpeded by bile, phlegm, blood, etc., and capable of receiving an
object even though far off because it is liberated from imperfections.
And this ear element consisting in knowledge, which is produced by the
power of this bhikkhu's energy in development, is similar to that, so it is
'divine' because it is similar to the divine. Furthermore, it is 'divine'
because it is obtained by means of divine abiding and because it has
divine abiding as its support. And it is an 'ear element' (sota-dhdtu) in
the sense of hearing (savana) and in the sense of being a soulless [ele-
ment]. Also it is an 'ear element' because it is like the ear element in its
performance of an ear element's function. With that divine ear element
... he hears ...
Which is purified: which is quite pure through having no imperfec-
tion. And surpasses the human: which in the hearing of sounds sur-
passes, stands beyond, the human ear element by surpassing the human
environment.
3. He hears both kinds of sounds: he hears the two kinds of sounds.
What two? The divine and the human: the sounds of deities and of
human beings, is what is meant. This should be understood as partially
inclusive. Those that are far as well as near: what is meant is that he
hears sounds that are far off, even in another world-sphere, and those
that are near, even the sounds of the creatures living in his own body.
This should be understood as completely inclusive.
4. But how is this [divine ear element] aroused? The bhikkhu [408]
should attain jhana as basis for direct-knowledge and emerge. Then, with
the consciousness belonging to the preliminary-work concentration,
1
he
should advert first to the gross sounds in the distance normally within
range of hearing: the sound in the forest of lions, etc., or in the monas-
tery the sound of a gong, the sound of a drum, the sound of a conch, the
sound of recitation by novices and young bhikkkhus reciting with full
vigour, the sound of their ordinary talk such as 'What, venerable sir?',
'What, friend?', etc., the sound of birds, the sound of wind, the sound of
footsteps, the fizzing sound of boiling water, the sound of palm leaves
drying in the sun, the sound of ants, and so on. Beginning in this way
with quite gross sounds, he should successively advert to more and more
subtle sounds. He should give attention to the sound sign of the sounds
in the eastern direction, in the western direction, in the northern direc-
tion, in the southern direction, in the upper direction, in the lower direc-
tion, in the eastern intermediate direction, in the western intermediate
direction, in the northern intermediate direction, and in the southern
intermediate direction. He should give attention to the sound sign of
gross and of subtle sounds.
2
5. These sounds are evident even to his normal consciousness; but they
are especially evident to his preliminary-work-concentration conscious-
ness.
3
As he gives his attention to the sound sign in this way, [thinking]
'Now the divine ear element will arise', mind-door adverting arises mak-
ing one of these sounds its object. When that has ceased, then either four
or five impulsions impel, the first three, or four, of which are of the
sense sphere and are called preliminary-work, access, conformity, and
change-of-lineage, while the fourth, or the fifth, is fine-material-sphere
absorption consciousness belonging to the fourth jhana.
6. Herein, it is knowledge arisen together with the absorption con-
sciousness that is called the divine ear element. After that [absorption
has been reached, the divine ear element] becomes merged in that ear [of
knowledge].
4
When consolidating it, he should extend it by delimiting a
single finger-breadth thus, 'I will hear sounds within this area', then two
finger-breadths, four finger-breadths, eight finger-breadths, a span, a ra-
tana (= 24 finger-breadths), the interior of the room, the verandah, the
building, the surrounding walk, the park belonging to the community,
the alms-resort village, the district, and so on up to the [limit of the]
world-sphere, or even more. This is how he should extend it by delim-
ited stages.
7. One who has reached direct-knowledge in this way hears also by
means of direct-knowledge without re-entering the basic jhana any sound
that has come within the space touched by the basic jhana's object. And
in hearing in this way, even if there is an uproar with sounds of conches,
drums, cymbals, etc., right up to the Brahma-world [409] he can, if he
wants to, still define each one thus, 'This is the sound of conches, this is
the sound of drums'.
The explanation of the divine ear element is ended.
[(3) PENETRATION OF MINDS]
8. As to the explanation of knowledge of penetration of minds, [the
text is as follows: 'He directs, he inclines, his mind to the knowledge of
penetration of minds. He penetrates with his mind the minds of other
beings, of other persons, and understands them thus: he understands [the
manner of] consciousness affected by greed as affected by greed, and
understands [the manner of] consciousness unaffected by greed as unaf-
fected by greed; he understands consciousness affected by hate as
affected by hate, and consciousness unaffected by hate as unaffected
by hate; he understands consciousness affected by delusion as affected
by delusion, and consciousness unaffected by delusion as unaffected
by delusion; he understands cramped consciousness as cramped, and
distracted consciousness as distracted; he understands exalted conscious-
ness as exalted, and unexalted consciousness as unexalted; he under-
stands surpassed consciousness as surpassed and unsurpassed conscious-
ness as unsurpassed; he understands concentrated consciousness as
concentrated and unconcentrated consciousness as unconcentrated; he
understands the liberated [manner of] consciousness as liberated, and the
unliberated [manner of] consciousness as unliberated' (D.i,79)]. Here, it
goes all found (pariydti), thus it is penetration (pariya); the meaning
is that it delimits (paricchindati). The penetration of the heart (cetaso
pariyarh) is 'penetration of minds' (cetopariya). It is penetration of hearts
and that is knowledge, thus it is knowledge of penetration of minds
(cetopariyandna). [He directs his consciousness] to that, is what is
meant.
Of other beings: of the rest of beings, himself excluded. Of other
persons: this has the same meaning as the last, the wording being varied
to suit those susceptible of teaching [in another way], and for the sake of
elegance of exposition. With his mind the minds: with his [manner of]
consciousness the [manner of] consciousness of other beings. Having
penetrated (paricca): having delimited all round. He understands: he un-
derstands them to be of various sorts beginning with that affected by
greed.
9. But how is this knowledge to be aroused? That is successfully done
through the divine eye, which constitutes its preliminary work. Therefore
the bhikkhu should extend light, and he should seek out (pariyesitabba)
another's [manner of] consciousness by keeping under observation with
the divine eye the colour of the blood present with the matter of the
physical heart as its support.
5
For when [a manner of] consciousness
accompanied by joy is present, the blood is red like a banyan-fig fruit;
when [a manner of] consciousness accompanied by grief is present, it is
blackish like a rose-apple fruit; when [a manner of] consciousness ac-
companied by serenity is present, it is clear like sesamum oil. So he
should seek out another's [manner of] consciousness by keeping under
observation the colour of the blood in the physical heart thus
4
This
matter is originated by the joy faculty; this is originated by the grief fac-
ulty; this is originated by the equanimity faculty', and so consolidate his
knowledge of penetration of hearts.
10. It is when it has been consolidated in this way that he can gradually
get to understand not only all manner of sense-sphere consciousness but
those of fine-material and immaterial consciousness as well by tracing
one [manner of] consciousness from another without any more seeing
the physical heart's matter. For this is said in the Commentary: 'When
he wants to know another's [manner of] consciousness in the immaterial
modes, whose physical-heart matter can he observe? Whose material
alteration [originated] by the faculties can he look at? No one's. The
province of a possessor of supernormal power is [simply] this, namely,
wherever the [manner of] consciousness he adverts to is, there he knows
it according to these sixteen classes'. But this explanation [by means of
the physical heart] is for one who has not [yet] done any interpreting.
6
11. As regards [the manner of\ consciousness affected by greed, etc., the
eight [manners of] consciousness accompanied by greed (see Table HI,
nos.(22)-(29)) [410] should be understood as [the manner of] conscious-
ness affected by greed. The remaining profitable and indeterminate [man-
ners of] consciousness in the four planes are unaffected by greed. The
four, namely, the two consciousnesses accompanied by grief (nos. (30)
and (31)), and the two consciousnesses [accompanied respectively by]
uncertainty (32) and agitation (33) are not included in this dyad, though
some elders include them too. It is the two consciousnesses accompanied
by grief that are called consciousness affected by hate. And all profitable
and indeterminate consciousnesses in the four planes are unaffected by
hate. The remaining ten kinds of unprofitable consciousnesses (nos. (22)-
(29) and (32) and (33)) are not included in this dyad, though some elders
include them too. Affected by delusion ... unaffected by delusion: here
only the two, namely, that accompanied by uncertainty and that accom-
panied by agitation, are affected by delusion simplicitur [without being
accompanied by the other two unprofitable roots]. But [all] the twelve
kinds of unprofitable consciousnesses (nos. (22)-(33)) can also be under-
stood as [the manner of] consciousness affected by delusion since delu-
sion is present in all kinds of unprofitable consciousnesses. The rest are
unaffected by delusion.
12. Cramped is that attended by stiffness and torpor. Distracted is that
attended by agitation. Exalted is that of the fine-material and immaterial
spheres. Unexalted is the rest. Surpassed is all that in the three [mun-
dane] planes. Unsurpassed is the supramundane. Concentrated is that
attained to access and that attained to absorption. Unconcentrated is that
not attained to either. Liberated is that attained to any [of the five kinds
of] deliverance, that is to say, deliverance by substitution of opposites
[through insight], by suppression [through concentration], by cutting off
[by means of the path], by tranquillization [by means of fruition], and by
renunciation [as nibbana] (see Ps.i,26 under 'abandoning'). Unliberated
is that which has not attained to any of the five kinds of liberation.
So the bhikkhu who has acquired the knowledge of penetration of
hearts understands all these [manners of consciousness, namely, the man-
ner of] consciousness affected by greed as affected by greed ... [the
unliberated manner of] consciousness as unliberated.
Visuddhimagga - THE SUPERNORMAL POWERS - as transformation & the mind-made body
THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
137. The difference between (ii) success as transformation and (iii) suc-
cess as the mind-made [body], is as follows (see §22, 24, 25, 45).
(ii) One, firstly, who performs a transformation [406] should resolve
upon whatever he chooses from among the things beginning with the ap-
pearance of a boy, described as follows: 'He abandons his normal ap-
pearance and shows the appearance of a boy or the appearance of a naga
(serpent), or the appearance of a supanna (winged demon), or the ap-
pearance of an asura (demon), or the appearance of the Ruler [of Gods]
(Indra), or the appearance of some [other sensual-sphere] deity, or the
appearance of a Brahma, or the appearance of the sea, or the appearance
of a rock, or the appearance of a lion, or the appearance of a tiger, or the
appearance of a leopard, or he shows an elephant, or he shows a horse,
or he shows a chariot, or he shows a foot soldier, or he shows a manifold
military array* (Ps.ii,210).
138. And when he resolves he should emerge from the fourth jhana that
is the basis for direct-knowledge and has one of the things beginning
with the earth kasina as its object, and he should advert to his own
appearance as a boy. After adverting and finishing the preliminary work,
he should attain again and emerge, and he should resolve thus: 'Let me
be a boy of such and such a type'. Simultaneously with the resolve
consciousness he becomes the boy, just as Devadatta did (Vin.i,185;
DhA.i,139). This is the method in all instances. But he shows an ele-
phant, etc., is said here with respect to showing an elephant, etc., exter-
nally. Herein, instead of resolving, 'Let me be an elephant', he resolves,
'Let there be an elephant'. The same method applies in the case of the
horse and the rest.
This is success as transformation.
139. (iii) One who wants to make the mind-made [body] should emerge
from the basic jhana and first advert to the body in the way already
described, and then he should resolve, 'Let it be hollow'. It becomes
hollow. Then he adverts to another body inside it, and having done the
preliminary work in the way already described, he resolves, 'Let there be
another body inside it'. Then he draws it out like a reed from its sheath,
like a sword from its scabbard, like a snake from its slough. Hence it is
said: 'Here a bhikkhu creates from this body another body possessing
visible form, mind-made, with all its limbs, lacking no faculty. Just as
though a man pulled out a reed from its sheath and thought thus: "This is
the sheath; this is the reed; the sheath is one, the reed is another, it was
from the sheath that the reed was pulled out"' (Ps.ii,210), and so on.
And here, just as the reed, etc., are similar to the sheath, etc., so too the
mind-made visible form is similar to the possessor of supernormal power,
and this simile is given in order to show that.
This is success as the mind-made [body].
The twelfth chapter called 'The Description of
the Supernormal Powers' in the Path of Purifica-
tion composed for the purpose of gladdening good
people.
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
137. The difference between (ii) success as transformation and (iii) suc-
cess as the mind-made [body], is as follows (see §22, 24, 25, 45).
(ii) One, firstly, who performs a transformation [406] should resolve
upon whatever he chooses from among the things beginning with the ap-
pearance of a boy, described as follows: 'He abandons his normal ap-
pearance and shows the appearance of a boy or the appearance of a naga
(serpent), or the appearance of a supanna (winged demon), or the ap-
pearance of an asura (demon), or the appearance of the Ruler [of Gods]
(Indra), or the appearance of some [other sensual-sphere] deity, or the
appearance of a Brahma, or the appearance of the sea, or the appearance
of a rock, or the appearance of a lion, or the appearance of a tiger, or the
appearance of a leopard, or he shows an elephant, or he shows a horse,
or he shows a chariot, or he shows a foot soldier, or he shows a manifold
military array* (Ps.ii,210).
138. And when he resolves he should emerge from the fourth jhana that
is the basis for direct-knowledge and has one of the things beginning
with the earth kasina as its object, and he should advert to his own
appearance as a boy. After adverting and finishing the preliminary work,
he should attain again and emerge, and he should resolve thus: 'Let me
be a boy of such and such a type'. Simultaneously with the resolve
consciousness he becomes the boy, just as Devadatta did (Vin.i,185;
DhA.i,139). This is the method in all instances. But he shows an ele-
phant, etc., is said here with respect to showing an elephant, etc., exter-
nally. Herein, instead of resolving, 'Let me be an elephant', he resolves,
'Let there be an elephant'. The same method applies in the case of the
horse and the rest.
This is success as transformation.
139. (iii) One who wants to make the mind-made [body] should emerge
from the basic jhana and first advert to the body in the way already
described, and then he should resolve, 'Let it be hollow'. It becomes
hollow. Then he adverts to another body inside it, and having done the
preliminary work in the way already described, he resolves, 'Let there be
another body inside it'. Then he draws it out like a reed from its sheath,
like a sword from its scabbard, like a snake from its slough. Hence it is
said: 'Here a bhikkhu creates from this body another body possessing
visible form, mind-made, with all its limbs, lacking no faculty. Just as
though a man pulled out a reed from its sheath and thought thus: "This is
the sheath; this is the reed; the sheath is one, the reed is another, it was
from the sheath that the reed was pulled out"' (Ps.ii,210), and so on.
And here, just as the reed, etc., are similar to the sheath, etc., so too the
mind-made visible form is similar to the possessor of supernormal power,
and this simile is given in order to show that.
This is success as the mind-made [body].
The twelfth chapter called 'The Description of
the Supernormal Powers' in the Path of Purifica-
tion composed for the purpose of gladdening good
people.
Visuddhimagga - THE SUPERNORMAL POWERS - as resolve III
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
18
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,
19
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.
20
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.
21
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.
22
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).
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
18
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,
19
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.
20
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.
21
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.
22
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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