THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
[(iii) CONSCIOUSNESS / VINNANA]
[(1) Kinds of Mundane Resultant Consciousness]
120. In the clause, with formations as condition, consciousness, conscious-
ness is sixfold as eye-consciousness, and so on. Herein, eye-conscious-
ness is twofold, namely, profitable [kamma-] resultant and unprofitable
[kamma-] resultant (see Table II for bracketed numbers that follow).
Likewise ear-, nose-, tongue-, and body-consciousness ((34)-(38) and
(50)-(54)). But mind-consciousness is twenty-two-fold, namely, the two
profitable and unprofitable resultant mind elements ((39) and (55)), the
three root-causeless mind-consciousness elements ((40), (41) and (56)),
the eight sense-sphere resultant consciousnesses with root-cause ((42)-
(49)), the five of the fine-material sphere ((57)-(61)), and the four of the
immaterial sphere ((62)-(65)). So all the thirty-two mundane resultant
consciousnesses ((34)-(65)) are included by these six kinds of conscious-
ness. But the supramundane kinds do not belong to the exposition of the
round [of becoming], and so they are not included.
121. Here it may be asked: 'But how is it to be known that this con-
sciousness of the kind stated actually has formations as its condition?'.—•
Because there is no kamma-result when there is no stored-up kamma.
For this consciousness is kamma-result, and kamma-result does not arise
in the absence of stored-up kamma. If it did, then all kinds of kamma-
resultant consciousnesses would arise in all kinds of beings, and they do
not do so. This is how it should be known that such consciousness has
formations as its condition.
122. But which kind of consciousness has which kind of formations as its
condition?
Firstly, the following sixteen kinds arise with the sense-sphere for-
mation of merit as condition: the five profitable resultants beginning
with eye-consciousness ((34)-(38)), and in the case of mind-conscious-
ness one kind of mind element (39) and two kinds of mind-conscious-
ness element ((40)-(41)), and the eight kinds of sense-sphere resultant
((42)-(49)), according as it is said: 'Owing to profitable kamma of the
sense sphere having been performed, stored up, resultant eye-conscious-
ness* (Dhs. §431), 'ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-consciousness' (Dhs. §443),
'resultant mind element arises' (Dhs. §455), 'mind-consciousness ele-
ment accompanied by joy arises' (Dhs. §469), 'mind-consciousness ele-
ment accompanied by equanimity arises' (Dhs. §484), 'accompanied by
joy and associated with knowledge ... accompanied by joy, associated
with knowledge and prompted ... accompanied by joy and dissociated
from knowledge ... accompanied by joy, dissociated from knowledge
and prompted ... accompanied by equanimity and associated with knowl-
edge ... accompanied by equanimity, associated with knowledge and
prompted ... accompanied by equanimity and dissociated from knowl-
edge ... accompanied by equanimity, dissociated from knowledge and
prompted' (Dhs. §498).
123. There are five kinds of resultant fine-material-sphere consciousness
((57)-(61)) with the fine-material-sphere formation of merit as condition,
according as it is said: 'Owing to that same profitable kamma of the
fine-material sphere having been performed, stored up, [by the develop-
ment of that same profitable jhana,] [546] secluded from sense desires
... he enters upon and dwells in the resultant first jhana ... fifth jhana'
(Dhs. §499).
124. There are seven kinds of consciousness with the formation of de-
merit as condition: the five unprofitable resultants beginning with eye-
consciousness ((50)-(54)), one mind element (55), and one mind-con-
sciousness element (56), according as it is said: 'Because of unprofitable
kamma having been performed and stored up, resultant eye-conscious-
ness has arisen .. . ear- .. . nose- .. . tongue- .. . body-consciousness has
arisen' (Dhs. §556), 'resultant mind element' (Dhs. §562), 'resultant mind-
consciousness element has arisen' (Dhs. §564).
125. There are four kinds of immaterial resultant consciousness ((62)-
(65)) with the formation of the imperturbable as condition, according as
it is said: * Owing to that same profitable kamma of the immaterial sphere
having been performed, stored up [by the development of that same
profitable immaterial jhana, with the abandoning of bodily pleasure and
pain ... he enters upon and dwells in the resultant fourth jhana, which,]
with the complete surmounting of perceptions of material form ... is
accompanied by the base consisting of boundless space* (Dhs. §501),
'accompanied by the base consisting of boundless consciousness'
(Dhs. §502), 'accompanied by the base consisting of nothingness' (Dhs.
§503), 'accompanied by the base consisting of neither perception nor
non-perception' (Dhs. §504).
126. After knowing what kind of consciousness has what formations as
its condition, one should now understand how it occurs as follows.
[(2) The Occurrence of Resultant Consciousness]
Now this resultant consciousness all occurs in two ways, namely, (a)
in the course of an individual existence (or continuity), and (b) at the
rebirth-linking [moment].
Herein, there are the two fivefold consciousness ((34)-(38) and (50)-
(54)), two mind elements ((39) and (55)), and root-causeless mind-
consciousness element accompanied by joy (40), that is, thirteen which
occur only in the course of an existence in the five-constituent kind of
becoming.
20
The remaining nineteen occur in the three kinds of becom-
ing, either in the course of an existence or at rebirth-linking, as appropri-
ate. How?
[2. (a) In the Course of an Existence]
127. Firstly, in one who has been reborn by means of either profitable-
result or unprofitable result: according as his faculties mature, so the five
profitable-resultant eye-, etc., consciousnesses occur accomplishing the
respective functions of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching
((d)-(h)), contingent respectively upon a desirable or desirable-neutral
visible datum, etc., as object that has come into the focus of the eye, etc.,
and having the sensitivity of the eye, etc., as [material] support. And
likewise the five unprofitable-resultant consciousnesses; the only differ-
ence being this, that the visible data, etc., as object for these are undesir-
able or undesirable-neutral. And these ten are invariable as to their door,
object, physical basis, and position [in the cognitive series], and invari-
able as to their functions.
128. After that, next to the profitable-resultant eye-, etc., consciousness,
the profitable-resultant mind element (39) occurs accomplishing the func-
tion of receiving (i), contingent upon the same object as that of the
former, and having the heart-basis as support. [547] And next after the
unprofitable-resultant eye-, etc., consciousness, the unprofitable-resul-
tant mind element (55) occurs likewise. But these two, while variable as
to door and object, are invariable as to physical basis and position, and
invariable as to function.
129. Then next to the profitable-resultant mind element, the root-cause-
less mind-consciousness element accompanied by joy (40) occurs ac-
complishing the function of investigation (j), contingent upon the same
object as that of the mind element, and having the heart-basis as support.
And when the object is a vivid one in any of the six doors belonging to
sense-sphere beings, usually at the end of impulsions associated with
greed it holds up the [renewal of the] course of the life-continuum (b) by
occurring either once or twice as registration (m), having the same ob-
ject as that apprehended by the impulsions—so it is said in the Majjhima
Commentary.
21
But in the Abhidhamma Commentary two turns of con-
sciousness have been handed down with respect to registration. This
consciousness has two names, 'registration' (tad-drammana—-lit. having
that object that the preceding impulsions had) and 'aftermath life-contin-
uum' {pitthi-bhavahga—see Ch. XIV, §122). It is variable as to door
and object, it is invariable as to physical basis, and it is variable as to
position and function.
This, in the first place, it should be understood, is how thirteen kinds
of consciousness occur only in the course of an individual existence in
the five-constituent kind of becoming.
130. As to the remaining nineteen ((41)-(49) and (56M65)), there is none
that does not occur as a rebirth-linking (a) appropriate to it (see §133).
But in the course of an individual existence, firstly, two, namely, profit-
able-resultant and unprofitable-resultant root-causeless mind-conscious-
ness elements ((41) and (56)) occur accomplishing four functions, that is
to say, the function of investigating in the five doors (j) next after profit-
able-resultant and unprofitable-resultant mind element, the function of
registration (m) in the six doors in the way already stated, the function
of life-continuum (b) that continues after rebirth-linking given by them-
selves, as long as there is no thought-arising to interrupt the life-contin-
uum, and lastly the function of death (n) at the end [of the course of an
existence]. And so these two are invariable as to [possession of heart-]
basis, and variable as to door, object, position, and function.
131. The eight sense-sphere consciousnesses with root-cause ((42)-(49))
occur accomplishing three functions, namely, the function of registra-
tion (m) in the six doors in the way already stated, the function of life-
continuum (b) after rebirth-linking given by themselves, as long as there
is no thought-arising to interrupt the life-continuum, and lastly the func-
tion of death (n) at the end. And they are invariable as to [possession of
heart-] basis, and variable as to door, position, and function.
132. The five fine-material consciousnesses ((57)-(61)) and the four im-
material consciousnesses ((62)-(65)) occur accomplishing two functions,
namely, the function of life-continuum (b) that continues after rebirth-
linking given by themselves, as long as there is no thought-arising to
interrupt the life-continuum, and the function of death (n) at the end. As
regards these, those of the fine-material sphere are invariable as to [pos-
session of heart-] basis and as to their object, and they are variable as to
position and function, while the others occur invariably without [heart-]
basis, and they are invariable as to object, and variable as to position and
function.
This, in the first place, is how the thirty-twofold resultant conscious-
ness occurs in the course of an individual existence with formations as
condition. And there [in the course of an existence] these several forma-
tions are conditions, as kamma condition and decisive-support condition,
for this [thirty-twofold resultant consciousness]. [548]
[2. (b) At Rebirth-Linking]
133. But what was said above, namely, 'as to the remaining nineteen,
there is none that does not occur as a rebirth-linking appropriate to it'
(§130), is hard to understand since it is too brief. Hence, in order to
show the details it may be asked: (i) How many kinds of rebirth-linking
are there? (ii) How many kinds of rebirth-linking consciousness? (iii)
Where and by what means does rebirth-linking come about? (iv) What
does rebirth-linking [consciousness] have as its object?
134. (i) Including the rebirth-linking of non-percipient beings there are
twenty kinds of rebirth-linking.
(ii) There are nineteen kinds of rebirth-linking consciousnesses, as
already described.
(iii) Herein, rebirth-linking by means of the unprofitable-resultant
root-causeless mind-consciousness element (56) comes about in the states
of loss. Rebirth-linking by means of the profitable-resultant (41) comes
about in the human world among those blind from birth, born deaf, born
mad, born drivelling (see M.i,20; MA.i,118), the sexless, and so on.
Rebirth-linking by means of the eight principal resultant consciousnesses
with root-cause ((42)-(49)) comes about among deities of the sense sphere
and the meritorious among men. That by means of the five fine-material
resultant kinds comes about in the fine-material Brahma-world. That by
means of the four immaterial-sphere resultant kinds comes about in the
immaterial world. So rebirth-linking [consciousness] conforms to the
means by which, and the place in which, it comes about.
(iv) Briefly, rebirth-linking [consciousness] has three kinds of ob-
jects, namely, past, present, and not-so-classifiable (see Ch. HI, n.32).
Non-percipient rebirth-linking has no object.
135. Herein, in the base consisting of boundless consciousness and the
base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception, the object of
rebirth-linking is past. That of the ten kinds of sense-sphere rebirth-
linking is past or present. That of the rest is not-so-classifiahle. But
while the rebirth-linking consciousness occurs thus with three kinds of
objects, the death consciousness, next to which it occurs, has only a past
or a not-so-classifiable object, there being no death consciousness with a
present object. Consequently, it should be understood how it occurs in
the happy destinies and the unhappy destinies as follows, that is to say,
how rebirth-linking consciousness with one of three kinds of objects
occurs next to death consciousness with one of two kinds of objects.
136. [From happy to unhappy destiny,] For example, firstly in the case
of a person in the happy destinies of the sense-sphere who is an evil-
doer, when he is lying on his death-bed, his evil kamma according as it
has been stored up, or its sign, comes into focus in the mind door. For it
is said, 'Then [the evil deeds that he did in the past] ... cover him [and
overspread him and envelop him]' (M.iii,164), and so on. Then next to
the cognitive series of impulsions ending in registration22
that arose
contingent upon that [kamma or its sign], death consciousness arises
making the life-continuum's objective field its object. When it has ceased,
rebirth-linking consciousness arises contingent upon that same kamma
or kamma sign that had come into focus, and it does so located in the
unhappy destiny, being driven there by the force of defilements that have
not been cut off. [549] This is the kind of rebirth-linking that has a past
object and comes next to death consciousness with a past object.
137. In another's case, owing to kamma of the kind already described,
there comes into focus at the mind door at the time of death the sign of
the unhappy destinies with the appearance of fire and flames, etc., in the
hells, and so on.
23
So when the life-continuum has twice arisen and
ceased, three sorts of cognitive-series consciousness arise contingent upon
that object, namely, the one adverting, impulsions numbering five be-
cause of the slowing down due to the nearness of death, and two regis-
trations. After that, one death consciousness arises making the life-
continuum's objective field its object. At this point eleven conscious-
nesses have elapsed. Then, having that same object, which has a life
span of the remaining five conscious moments, his rebirth-linking con-
sciousness arises. This is the kind of rebirth-linking that has a present
object and comes next to death with a past object.
138. In another's case, at the time of death there comes into focus in one
of the five doors an inferior object that is a cause of greed, and so on.
When a series of consciousnesses up to determining have arisen in due
succession, there arise impulsions numbering five because of slowing
down due to the nearness of death, and two registrations. After that, one
death consciousness arises making the life-continuum's objective field
its object. At this point fifteen consciousnesses have elapsed, namely,
two life-continuums, one each adverting, seeing, receiving, investigating
and determining, five impulsions, two registrations, and one death con-
sciousness. Then, having that same object, which has a life span of the
remaining one conscious moment, his rebirth-linking consciousness arises.
This also is the kind of rebirth-linking that has a present object and
comes next to a death consciousness with a past object.
This, firstly, is how rebirth-linking in an unhappy destiny with past
and present objects occurs next to death consciousness in a happy des-
tiny with a past object.
139. [From unhappy to happy destiny,] In the case of one in an unhappy
destiny who has stored up blameless kamma all should be understood in
the same way, substituting the bright for the dark side thus: His good
kamma, [according as it has been stored up], or its sign, comes into
focus in the mind door [and continuing] in the way already stated.
This is how rebirth-linking occurs in a happy destiny with past and
present objects next to death consciousness in an unhappy destiny with a
past object.
140. [From happy to happy destiny.] In the case of one in a happy
destiny who has stored up blameless kamma, when he is lying on his
death-bed, his blameless kamma according as it has been stored up, or its
sign, comes into focus in the mind door. For it is said, *Then [the good
deeds he did in the past] ... cover him [and overspread him and envelop
him]' (M.iii,171), and so on. And that applies only in the case of one
who has stored up blameless sense-sphere kamma. [550] But in the case
of one who has stored up kamma of the exalted spheres only the sign of
the kamma comes into focus. Then next to the cognitive series of impul-
sions ending in registration, or of simple impulsions, that arose contin-
gent upon that [kamma or its sign], death consciousness arises making
the life-continuum's objective field its object. When it has ceased,
rebirth-linking consciousness arises contingent upon that same kamma
or sign of kamma that had come into focus, and it does so located in the
happy destiny, being driven there by the force of defilements that have
not been cut off. This is the kind of rebirth-linking that has a past or a
not-sO'dassifiable object and comes next to death consciousness with a
past object.
141. In another's case, owing to blameless sense-sphere kamma, there
comes into focus in the mind door at the time of death the sign of a
happy destiny, in other words, the appearance of the mother's womb24
in
the case of the human world or the appearance of pleasure groves, divine
palaces, wishing trees, etc., in the case of the divine world. His rebirth-
linking consciousness arises next to the death consciousness in the order
shown for the sign of an unhappy destiny. This is the kind of rebirth-
linking that has a present object and comes next to death consciousness
with a past object.
142. In another's case, relatives present [objects to him] at the five sense
doors, such as a visible datum as object, perhaps flowers, garlands, flags,
banners, etc., saying, 'This is being offered to the Blessed One for your
sake, dear, set your mind at rest'; or a sound as object, perhaps, preach-
ing of the Dhamma, offerings of music, etc.; or an odour as object,
perhaps incense, scents, perfumes, etc.; or a taste as object, perhaps
honey, molasses, etc., saying, 'Taste this, dear, it is a gift to be given for
your sake'; or a tangible datum as object, perhaps Chinese silk, silk of
Somara, saying, 'Touch this, dear, it is a gift to be given for your sake'.
Now when that visible datum, or whatever it may be, as object has come
into focus for him and the consciousnesses ending in determining have
arisen in due succession, there arise in him impulsions numbering five
because of slowing down due to the nearness of death, and two registra-
tions; after that, one death consciousness, making the life-continuum's
objective field its object. At the end of that, having that same object,
which lasts only a single conscious moment, rebirth-linking conscious-
ness arises. This also is the kind of rebirth-linking with a present object
and comes next to a death consciousness with a past object.
143. But in the case of another who is in a happy destiny and has ob-
tained exalted [consciousness] through earth-kasina jhana, etc., at the
time of his death there comes into focus at the mind door the sense-
sphere profitable kamma or the sign of the kamma or the sign of the
destiny, or else the sign of the earth kasina, etc., or else the exalted
consciousness, [551] or else there comes into focus a superior object of
the eye or ear that is a cause for profitable rebirth. When the conscious-
nesses ending in determining have arisen in due succession, there arise
in him impulsions numbering five because of slowing down due to the
nearness of death. But in those who belong to an exalted destiny there is
no registration. So the one death consciousness arises next to the impul-
sion and making the life-continuum's objective field its object. At the
end of that, rebirth-linking consciousness arises located in one of the
happy destinies of the sense sphere or exalted sphere, and having as its
object whichever one among the aforesaid objects has appeared. This is
the kind of rebirth-linking with a past, present, or not-so-classifiable
object next to death consciousness in a happy destiny with a not-so-
classifiable object.
144. Rebirth-linking next to immaterial-sphere death should be under-
stood in this way too. This is how rebirth-linking occurs with a past,
present, or not-so-classifiable object next to death consciousness in a
happy destiny with a past or not-so-classifiable object.
145. [From unhappy to unhappy destiny.] In the case of one in an un-
happy destiny who is an evil-doer, that kamma, or its sign, or the sign of
the destiny, comes into focus in the mind door, or in the five doors, as
the object that is the cause for the unprofitable rebirth. Then his rebirth-
linking consciousness arises in due succession at the end of the death
consciousness and located in the unhappy destiny and with one of those
objects as its object.
This is how rebirth-linking occurs with a past or present object next
to death in an unhappy destiny with a past object.
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