Visuddhimagga - The Benefits of Understanding - Worthiness to receive gifts

THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka


[D. WORTHINESS TO RECEIVE GIFTS]
53. And not only the ability to attain the attainment of cessation but also
achievement of worthiness to receive gifts should be understood as a
benefit of this supramundane development of understanding.
54. For, generally speaking, it is because understanding has been devel-
oped in these four ways that a person who has developed it is fit for the
gifts of the world with its deities, fit for its hospitality, fit for its offer-
ings, and fit for its reverential salutation, and an incomparable field of
merit for the world.
55. But in particular, firstly, one who arrives at development of under-
standing of the first path with sluggish insight and limp faculties is


called *one who will be reborn seven times at most'; he traverses the
round of rebirths seven times in the happy destinies. One who arrives
with medium insight and medium faculties is called 'one who goes from
noble family to noble family'; with two or three rebirths in noble fami-
lies he makes an end of suffering. One who arrives with keen insight and
keen faculties is called 'one who germinates only once'; with one rebirth
in the human world he makes an end of suffering (see A.i,133).
By developing understanding of the second path, he is called a once-
returner. He returns once to this world and makes an end of suffering.
[710]
56. By developing understanding of the third path he is called a non-
returner. According to the difference in his faculties he completes his
course in one of five ways after he has left this world: he becomes 'one
who attains nibbana early in his next existence' or 'one who attains nib-
bana more than half way through his next existence' or 'one who attains
nibbana without prompting' or 'one who attains nibbana with prompt-
ing' or 'one who is going upstream bound for the Highest Gods' (see
D.iii,237).
57. Herein, one who attains nibbana early in his next existence attains
nibbana after reappearing anywhere in the Pure Abodes, without reach-
ing the middle of his life span there. One who attains nibbana more than
half way through his next existence attains nibbana after the middle of
his life span there. One who attains nibbana without prompting gener-
ates the highest path without prompting, with little effort. One who at-
tains nibbana with prompting generates the highest path with prompting,
with effort. One who is going upstream bound for the Highest Gods
passes on upwards from wherever he is reborn [in the Pure Abodes] to
the Highest Gods' becoming and attains nibbana there.
58. By developing understanding of the fourth path one becomes 'liber-
ated by faith', another 'liberated by understanding', another 'both-ways
liberated', another 'one with the triple clear vision', another 'one with
the six kinds of direct-knowledge', another 'one of the great ones whose
cankers are destroyed who has reached the categories of discrimination'.
It was about one who has developed the fourth path that it was said: 'But
it is at the moment of the path that he is said to be disentangling that
tangle: at the moment of fruition he has disentangled the tangle and is
worthy of the highest offerings in the world with its deities' (Ch. I, §7).
59. The noble understanding, when
Developed, will these blessings win;
Accordingly discerning men
Rejoice exceedingly therein.


60. And at this point the development of understanding with its benefits,
which is shown in the Path of Purification with its headings of virtue,
concentration, and understanding, in the stanza,
*When a wise man, established well in virtue,
Develops consciousness and understanding,
Then as a bhikkhu ardent and sagacious,
He succeeds in disentangling this tangle' (Ch. I, §1),
has been fully illustrated.
The twenty-third chapter called 'The Descrip-
tion of the Benefits of Understanding' in the Path
of Purification composed for the purpose of glad-
dening good people.